The Rules of Matchmaking by Connolly Rebecca

Author:Connolly, Rebecca
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-14T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

There was something agonizing about musical evenings, no matter who was hosting or who was in attendance. The anxiety of not knowing who would perform or the quality of any performances taking place drove Simon utterly mad while he was forced to sit and endure the occasion. Always had and, he suspected, always would.

The problem lay with having to select participants from the guests. Why did the hostess not arrange to have acknowledged talent entertain them all? Why subject them to the unknown talents of whomever they had chosen to invite to their event? Unless they had only invited the musically talented, it was a great risk.

Simon knew full well that Lady Cavernaugh had not invited only the musically talented, as he was not musically talented, and according to Jane, neither were she nor Miss Wyant.

Why, then, had a musical evening been included in the events of the house party? Was there some unwritten rule that a musical evening had to happen at a house party? Or at least once a week when in London?

Had he been in control of his own schedule this week, Simon would have avoided anything musical. He did not dislike music; he rather enjoyed it, when it was done well. But when it was not, there was nothing in this world that was worse.

Absolutely nothing.

The performing had yet to begin, and already Simon was wanting to retire to his bedchamber under whatever guise would get him there fastest.

“Stop scowling, man,” Ellis scolded, the words hissing through his smiling but clenched teeth. “You’ll scare anyone away from us.”

Simon gave him a sidelong look. “Then go stand over there, away from me. This is my face, and this is the expression it will wear this evening.”

Ellis rolled his eyes, shaking his head and looking around the room. Simon knew full well who the man was looking for, and why he was concerned with Simon looking agreeable.

He wanted Miss Wyant to come over, and he wanted her to want to come over. But really, if she was as interested in him as he was in her, or even close to it, wouldn’t Ellis like for her to desire to come to his side regardless of the expressions of the company he kept? It could be a test for her earnestness, if not sincerity. Would not that help the situation a great deal? It might answer some questions and doubts, which would be much preferred, certainly.

Simon was helping his friend by looking this way. The sooner he saw that, the better.

But as Simon watched, Ellis seemed to grow more and more impatient. His hands were behind his back, and he clapped the back of one into the palm of the other. He rocked on his heels ever so slightly. He scanned the entire room over and over again, his head moving as though on a swivel. Just back and forth in the same motions, never pausing or hesitating.

What his eyes were doing wasn’t evident from Simon’s position, but he had no doubt they were raking the room and the small gathering already mingling about in it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.