Lady Crenshaw's Christmas by Ashworth Heidi

Author:Ashworth, Heidi [Ashworth, Heidi]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Heidi Ashworth
Published: 2012-11-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

“Ginny. Ginny!” an urgent voice cried. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Someone was bending over her, saying her name over and over. Gradually Ginny’s focus cleared enough to make out the shape of a head as it hovered over her, moving closer and closer until there was no doubt as to its identity. The unmistakable blue eyes, smooth brow and vacuous expression of Lucinda, Lady Avery, loomed above her, looking for all the world like an avenging angel.

Ginny felt her face crumple into a frown. Where was her husband? She had a pain in her side and, though lying on the ground, she was still very dizzy.

A second face appeared next to Lady Avery’s. “I hadn’t thought Tony went for such stout girls,” the duchess said.

“Oh, she’s not stout,” Lady Avery corrected, then cocked her head to the side. “That is to say, she is stout, but she is also increasing. I had always thought girls simply ran to fat after the wedding but then it happened to me.”

A third face appeared above Ginny’s head. It was the duke, his hair in wild disarray and sporting bits of deviled egg, roast capon, and strands of dog hair. “Do you mean to say this chit is breeding?” the duke demanded. Getting to his feet, he bellowed to the company at large: “Who gave her leave?”

Ginny wondered why she should need the duke’s permission to bear a child. She wondered what was keeping her husband from coming to her aid and was more than a little bewildered when the next face to appear was that of Grandaunt Regina’s. “I will have you know, James,” she said with humiliating emphasis on his name, “that my Ginerva is one hundred times more fit to be the mother of a Marcross than that hussy of yours!”

“Hussy?” the duchess cried, incredulous. “Are you not the very woman who attempted to arrange a marriage between myself and your grandson?”

“I am ashamed to admit it is true,” Grandaunt retorted, “and I pray thanks every night you turned him away!”

“My Rebecca was clearly holding out for the better man!” the duke raged.

“The duke is very angry,” Lady Avery informed Ginny as if this was not the least obvious. “His face is as red as a beet!”

“Lucinda, listen to me,” Ginny pleaded.

“Lady Avery,” Lucinda corrected her.

“Lady Avery,” Ginny said through clenched teeth, “where is my husband?”

Lucinda shook her head. “He is nothing like my Eustace. When I faint, he is always there to catch me. Instead, your husband took one look at you and ran from the room.” She leaned in closer to whisper in Ginny’s ear, prompting the cluster of eavesdropping guests to shuffle into a tighter knot around her prone form. “I do believe it was all on account of the dogs. They have been very naughty. I suppose I should keep them on a leash the next time I take them to a ball,” she said with a heavy sigh.

Suddenly a slight roaring rose in the air as the crowd rippled away and Anthony’s face finally appeared within Ginny’s line of vision.

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