The Houseparty by Stuart Anne

Author:Stuart, Anne [Stuart, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Regency, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9780449207802
Publisher: Fawcett
Published: 1985-02-12T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

"Well there you are at last, Elizabeth," Lady Eifreda announced from across the room with her customarily piercing tones. "What in the world have you been doing out there in the garden on such a chilly night? You appear quite windblown."

Elizabeth put an absent hand to her hair, finding it comparatively sedate in its stern pinnings. She smiled sweetly at her nemesis. "The evening is quite delightful, Lady Eifreda. I am persuaded you would enjoy a brisk stroll almost as much as I did."

Her ladyship chose to ignore that suggestion. "Did you happen to see either Adolphus or Captain Fraser? They both disappeared around the time you decided to go for a walk."

The low hum of conversation had stopped by this time, and the small group of guests were no longer making any effort to conceal their interest. Rupert was eyeing her from one of the card tables with a particularly intimidating glower.

Elizabeth was irked. She simpered across the room at her ladyship, batting her eyes ingenuously. "Oh, la, your ladyship, it was monstrously exciting! There was I, merely seeking a breath of fresh air, when what should Captain Fraser do but leap out of the bushes, grab me, and kiss me quite fiercely. And then Dolph appeared, and threatened to knock Captain Fraser down, and started to escort me back to the house. But then Dolph tried to kiss me just as fiercely as Captain Fraser, and Captain Fraser appeared from out of the bushes and threatened to knock Dolph down, so I said—"

"You've said quiet enough already," Lady Elfreda snorted, much irritated. "Such a bunch of farradiddle I have never heard in my life."

"It comes from reading too many French novels," Elizabeth replied pertly, relief flooding her as she realized that Michael had entered the door directly behind her. "Why don't you ask Captain Fraser what the three of us were doing out there?"

Michael raised an inquiring eyebrow at the fascinated group. "Have you been divulging secrets, Miss Traherne?"

By this time Lady Elfreda appeared to have regretted the brouhaha she had instigated. "Well, I am certain that if both Dolph and Captain Fraser were present, then Miss Traherne was adequately chaperoned." She made a dismissing gesture with one clawlike hand, but Elizabeth chose to ignore her. She turned to Michael, smiling brilliantly.

"I was just telling them that both you and Dolph tried to kiss me and then decided to fight for my favors," she said impishly, daring him to refute it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rupert take a threatening step forward.

Fraser didn't bat an eye. "What a bouncer! And you a vicar's sister! The truth of the matter is, Lady Elfreda, that Miss Traherne came across Sir Adolphus and me blowing a cloud and threatened to cause a disturbance if we didn't allow her a puff of our cigars. Needless to say, we had no intention of complying with such blackmail, and she threatened to tell everyone that we molested her. Did

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