Lady Beneath the Veil(15)

'Yes, of course. And here is Judd now with the tea tray. Shall I light the spirit kettle?'

She uttered up a prayer of thanks at his friendly tone. This she could  cope with, the ritual of making tea, sitting in separate chairs, their  only contact the accidental touch of fingers when she handed him his  cup. They conversed easily, but with a wary restraint, on guard lest any  remark should cause offence or embarrassment.

'Your sister has invited me to her musical soirée on Thursday,' she  said when he brought his cup to her for more tea. 'I would like to go,  if you have no objection?'

'Of course not. May I come with you?' His brows snapped together. 'Now  why should you look so surprised-would you rather I didn't?'

'G-Gwendoline thought you would not-she said I should not expect you to accompany me everywhere.'

'I think it might be expected that I would attend my own sister's soirée. That is, if you would like me to come with you.'

Dominique would like nothing better and wanted to say as much, but his next words stopped her.

'We are already agreed, are we not, that we must show the ton we are on  the best of terms? You may be sure that someone will pass the word on  to Martlesham.'

So that was it. They were to show Max that his little trick had failed. She forced herself to keep smiling.

'Quite.'

She made her excuses to retire as soon as she could after that, barely  waiting for Gideon to kiss her fingers before pulling her hand away and  hurrying off to her room. She heard Gideon's footsteps in the corridor  some time later, but he did not even pause as he passed her door.

* * *

'Dominique, my dear, welcome to my little musical gathering.  Ribblestone is at the House, but he will be back later to meet you.'  Gwendoline bent to envelope her in a scented hug, the ostrich feathers  in her turban quivering above her as she added in an excited whisper, 'I  have never had such a crowd here before. Not one refusal to my  invitations. This must be down to you, my love.'

'Don't put my wife to the blush before she is even through the door, Gwen.'

'Oh, tush, Dominique knows she is amongst friends here.' Gwendoline  pulled Gideon to her and kissed his cheek. 'How are you, Brother? You  are looking very fine this evening.'

Dominique thought so, too. Stealing another glance at her husband in  his black coat and dazzlingly white linen, she thought he was easily the  most handsome man in the room. His hair glinted with fiery red sparks  in the candlelight, which also accentuated the strong angles of his lean  face. He wore no jewellery save his heavy signet ring and a quizzing  glass on a black-velvet ribbon around his neck, but the exquisite cut of  his coat and artfully knotted cravat were the envy of many.

'My love, may I present to you...'

She found herself surrounded by gentlemen. Her instinct was to cling to  her husband, but that would never do. She allowed him to make the  introductions, accepted their compliments with a shy smile, but was  relieved when, after a few moments' conversation, Gideon took her arm  and guided her away.                       
       
           



       

'I can't have you falling into the clutches of those Lotharios tonight,' he murmured as he led her across the room.

'Are they all so bad, then?' She glanced back. 'They seemed perfectly  respectable, save perhaps for Sir Desmond, who was whispering the most  outrageous things to Gwen. The rest I thought were perfect gentlemen.'

'And so they are, as long as I am beside you, but leave them alone with a pretty woman-'

She felt her cheeks burn.

'Oh, do you mean that, Gideon, do you really think I am pretty?'

'As a picture,' he replied, lifting her gloved hand to his lips.

She knew it meant nothing, he performed the gesture with practised  ease, as he had doubtless done hundreds of times before with other  women, but she could not prevent her heart from beating just that little  bit faster. Her body responded to his every look, every touch, but she  had learned to hide it, so that she alone knew how much her skin tingled  when he was close to her and how much she ached to feel his arms about  her.

* * *

The gentlemen melted away, but the ladies were not so easy to escape.  They clustered about the couple, trying to separate Dominique from her  husband, ostensibly to sit with them for the forthcoming recital, but  she guessed they really wanted to learn the circumstances of her  marriage. She held tight to Gideon's arm and he turned aside every  invitation, declaring with a laugh that he wanted to keep his wife to  himself for this one evening.

When at length they sat down together she murmured her thanks to him  and could not resist asking if he was merely staying by her for the sake  of the gossip-mongers.

'Good God, no. I came here to be with you this evening. And besides, I  want to know what you think. Many of my sister's guests have no  musicality at all, and praise everyone to the skies, however dire the  performance.'

He values my opinion!

Dominique sat up a little straighter. She had been apprehensive about  the evening, but with Gideon beside her she began to relax and enjoy  herself. They sat through some poor piano playing, and even worse  poetry, but when they went in to supper Dominique could not agree with  Gideon's remark that it was a wasted evening.

'I have made a number of new acquaintances and that will stand me in  good stead in future. And,' she added, giving him a twinkling look, 'now  I have heard the standard of music that is acceptable in town I shall  not be afraid to play in public.'

'I am glad to hear that.' He grinned back at her. 'It has been  particularly bad this evening. I shall have to have words with my  sister.'

* * *

Later, however, when she brought her husband to their table, Gwendoline was unrepentant.

'They are friends, dear Brother, and desperate to perform. I get them  over with first, so that we can all relax and enjoy the remainder of the  evening.'

'Aye, that is why I am never here early,' agreed Lord Ribblestone in a  grave tone that was decidedly at odds with the mischievous gleam in his  eye. 'Gwen has too soft a heart when it comes to lame ducks and always  likes to give them a chance to show their paces. You will learn, Mrs  Albury, never to get to my wife's parties before suppertime.'

'You certainly do not,' retorted Gwen.

He smiled. 'Acquit me, my love. Tonight at least I would have come earlier, if matters had allowed.'

Gideon raised an eyebrow.

'Discussing the treaty, Anthony?'

Ribblestone's mouth twisted.

'This peace with France won't last the year.'

'Oh, I hope you are wrong there, my lord.' Dominique blushed at her impetuous words.

'My wife's father is French,' explained Gideon.

Lord Ribblestone's brows shot up.

'Is he, by Gad? But I thought-'

'Goodness, Anthony, if you took more notice of me and less of your  dusty political papers, you would remember!' Gwendoline broke in  hastily. 'I explained everything, so there is no need to go over it all  again. Now, my lord, we still have any number of guests wishing to play  for us tonight so you must help me get everyone back to the salon.'  Gwendoline bore him away, giving Dominique a warm smile as she passed.  'I promise you the best players have yet to perform. I do not think you  will be disappointed, my dear.'                       
       
           



       

Dominique tried to respond, but all she could think of was Lord  Ribblestone's astonishment that Gideon should marry a Frenchwoman.

'My brother-in-law has many attributes, but tact is not one of them,'  remarked Gideon. 'No wonder the government is in such disarray, if he is  an example of their abilities.' He said gently, 'Your French  connections are no secret in town, my dear, but I doubt anyone else will  remark upon it.' He rose and held out his hand to her. 'Now, shall we  gird our loins for more execrable music?'

She accompanied him back to the salon, but her new brother-in-law's  shock had undermined her confidence. Everyone was watching her,  wondering what could have persuaded Gideon to marry a penniless  Frenchwoman without even beauty to recommend her. However, his continued  presence at her side was reassuring, and since the musical offerings  were indeed much improved she tried very hard to put her anxieties aside  and enjoy herself. A particularly good duet between piano and harp had  her clapping enthusiastically, as did a very funny ditty by Sir Desmond  Arndale.

'Bravo,' cried Gwendoline, moving forwards to congratulate him. 'A  splendid ending to our evening, sir. Now that everyone has performed-'

'Not quite everyone.' Sir Desmond interrupted her. 'Mrs Albury has yet to play.'

Dominique had been too busy applauding to take in his words until she found everyone looking at her.

'What? Oh, no-that is-'

'Come along, ma'am, I am sure everyone wants to hear you.' Sir Desmond was beaming and beckoning her forwards.

Gideon turned to her.