Secrets of a Spinster (24 page)

She couldn’t help but flinch slightly as Fanny began with a truly horrific note that made her feel as though her stomach had been plunged into an icy trough. She glanced up to see if Fanny would look around at them all, but true to form, the girl was playing and singing with her eyes closed. Probably for the best. Mary closed her eyes as well, and tried to imagine something else.

“Pardon me, Miss Hamilton.”

She opened her eyes in surprise as Mr. Granger was sitting beside her now. “Mr. Granger?”

“I’m afraid I must take my leave,” he said softly so as not to disturb what was supposed to be music.

Disappointment hit her in the chest and she frowned slightly. “Oh.” Then she leaned in and quirked a half smile. “Is the entertainment not to your liking?”

He flashed a very quick show of teeth with a roguish grin. “No, indeed, it’s very fine…” He coughed softly with suggestion, and Mary fought the urge to snicker.

“No, I’ve had a pleasant evening,” he assured her, his smile retreating back into hiding. “I simply… I feel it is time.”

Concern knitted Mary’s brow. “Are you certain? We will have some other entertainment momentarily, and perhaps some riddles. I could use your cleverness there.”

He slowly shook his head, his eyes wandering to the door out of which Geoff and Lily had vanished. “I fear I will not be good company for you, Miss Hamilton. I really must take my leave.”

That, at least, Mary could understand. She smiled softly and nodded. “Of course, Mr. Granger. Thank you for your attendance this evening.”

He stood and gave her a slight bow. “Miss Hamilton,” he murmured. Then he swept from the room, his eyes avoiding that side door entirely.

Mary frowned in earnest now. Could Geoffrey not have seen what was plain for all? She snapped open her fan and began to fan herself in irritation, though the room was cool enough. She would have to speak with Geoffrey after all, though she had fully intended to avoid him all evening. She had been surprised to see him arrive at all, but then, he had promised to come for Miss Arden.

His words to her the other night echoed in her mind: “you have that party and invite Miss Arden and I will be her chief admirer for the entire evening. I will be so full of compliments that you will think you invited one of your fops instead of me.”

She snorted in memory. A fop he was certainly being, and certainly her chief admirer. But knowing Geoffrey, knowing his current feelings, he would do it merely to spite Mary, to throw it in her face that he was keeping his word.

A discordant chord on the piano caused her to jerk and she flexed her fingers painfully. She released a slow exhale and looked at her sister, whose face was frozen into polite support, but there was real pain in her eyes. Perhaps now they could prevent this from happening again.

At long last, it was over, and polite applause filled the room. Mary rose before anybody could be so cruel as to suggest another and smiled at the gathering. “Thank you, Miss Harville. It is so delightful to witness your improvements.”

Fanny smiled and nodded in acceptance.

“If you all would care for some refreshment, a light spread has been provided in the dining room. Then perhaps, we can reconvene in here for some games, and a bit more music.”

All rose and did as she suggested, finding the ones who had departed already in the dining room. Mary looked around for Geoff, who was still chatting with Lily. She walked over calmly as if she were merely taking a stroll about the room. Lily saw her approach and smiled.

“Miss Hamilton, thank you so much for this evening,” the sweet girl gushed, absently pushing a stray lock of her brown curls behind her ear. “It has been wonderful.”

Mary couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad you are enjoying yourself, Miss Arden. I trust you have received some compliments?”

Lily blushed. “Quite a few. It’s a trifle overwhelming.”

“But absolutely deserved,” Mary insisted, putting a hand on her arm. “Now, if you don’t mind, might I borrow Mr. Harris for a moment?”

Lily looked up at him and nodded with a smile. “Of course!”

As if Mary had summoned her, Kate was suddenly there with her dark eyes trained on Lily. “You, my dear Miss Arden, put me quite to shame.”

“Miss Arden, you know the Lady Whitlock?” Mary said quickly, making the proper introductions.

Lily curtseyed very prettily. “Only by sight, my lady. It’s a pleasure. Thank you for your compliment.”

Kate took the girl’s arm. “No, the pleasure is mine. Now we must talk at great length, Miss Arden. Your largo was so moving, I could hardly speak.” And with that Kate steered her away, taking her around the room.

Mary exhaled silently, then cast a look up at Geoffrey, who watched the ladies move fondly.

“You have to adore Kate, don’t you?” he said on a sigh.

Mary glowered. “I believe most do. Geoffrey, what are you doing?”

He looked down at her in surprise. “Standing here talking to you. And before that, complimenting Miss Arden and having a most pleasant conversation.”

“Well, stop it!”

He reared back in surprise. “Why? I told you I would come and compliment Miss Arden, and so I have. And not insincerely either, she’s remarkable.”

“Yes, yes, I know she is,” Mary snapped, clenching her fan in one hand. “And I’m becoming terribly fond of her, which is why you must stop.”

“Stop complimenting her?”

She huffed and turned towards him more fully so that others would not see her. “Stop monopolizing her. Don’t you realize that others may want to speak with her?”

He looked at her with complete incredulity. “Are you serious, Mary? Monopolizing? So says you, who monopolizes all attention everywhere she goes these days.”

She clenched her teeth together a little painfully. She must remain calm, she must remain collected. “Don’t make her fall in love with you, Geoffrey.”

“I have no such intentions,” he began, his voice beginning to rise.

“Shh!” she hissed, looking around quickly. She opened her fan and held it before her face. “You have paid her your compliments, now leave her alone.”

“I will do no such thing,” he said, keeping his voice low as he smiled pleasantly at Kate from across the room. “I like Miss Arden, too, and I will converse with her as I see fit. No need to get all huffy because it means one less person is complimenting you.”

Her mouth popped open in surprise and she sputtered. “That is not my… That is absolutely ridiculous.”

He looked at her. “Is it? You have asked me to stop being pleasant with a young woman who you yourself decided to host an event for, because…?” He waited expectantly.

“Because others may want to have some of her time!” she hissed.

He shook his head with a laugh. “Absurd. They can come up and compliment her all they like no matter who she is conversing with. If they truly wished to, they would have. We were not being exclusive. And if I were to form any designs on Miss Arden, I do believe I could do so without having to confer with you.”

She narrowed her eyes and snapped her fan closed. “Leave it alone, Geoffrey. And don’t ask Fanny Harville to sing anymore unless you are prepared to endure it with the rest of us.” She left in a swirl of skirts and huffed an impatient grunt of dissatisfaction. Impossible man.

 “I thought, perhaps, we could now have a game of riddles.”

Geoff turned with the other gentlemen in the room, and managed to stifle his groan. With the silly idiots she had collected here tonight, she wanted a game of riddles? The only creatures of sense here besides himself were Derek and Kate, and perhaps Miss Arden, though he didn’t know enough of her to be able to determine that as yet. But none of Mary’s scholars had attended, and certainly no clever man had. With the exception of Thomas Granger, who had wisely fled the evening some time ago.

He entered the music room with a heavy sigh knowing this was going to prove to be an exercise in restraint for him. All the rest seemed to be excited about the prospect of riddles, but he feared very much that Mary would use her now quite sharpened tongue upon those unsuspecting fools who thought her the epitome of all goodness. They had no idea how clever she was.

Grudgingly he took up a position along one wall, near enough to Derek and Kate that he would be able to hear their mutterings, which were destined to be hilarious, and far enough away from Mary that he wouldn’t have to look at her if he chose not to. He glanced over to find that she was yet again surrounded by far too many gentlemen. And she was scolding him for monopolizing someone? He snorted silently.

“Shall I begin?” inquired Lord Wofford.

Geoff tried not to laugh, and saw Derek struggling as well. Wofford was notoriously stupid and the idea that he even knew a riddle was astounding.

“Of course, my lord,” Mary said politely. “Is this for someone in particular, or for all?”

“Oh, for all, certainly,” he puffed pompously. He cleared his throat. “What walks on four legs in the morning, two at mid-day, and three in the evening?”

Most of the room groaned and Geoff hid a smile behind a fist. The most well-known riddle of all? It was too perfect.

“Oh, it’s a human,” Cassandra announced with a roll of her eyes and a light laugh. “We all know that one.” The room, including Mary, laughed politely.

The glare that the earl tossed in Cassandra’s direction wiped Geoff’s smile from his face. It was evident he knew exactly who had answered and exactly what rumors were swirling about her, and he held the same disreputable opinion of her as the rest of Society did. Mary didn’t react at all, as she was engaged in conversation with Mr. Beech beside her. Geoff’s fist clenched as he looked back at Wofford, still glowering at Cassie as if she were a viper, and he heard Derek murmur, “Steady, Geoff. Allow me.”

He glanced down at his friend, only to find him glaring at Wofford. The earl saw it and managed to color slightly, and looked away. After all, Derek was a powerful man with a powerful glare, and anybody who wished to keep any standing at all in society would do well to avoid them.

“Thank you,” Geoff muttered as a touch of satisfaction hit him.

Derek nodded, barely.

“I shall go next,” Mr. Parker said politely. “What can run, but never walks, has a mouth, but never talks, has a head, but never weeps, has a bed, but never sleeps?”

There were mutterings and murmurings around the room, and Geoff found himself watching Mary. Her forehead was furrowed, ever so slightly, and then it cleared. She looked up and Geoff knew she had the answer.

“A river,” she said in clear tones. Then she smiled brightly at Mr. Parker. “Isn’t it?”

He inclined his head proudly. “It is indeed, Miss Hamilton. Bravo.”

Applause and laughter spattered about and Geoff shifted in annoyance, his eyes threatening to roll of their own accord.

Mary giggled, (she giggled? Since when did she giggle?) and turned to the gentleman beside her. “I have one for you, Mr. Timmons.”

Timmons looked as though he’d just been granted a favor from the Queen. “I should be so honored, Miss Hamilton.”

Geoff saw Cassandra bite her lip to contain her laughter and he wished he felt the urge to do the same. He only felt a crawling sensation in his stomach.

Mary smiled fondly at Timmons. “Here it is; give me food, and I will live; give me water, and I will die. What am I?”

Geoff stilled as he recognized that particular riddle as one from a book of riddles he and Mary had gone through one rainy day only a few years ago. It had been one of the most entertaining memories he had of them, and he’d assumed she’d forgotten. Obviously, she hadn’t, considering the way her eyes almost unconsciously flicked in his direction, but never actually at him. He frowned and looked at Timmons, who was utterly bewildered and growing redder by the minute as he fumbled for an answer.

“Food, and I will live,” he murmured anxiously, “water and I will die…”

“Do you need a hint?” Mary asked impatiently, her words now holding some bite to them.

“Oh, if you please, Miss Hamilton,” he responded with immense relief.

Idiot, Geoff thought with a snort. It was a simple riddle, it didn’t need…

“When I touch a finger,” Mary said slowly, her eyes fixed on Timmons’s, “it grows red.”