He hurried out of the room and found her leaving the music room. Taking her hand, he said, “Oliver has returned.”
“Oh, goodness! That is marvelous news!”
They entered the study, and Phoebe was truly delighted to see Oliver again. and vice versa. She even went on to suggest he marry, now that he had returned to England and that there were many young ladies to choose from.
Jasper shook his head, muttering, “Why does this not surprise me?”
“If you are too exhausted from your travels to seek, you may appoint me as your matchmaker,” she offered, and Oliver roared with laughter.
He glanced at Jasper. “Our dear Phoebe has not changed.”
“She never will, Oliver,” Jasper chuckled.
“Lord knows you need a wife, especially now that you are an earl," Phoebe added, pinning them both with that maternal look of admonishment.
"Lady Phoebe, I have only just returned," Oliver protested with a fond smile.
"That is why I offered to help, Oliver," she responded.
"And this is what I contend with every day," Jasper said, and his aunt glared at him before joining in their mirth.
"Although, I have no qualms about getting married now," Oliver suddenly announced.
"Finally," Phoebe threw her hands in the air in a theatrical show of relief.
"If you would do me the honor of being my bride, Lady Phoebe," Oliver added impishly.
“You scoundrel!” Phoebe swatted his shoulder, and they laughed more at the ridiculous joke.
“Aunt Phoebe,” Jasper claimed her attention, “why don’t we host the soiree in Oliver’s honor to celebrate his return to England? What say you?”
Phoebe clapped her hands together. “Certainly! I would be delighted to.” Oliver tried to decline courteously, but she refused to listen. Jasper did not have to insist, for his aunt was very convincing. "You should know me after all our years together, Oliver. I never accept negative answers.” She left Oliver no choice but to agree.
Chapter 20
A pair of masks that could only belong to the Rogue and the Comtesse was found on a ship that was to sail to the East Indies tomorrow. The sailor who found it was an ardent reader of The Londoner, and one could only imagine his joy when he brought the masks to us. Before the day ended, however, several pairs of masks were discovered aboard ships. Now, what manner of devilry is this? Misleading an entire town is unforgivable.
Tonight, Natalie took great pains in her toilette, and as she raised her hands to pinch her cheeks on her way downstairs, she realized she did not have to do that. She needed only to think about Jasper for the heat to put color on her face. No matter what she told herself, she had to admit that she was trying to look her best for Jasper.
Hannah also looked marvelous in a pale blue dress that complimented her dark hair and pale skin. They left for the soirée shortly, and an hour later, they arrived at Amsthorne Manor.
In the ballroom, she looked around for Jasper, but he was nowhere in sight, and something uneasy settled within her. Phoebe, however, was very much present, and she greeted them joyfully, introducing George to the Earl of Liverpool, who happened to be the Prime Minister.
Such an acquaintance could never be a waste, and George looked truly hopeful for the first time in a long while. Perhaps their luck was finally changing.
As they stood with Phoebe and several guests, Natalie spied a tall figure that could be Jasper, but when the gentleman turned, disappointment washed over her despite her efforts to keep it at bay. She had put forth so much effort for him to see her tonight, and it would be a shame if he was not present.
Wessberg came to claim a dance with Hannah while Phoebe’s attention was taken by a countess with a boisterous laugh. Natalie was left to decorate the fringes of the ballroom as she was accustomed to doing, yet it felt different and even more humiliating tonight.
To her surprise, a young man approached her, introducing himself as the Marquess Hillward. He looked like he was no older than twenty, but for the purpose of being polite, Natalie returned his greeting in kind.
“May I have a dance, My Lady?” He held out his arm, and her eyes fleetingly moved across the room to seek an excuse to decline. Finding none, she stifled a sigh and accepted with a smile.
The dance was, thankfully, a quadrille. They did not converse, and their steps were quick. Natalie’s eyes continued to move dolefully across the ballroom in search of Jasper, even though she knew she would not find him.
After the dance, the Marquess bowed politely. “Thank you for the honor, My Lady.” He offered her his arm again, and they took a silent turn about the room before they stopped by the refreshment table.
He picked up a glass of champagne, and he was handing it to her when he caught sight of something behind her, and his hand shook slightly. Curious, Natalie turned to find Jasper smiling down at her.
