Leona laughed, delighted with his casually flirtatious manner. “We shall have to talk later about similarities and differences.”
“I believe I am already partial to the differences,” he said smoothly.
Leona shook her head and regretfully turned to greet another. There was no danger of her succumbing to the Most Honorable Marquess of Keirsmyth. His flattery was too contrived for her taste; nonetheless, she acknowledged that she enjoyed their banter and looked forward to continuing it later.
Her head spun as she moved about through the entrance hall and the drawing room, talking with people, meeting others. It had been three years since she attended even a country assembly, and never had she been to as glittering a gathering like this. And these were only the dinner guests! She found herself a trifle nervous, yet everyone greeted her warmly. In the mingling crowd, there was no opportunity to talk with Sharply and discover what he wanted.
She smiled some more and made her way through the crowd to Maria’s side. Her companion looked positively radiant! Leona had to struggle to keep from gaping. Maria Sprockett was clothed in a primrose-colored gown trimmed with rose ruchings and ribbons. A tiny pink toque with feathers and lace sat atop her tight curls.
She and Maria were drawn into conversation with other guests. The group chatted happily about all manner of subjects from fans to the new political laws, and from the distressing state of the poor to Princess Caroline’s outrageous behavior. It was a relief when dinner was called. Her feet already hurt from standing for so long. What would they be like after the ball? If she lasted that long, she thought with a silent groan.
At dinner, she was seated between Captain Harry Turcott and the elderly Lord Goudge. She found them both delightful dinner companions. She smiled and chatted easily, amazed at how comfortable she was amidst a growing crowd of strangers. One of her long-buried reasons for not wanting to go to London for a season was her certainty that she would sit silent and alone at the side of a room. Deveraux hit upon that reason early on, though his conclusion that time—like so many other times—was faulty.
Somewhere, deep in her mind, a tally clicked off all the times he proved right. It was an unnerving total. She often thought his conclusions faulty, or he was only half right concerning something, but he was amazingly astute. Two tiny questions took root and grew in her mind:How was he right about Charlie?And,how was he wrong?
After dinner, the men did not stay long over port and tobacco, for the first stream of guests for the ball arrived. In the ballroom, Leona found Maria Sprockett gamely attempting to engage Sharply in conversation. With Fitzhugh and all the Deverauxs in the receiving line, she was the only one ofthe co-conspirators available. She couldn’t let her friend and companion suffer Sharply. As Leona well knew, a little of George Sharply went a long way. It was a tiny step from sated to surfeit. Besides, there was no better time for her to speak with him than when the guests were still arriving, and the musicians only beginning to settle at their places.
First, though, she sought out Rosalie. She decided it was wiser to bring Rosalie with her when she talked to Sharply. It might keep her from swearing violence on George Sharply’s head! She found her sister sitting in a brocade chair near the wall, behind Maria Sprockett and nearly totally obscured by hothouse flowers. Rosalie was nine years older than Leona. So far, the years had been kind to her. She was on the plump side, but her simple burgundy-and-cream satin gown flattered her figure. There were few lines on her face and as yet not a strand of gray laced through her hair, a shade darker than Leona’s golden tone. She was an inherently quiet woman, but there was an air of peace about her that Leona realized she’d never bothered to notice before. That sense of peace might be necessary to be able to live with George Sharply, Leona mused.
Maria Sprockett's eyes wildly darted about as she saw Leona approach Mr. Sharply. Leona shook her head and smiled wryly to reassure her friend before going to her sister’s side.
“There you are, Rosalie. I almost despaired of finding you, hidden among the flowers as you are.”
“Oh, good. Then perhaps this truly is the best place for me to be this evening. I don’t like crowds, you know.”
“I thought I didn’t either, but I’m finding to my surprise and satisfaction that I’m enjoying myself immensely! But before the real crush of guests arrive, I thought this might be a good opportunity for me to have that chat with your husband. Do you know what Sharply wishes to discuss with me?”
“Heavens, no, Leona. Well, at least not entirely,” she amended. “You know George wouldn’t bother my head with business.” She laughed contentedly. “He had enough difficulty reconciling himself to your activities.”
A wave of irritation swept through Leona. Remembering Deveraux’s accusation of prickliness, she determinedly let it flow on through her and out. “The world is not cut to every man’s order.”
“Nor every woman’s,” agreed her sister. “Leona, dear, I know you do not care for my husband, and that shall always be a sad fact to me. Dear George does not do well in situations like this. I shall be on tenterhooks all evening, cringing for his sake.”
Leona shook her head, not understanding what her sister was trying to say.
Rosalie smiled ruefully. “He gets nervous, you know, and talks too loud, and has his words come out with meanings he doesn’t intend. Truthfully, he does seem a bit vulgar, and he suffers such agonies for it later. But he can’t seem to help himself! He’s also like that around you. You intimidate him dreadfully."
"Me?”
“Yes. You’re always so calm and cool. You’ve been like that since Mama died. It used to worry George to flinders to see you with such a serious adult air trying to pick up Mama’s responsibilities. You were far too young to do so. Unfortunately, Father and Edmund and Charlie didn’t see that. All they were aware of was that they were not made uncomfortable. They didn’t care how that was achieved, nor at what cost, just so it was.”
“Rosalie—I don’t know what to say. You are revealing to me a side of Sharply I would never have guessed. I truthfully don’t know whether to believe you or merely think you are a loyal wife!”
“Both, I should think,” Rosalie declared.
“Rosalie, are you—can you be happy always to be at Sharply’s beck and call, to be within his sight at all times?”
“Can I be happy? Leona, it is a marvelous feeling to bewanted.To have a man who insists on seeing me at all times. You are wearing blinders when you look at us! Yes, I am at his beck and call, but he is also at mine. He is as chained to me as I am to him, and it’s marvelous! Pay attention, and you’ll see that, too.”
Leona shook her head, dazed.
Rosalie laughed. She patted her sister’s arm. “But come. Talk to George now. He’s waiting very anxiously to talk to you, and if you’ve noticed, he hasn’t interrupted us. He knows he badly blundered when we arrived, and you overheard him in the hall. The sight of this estate—what with a moat, walls, ruined keep—it was all too much for him! He was exceedingly nervous and simply did not know how to act, the poor dear. Please, come talk to him.”
Leona allowed herself to be led over to Sharply’s side. She kept trying to see him as her sister did, but the image remained elusive.
“Ah, Leona! There you are. Good, good,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “Need to talk to you. Charlie’s gone and done it, y’ know,” he said, shaking his head. “Surprised Rosalie and me, no doubt about it, eh, my pet?”
Rosalie merely smiled, encouraging her husband to continue.
