Even Beth was aware of the rude meaning to which he alluded, and sheturned pink. But she knew as well that there was a warm stirring insideher at his words and the almost sultry look in his eyes. She foughtit.
“Every cock is proud on its own dung-heap,” she shot back in an attemptto drag the contest back into safer waters.
Mirth glittered in his bright blue eyes. “As in upstanding?” heasked.
The contest had passed out of Beth’s control and beyond her trueunderstanding, but she knew she had to retreat. She grabbed the firstquotation that came to mind. “Small things make base men proud,” shedeclared and directed her attention firmly to the soup which had somehowarrived before her.
She found it difficult to swallow the first spoonful. There wassomething dangerous emanating from her left.
She slanted a wary glance in his direction. He was in control and hisface was politely amiable but outrage glittered in his eyes. Beth ran thewords back through her mind, seeking the unintentional offense. Oh,heavens. Base. That was it. He thought it was a reference to hisbirth.
“I am sorry,” she said, trying to sound sincere while keeping her toneand manner light for the sake of those nearby. “I didn’t mean ... I didn’tmean anything . . . personal, my lord.”
Her words appeared to anger him more. “So you do realize what you wereimplying,” he commented in the same light tone but through tight teeth.“You must tell me your opinion of my endowments when you have morepersonalexperience.”
Beth hadn’t the slightest notion what he meant but took the only wisecourse and addressed her soup.
By the time six types of fish were being offered Beth had nerve enoughto direct an innocuous comment to him and he was restored enough to answerit. Knowing silence would be cause for comment they began to converse andeven slowly returned to playful flirtation. But now it was a careful, warybusiness, despite their smiles.
The marquess threw insincere flattery at Beth and Beth reciprocated.Gradually, despite their discord, Beth went from satisfaction in holdingher own to pleasure in matching wits. But she was careful ? as careful asa person can be when walking over ground set with invisible traps.
She thought she saw genuine amusement in the marquess’ eyes now andthen, but it wasn’t the unguarded warmth of their earlier exchange. At onepoint when she capped his praise of her eyes with a positive laudation ofhis, he murmured, “It would be more ladylike just to simper, my dear.”
Beth, by now outside three glasses of wine, simply opened her eyes wideand said, “Really?”
He bowed his head and laughed. They received yet more indulgent looks.Beth thought his humor was genuine. But then he had been draining his wineglasses with regularity, too.
The whole company was relaxed by good food and wine, and when thespeeches started, wit, both coarse and fine, began to fly. The Regent wastoasted and all the royal family. The soldiers and sailors received theirdue.
Then the duke rose. “My friends. This is a joyous occasion indeed forus, and we are pleased to share it with you today. It is not often afamily is so fortunate as to welcome within it a bride who is so like adaughter.”
Beth could feel her eyes open wide and resisted with difficulty thetemptation to look at the marquess with alarm. He laid a hand over hers inwhat would look like fondness but was, she hoped, reassurance. If not, itwas control.
“The duchess and I had wondered when Arden would choose a bride. Somany young men these days seem to find no need for one, to their greatloss. We would have been happy to welcome any young woman who found favorin his eyes, but thank him sincerely for choosing our dear Elizabeth.”
Everyone joined in the toast and then the marquess rose to reply. “Someyoung men,” he said with pointed looks at his friends, “do indeed seem tothink a bride a low priority in life. I can assure them they are wrong.Does Euripides not say, ‘Man’s best possession is a sympathetic wife’?”Beth stiffened at the wordpossession,knowing it had been deliberately employed, but shemaintained her smile. “Euripides was right. I have already found my lifeenlivened by my bride-to-be, and I look forward with confidence to yetgreater delight.”
The words were without offense and yet something in the delivery causedtitters and guffaws. Beth knew she was turning pink, and it was one partembarrassment to three parts anger. Why did society ordain that the menmake all the speeches? She would delight in an opportunity to land someclever shots of her own.
“The heir to a great house,” he continued, “cannot choose the singlelife, but I felt no urgency to seek a bride. You can see then thatElizabeth caught me quite unawares. We make no secret of the fact that shebrings no fortune or proud bloodlines to this match, and I am pleased bythis. For how can anyone doubt that we are joined by the strongestcompulsion . ..”
The emphasis he placed on the word sent a shiver down Beth’s spine. Itseemed an age before he added, “Love.”
She looked up and their eyes clashed. “There is something inexpressiblycharming in falling in love,” he added blithely. “I recommend it to allyou lonely bachelors.”
Beth looked down at her plate, wondering how many would recognize thatquotation from Molicre, which went on to say that the whole pleasure oflove lies in the fact that love is soon over. But at least she and themarquess need not fear the loss of something they did not have. Sherealized she was missing some of his speech, but if that was the style ofit she did not regret it.
“I ask you,” said the marquess in conclusion, “to drink again toElizabeth. And to families. And to love.”
Everyone did this resoundingly, and Beth could detect no ambivalence inthe smiling faces. Perhaps people heard what they expected to hear. Orperhaps, as Shakespeare had it, “All the world’s a stage, and all the menand women merely players .. .”
Chapter Ten
contents -previous |next
There was no lingering after the dinner, for more guests were arrivingfor the ball and now was the time for the formal reception line. Beth feltvery like an actor moving onto the next scene of a play.
She stood between the duke and the marquess and touched hands with whatseemed to be hundreds of people. Again there were the astonished looks,the speculation, and the envy. She could swear she saw a few matrons lookclosely at her waistline.
