“I am delighted you joined us. I am sure you will have great luck at this,” Lord Patterson said, oozing flummery. “Why, the fish will be fighting one another to bite your hook.”
Brilliance frowned. “I think you are speaking nonsense. Surely the fish cannot see who is holding the rod. And why would they be any happier to die at my hands than at yours?”
He fell silent, looking like a disciplined dog, and guilt pinched her. Yet she couldn’t abide too much of the fawning flattery that men thought women wished to hear. Refusing to apologize forher reasonable question, she let it hang in the air between them and lowered her baited hook into the stream.
Brilliance hoped he would leave her in peace to contemplate the ideal morning she’d already had — or at least, the ideal encounter in the trees. It had turned around all the unpleasantness of the conservatory and the dismal failure of her painting, although she had never much cared about her inability as an artist.
In fact, she had plenty of other inabilities, and she had no doubt that many would be on display before the week was out.
Chapter Seven
That evening was the first entertainment in the conservatory. Brilliance had presented Lord Hewitt with an apple and another orange during the day after returning from the stream. He had pocketed both with a bemused expression.
“I shall have to determine what to give you in return, my lady,” he said.
“I need nothing,” she assured him. “Why would I?”
Brilliance hoped her mother’s remedy was easing his stage fright, but there was no way to be certain. All she could do was push Lord Hewitt a little each time the opportunity presented itself. To that end, she penciled in his name on the performance sheet that had been resting upon the table in the drawing room all afternoon.
Between dinner and supper, when they were all gathered in the music room, after an uncomfortably ear-splitting operatic performance by Lady Georgiana, who had the lungs necessary but no ability to control her notes, Lady Twitchard glanced at the roster.
Brilliance noticed her expression of surprise. Then their hostess looked over at her cousin. Still, she hesitated.
At last, she said, “Lord Hewitt, do you intend to play for us?”
Brilliance, along with everyone else, turned in his direction to where he was seated between two female guests. His cheeks blazed a ruddy color.
“I do not,” he said emphatically.
“Oh, do play us a tune,” the lady to his left said. It was Miss Newton, and Brilliance hoped he would be courteous and do as she asked.
He crossed his arms and ignored her.
“It is only that your name appears next on the list,” Lady Twitchard said.
“How can that be?” he demanded, unfolding his arms. “That’s impossible!”
Brilliance knew she ought to say something. She had embarrassed himandtheir hostess. But she couldn’t quite get herself to confess in front of everyone. Regardless, by the way Lord Hewitt’s sidelong glance pierced her where she sat, he had ascertained it was her doing.
“Moving along,” Lady Twitchard said, “Lady Martine will play the piano.”
Brilliance had heard her friend play before and settled in for a pleasant performance. After another lady sang quietly but on key and one of the gentlemen gave a dramatic reading from a translation of Homer’sIliad, the evening’s performances were at an end.
“What of Lady Brilliance?” came Lord Hewitt’s deep voice, cutting through the rustling sounds as people rose to their feet.
“Her name is not on the list,” Lady Twitchard said. “No guest may summon another to perform.”
“Is that so?” Lord Hewitt said.
Brilliance understood the meaning of his message. And then she had an idea.
“Iwillplay something,” she offered. Perhaps she could show him how little there was to fear, and also how grand was his skillcompared to hers. Rising to her feet, she stared straight back at Lord Hewitt. He merely shrugged.
“To put it mildly,” she said as she approached the piano, “I am not very good, but neither was Lady Georgiana, so I suppose it is acceptable to inflict myself upon you. We are all amateurs and among friends, are we not?”
Everyone resumed their seats except for Lady Georgiana, who walked out with her head high.Oh dear!Brilliance hoped she hadn’t offended her. She had assumed the lady knew how dreadful she was and opted to perform, anyway.
From Lady Twitchard’s stack of music, she picked out something that didn’t appear too difficult. Settling herself on the stool, Brilliance spread the sheets out and began.
