Page 11 of The Rules of Courtship
“Capital,” Lord Rocklin said. “Come, Miss Wycliffe. I must show you to my daughters.”
She had met them before on a handful of occasions, but it had been well over a year since she had seen them at any balls or parties.
“It was a pleasure to meet you,” Ruth said, smiling at Mr. Kellinger, who dipped in a shallow bow. She took Lord Rocklin’soffered arm with the barest of touches and let him lead her to a small group standing near the bookcases. Two young ladies stepped away from the older couple they were speaking to, whom Ruth immediately recognized to be the Watsons. Lady Helena would be glad to see them.
Ruth would prefer to greet the older couple, but the Temple sisters were blinking at her expectantly. They were not identical in appearance, but she knew them to be twins. Their hair was fair, their skin pale, and their cheeks rosy. One wore a soft pink gown, and the other wore white, both of them with gauzy, flowy skirts and small flowers dotting their hair. Their smiles were angelic, adding to the overall aura they each had of sweetness and innocence. It was a powerful effect, and Ruth only wished she had the hair color and complexion to do the same. But she was far too dark-haired, her skin a touch too tanned from the sun.
“Catherine and Jane,” Lord Rocklin said. “You remember Miss Ruth Wycliffe.”
The ladies both dipped in curtsies, their smiles polite.
“Of course,” Catherine said. “Such a pleasure to see you again. Welcome to our home.”
“I was hoping to speak to you tonight,” Jane added, glancing at her sister. “We both were.”
“Indeed?” Lord Rocklin said with a wide smile. “Then I think you’d like for your old father to leave you to it. Young ladies ought to have many secrets. I wouldn’t wish to get in the way of that.”
“Yes, please,” Catherine said, her gaze remaining on Ruth.
Dismissed, Lord Rocklin scurried away to join the other group, his jovial voice loud above the chatter in the room. Ruth watched him leave, still searching the room for Oliver with no luck.
“We have planned the most wonderful schedule,” Jane said, “and we hoped to have a musicale one of the evenings. Wouldyou sing or play an instrument? We are hoping all the young ladies will participate.”
“There won’t be many,” Catherine said. “We are expecting one more, which leaves us with four. But too many ladies can make for an excessively long evening of piano music. Anyway, we could only invite as many people as we have beds for, and our Papa would invite some ofhisfriends as well.”
Goodness, she had managed to say much of that without any break to breathe.
“The music?” Jane prompted.
“I should be happy to,” Ruth said.
“Wonderful.” Bless Jane, but she truly seemed pleased by this news. It banished faint wispy thoughts of a possible competitive nature between them.
“I imagine most of these people are strangers to you,” Catherine said. “We didn’t invite many people from Harewood.”
“I am always eager to make new friends.” Ruth was still uncertain whether the Temple twins had ulterior motives of some sort. She liked them, and Jane seemed genuine, but their watchful eyes made her feel unsteady.
Movement near the door caught her attention, and Samuel stepped inside. His golden hair was combed neatly, and his clothing, while uncommonly bright, was more subdued than normal.
“So handsome,” Catherine breathed.
“Indeed,” Jane agreed. “How can you live near such men and not fall in love with them, Miss Wycliffe?”
“Easily,” Ruth said, looking at Samuel as he searched the room for a familiar face—her face, perhaps. She agreed he was objectively handsome, of course, but he did not instill her with a sense of awe. His looks were not so handsome that they eclipsed his ridiculous nature. Who else would wear violet waistcoats beneath bottle green jackets? “They are my brother’s closest friends, and we have adopted a similar relationship.”
“Brothers?” Catherine laughed quietly. “I would have a difficult time considering them as such.”
“You only have me,” Jane said. “How would you know what a brother is meant to feel like?”
Catherine shot her sister a glare, which made Ruth laugh. “I have two brothers, but when you count their friends, the number triples at the very least,” Ruth said. “My life is overrun with them.” Despite her rules that kept Samuel at a safe distance, Ruth was inordinately grateful to see him now—the only comfortably familiar face in the room.
She had turned back to catch his eye, ready to gesture him toward them, when Oliver stepped into the room. Her breath caught. He looked dashing in a dark blue superfine coat and starched white cravat. His dark hair was pomaded neatly, a curl bouncing out of place and regally falling over his forehead as though directed there by design, though she knew he did not partake in tricks such as that. His green eyes searched the room while he leaned in and said something quietly to Samuel.
“I’m glad you think they feel like brothers,” Jane said quietly, “so you and I can remain friends.”
Ruth didn’t have time to consider the implications of that sentence before Oliver’s gaze locked on her. His mouth flicked into a brief smile, sending a flurry through her stomach, before he nodded her way. Samuel noticed her as well, though his smile was much wider. Together, they started toward her.
“They’re coming this way!” Catherine whispered. “Do I have anything in my teeth?”
