Page 53 of The Unforgiven
“All right.”
“And take a shawl. It’ll be getting chilly by the time you’ll be returning tonight.”
If Madeline felt uneasy wearing Amelia’s finery, it was nothing compared to her discomfort when she came downstairs and saw the look on Sybil’s face. Sybil didn’t say anything, but her eyes narrowed and her head tipped to the side, as if she were appraising a side of beef. Madeline expected to be sent straight back upstairs to bed, but Sybil nodded in approval.
“She’ll do,” Sybil said to George, who came out of the parlor. He wore a navy-blue tailcoat with fawn-colored trousers and a silk cravat tied in a bow, and held his top hat under his arm. He looked handsome and youthful, and the smile that lit up his face erased the lines of his recent bereavement.
“Maddy, you look like a proper Southern belle. Doesn’t she, Grandmamma? Just look at her.”
“You do look lovely,” Sybil admitted in a rare moment of generosity. “Your father would have been proud.”
Tears welled in Madeline’s eyes. This was the first kind thing Sybil had ever said to her, so perhaps she was finally warming up to her.
“We should get going. It’s a half hour drive to Preston’s plantation,” George said.
“Are you taking a fan?” Sybil asked Madeline.
“Yes. I have my mother’s fan.”
Sybil paled at the mention of Corinne and turned to Cissy. “Fetch one of Miss Amelia’s fans,” she barked.
“I will take my own,” Madeline said.
“Another fan will go better with your gown,” Sybil insisted, but Madeline wouldn’t back down. The fan was the only item that was truly hers, and she meant to bring it.
“I’m partial to this one.”
“As you wish.” Sybil swept past her. “Have a good evening, George,” she called over her shoulder, completely ignoring Madeline as she mounted the stairs.
“We shall. Come, Maddy.”
George escorted Madeline to the waiting carriage, and they set off into the purpling twilight of the September evening. Madeline was glad she’d brought the shawl, especially when the carriage entered the wide avenue leading away from the house. It was cooler beneath the trees, and very dark. The wings of moss swayed like loose ends of ghostly shrouds, contributing to the eerie atmosphere.
Madeline stole a peek at George, who looked completely at ease as he leaned back against the seat. He was still grieving, but no one would ever guess that his fondest hopes had just been cruelly dashed. George was skilled at masking his feelings, and that was a lesson Madeline needed to learn. It wouldn’t do to wear her heart on her sleeve. She had to be charming, courteous, and gracious, and never draw attention to herself for the wrong reasons. She hoped she wouldn’t embarrass George by doing or saying something inappropriate.
It will be all right, she thought as she peered at him from beneath her lashes.George will guide me.
TWENTY-NINE
Madeline had worried about encountering all kinds of pitfalls during her first dinner party, but one thing she hadn’t anticipated was mind-numbing boredom. She wondered why George had even bothered to bring her as she added little value to the gathering, but she had noticed Mrs. Montlake sizing her up when she thought Madeline wasn’t looking. The Montlakes had a son of eighteen who had cast her shy looks all evening and tried to engage her in conversation while the guests were served pre-dinner cocktails in the parlor. Madeline enjoyed her mint julep a lot more than her talk with Gilbert Montlake, who was as tall, thin, and intense as his father. She was grateful when George joined them, rescuing her from Gilbert’s awkward attempts at flirtation. George seemed amused and treated Gilbert with great consideration, asking his permission to steal away Madeline for a few moments.
“What do you make of young Gilbert?” he asked with an amused smile.
“He’s nice,” Madeline replied. In truth, she didn’t think anything at all, but George seemed to expect an answer.
“He’s a fine chap, and an only son,” George added, his meaning clear. “And he seems very taken with you.”
“Is that why you brought me here?” Madeline watched George’s face carefully. She knew she’d be paraded in front of potential suitors eventually, but she hadn’t expected it this soon.
George leaned in and kissed Madeline’s cheek. “My darling cousin, I brought you here as my dinner companion. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t even aware Gilbert would be joining us. I’m devastated that you’d think I had ulterior motives for inviting you tonight.”
“I’m sorry, George,” she muttered, chastised. “I just thought…”
“Not to worry. Would you like another mint julep?”
Madeline nodded happily and George motioned for the maid to bring another drink. He raised his glass and clinked it with Madeline’s playfully. “To the most beautiful girl in the room,” he said and smiled.
She lowered her eyes as a tell-tale heat bloomed in her cheeks. No man had ever paid her a compliment before —well, no man besides Daddy—and she was overcome. George had called her beautiful. She caught Gilbert watching them from across the room but pretended not to notice his wistful stare. He was nice, truth be told, but George was much nicer, and Madeline felt giddy with pride when he escorted her into dinner.
