Page 6 of The Grand Mistletoe Assembly
Isabelle smiled at Sophia’s hesitation. It would appear all of them had to adjust to the fact that she was the earl’s secret sister, all the while introducing her as his distant relation to protect her reputation. She had to admit that her brother and his wife did not fit her concept of spoilt members of the peerage, and their consistent efforts to make her feel welcome could not be denied. As she contemplated the subject, an awful thought slipped into her head.Will Cameron be repelled when he learns the truth of my relationship to Lord Saunton?
The notion brought a sudden dip in her spirits before she scolded herself. He did not seem a capricious young man, and she could only take this courtship one step at a time. Formally, her parents were married, so she was not considered illegitimate despite her mother’s abandonment by the nefarious, deceased earl. Besides, the next step was to actually meet before she could concern herself about the implications of her parentage.
“Shall we prepare to leave?”
The countess inclined her head. “After you.”
* * *
Tuggingat the fob tucked in his pocket, Cameron looked down to check the time. He had arrived at the assembly practically the moment the black front door of Pearler House had opened. He had been hovering under the gaslights for two hours but had yet to glimpse Isabelle or her family in the crowded room. Many notable families had arrived in fine silks and rich wool, but he had not heard Lord and Lady Saunton announced.
He loitered at the edge, watching the crush of guests mingle in the overcrowded ballroom and wishing he had managed to unearth Ridley. He had sought his roguish friend for days, but he was nowhere to be found. Cameron had planned to have his friend accompany him to the assembly to arrange the introductions, but to no avail. He would need to persuade the Master of Ceremonies of their social parity according to their new plan.
Standing too close to an archway, he was startled when a young lady approached the gentleman next to him, stretching on her toes to plant a kiss on the stranger’s lips. Cameron stared at the couple for a moment, perplexed by their behavior, before looking up to find a festive sprig of mistletoe tied in ribbon, the white berries plump and shining in the gaslight. If Isabelle were here, he could have found an excuse to maneuver her into a playful kiss; a wishful thought if she did not arrive.
Stretching his neck to alleviate the tension in his shoulders, Cameron made to skirt the ballroom again in case he had missed her. His book-loving beauty had invaded his dreams, causing him to wake many times in sweat-soaked desire at the thought of tasting her lips. Minimally, he needed to hold her in his arms while they danced. His fingers itched with the need to touch her slender form and feel the sway of her curved body.
Blazes! What if she is not coming tonight?
* * *
Isabelle tiedthe tapes of her cape while the earl assisted Lady Saun—Sophia—with hers. The earl—her brother—drat, Isabelle, you need to warm up to this new family of yours—
From behind her, she heard the countess hiss in distress. Isabelle turned to find her sister-in-law clutching her rounded belly, pain contorting her usually composed face.
The earl dropped his beaver and gloves on the floor to stare at his wife, stark fear on his face. “What is it, Sophia?”
The countess failed to respond, whimpering in pain as she grabbed the banister.
“Radcliffe! Call for the doctor!” The earl shouted the demand to the stoic butler with ginger hair.
In a panic, Saunt—Richard—swept his wife into his arms and ran up the stairs two at a time.
Mouth agape, Isabelle nearly wept as her plans for the evening disappeared in the flurry of family crisis, before quietly berating herself for being selfish. The countess was several months along, and her health and the health of the earl’s progeny took precedence over her own petty hopes and dreams.
She considered the time it would take for the doctor to come. And the ramifications if there were any issues with the countess. Her concern for the young woman who had hosted her warred with her desire to set off for the assembly to meet Cameron, but there was nothing to be done. Her last chance to meet him had just run up the staircase, and she wondered if she would ever see him again.
Would he be married when they finally met the following year? Another young woman taking her place to run their bookshop? Tears sprang into her eyes at the vision of her Cameron dancing with another young lady at the charity ball while Isabelle was constrained in her strange new home by expectations and duty.
She considered leaving on her own to find him, but she could not dishonor her parents. They had made so many sacrifices for her; she owed it to them to conduct herself with honor.
Drawing a deep breath, she blinked the tears away and followed the frantic couple upstairs to offer her assistance while they awaited the doctor.
* * *
Cameron pacedthe length of the ballroom yet again, watching the crowd intently while string music and chatter grated on his nerves.Where is she?
Impatience hummed through his veins as he sipped a glass of champagne. A young woman with brown hair entered the room. Straightening, he peered at her closely to see if his lovely Isabelle had finally arrived, but as she moved under a gas lamp, it became obvious her hair was lighter.
Thwarted, his eyes followed the young woman’s path as she brushed past him in a graceful swirl of white skirts and purple lace. The lady seemed in a terrible hurry, tendrils of hair coming loose from the elegant pearl comb that held up her hazelnut curls as she swung her head back and forth to observe the room in a frantic sweep. He briefly wondered if she needed assistance, but she rushed away before he could form a thought to approach her.Besides, you cannot approach any young woman without an introduction.
The reminder salted the wound. He very much feared that Isabelle had been detained, and they would be forced apart until the following Season began in several months.
His chest tightened in dismay. It was time to walk through the rooms open for the assembly and look for her one more time.
* * *
Isabelle sat tenselyin a plump armchair while she observed the portly doctor examine her sister-in-law. Contrary to fashion, the earl was in attendance, refusing to leave the countess’s side although he had been forced to move a few feet back when the doctor had thrown a vicious glare at his intrusion after accidentally elbowing her brother in the ribs.
