Page 8 of The Grand Mistletoe Assembly
Or where they are now.
Weaving his way through the crowd of elegant peers, Cameron headed for the hall that would lead him out of the stately home, scanning faces for anyone he might recognize. Blast, he had been gone from England for too long. Home no longer felt familiar.
Isabelle could rectify that, if I ever find her again.
He eventually emerged from the front door of Pearler House, brushing past a portly man on his way in. Once outside, he briskly walked along the quiet roadway of St. James’s Place, heading in the direction of his rooms, all the while regretting the formal buckled shoes that pinched his feet in their tight embrace.
Turning onto St. James’s Street, he stopped to observe the congested evening traffic of horsemen and carriages still clogging the busy street. Cameron stood under a street lamp, a well of defeat rising from his gut. He had been absent so long from the realm that he felt he barely knew anyone anymore. His absence from home had suited him at the time, but now he was discovering the consequences of being away for such a prolonged period. He had no inkling how to obtain information about the earl’s household, or even where in the country he might head in the hopes of encountering Isabelle at a mutually attended event.
It might very well be next year’s Season, which was months away, before they had another opportunity to be introduced. So much could happen between now and then, but this connection was so unique. For the first time, he was drawn to another person, and he could not shake the need to explore where it might lead.
If I do not find her soon, she might be married the next time I see her.
His shoulders slumped, Cameron finally admitted the truth of it to himself under the street lighting.
It willtake a miracle to find Isabelle before the holidays.
CHAPTER 4
NOVEMBER 19, 1820
Still in the same spot several moments later, while he gathered his wits and attempted to plan his next steps, Cameron was startled to hear his name.
“Bolton!”
He raised his head to look back at the voice calling him. An elegant but aging carriage had come to a stop nearby, and a familiar face peered at him through the open door.
“Ridley?”
Brendan Ridley was a handsome young man with chestnut hair and brandy eyes, who never suffered a lack of female companionship. A chiseled jaw and athletic frame, he topped Cameron by a couple of inches. Although he could be immature, he had always been a good friend, so Cameron tolerated the man’s excesses.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere, Bolton! You’re a hard man to find.”
Cameron grimaced at the irony of the statement.
I am difficult to find?
He gritted his teeth. It would not do to display his impatience. Ridley had a younger sister who had married a powerful peer. A peer he might meet, and who, in turn, might know the Earl of Saunton. Ridley might have appeared too late, but he might open another opportunity, so forbearance was crucial.
Ridley pushed the steps down and clambered from the carriage to stride over.
“Why were you looking for me?”
“What are your plans for the holidays, Bolton?”
Cameron squinted in surprise at the abrupt switch of thoughts. “I don’t know. It is my first time back in England in some years. Perhaps I will go home to visit my brother and his family, although that does not sound very appealing. He is quite a bit older than me, and we do not share many interests.”
“I am thrilled to hear that. I have this holiday house party to attend at my sister’s home, and I need a suitable companion lest I go mad. It is all families and couples and whatnot. My sister will pester me about my marital prospects, and I will need a respite. For obvious reasons, I cannot take a woman with me, so I thought of you, my good chum. Please say you will accompany me?”
It did not sound very appealing, but there was a possibility such an event could eventually lead him a step closer to Isabelle. “Remind me who your sister is?”
Ridley laughed. “Can you believe it? She married a duke? Annabel is a duchess. Of Halmesbury. Very influential family, what?”
Cameron’s spirits rose. A duke? There were few earls and even fewer dukes. Surely a duke could introduce him to the Earl of Saunton? He would not usually be interested in such an introduction, but this situation with Isabelle made meeting such a high-ranking peer imperative.
“When do we leave?”
Ridley patted the pockets of his overcoat and withdrew a card. “Meet me at this address at first light. The family plans to leaveen massein the morning, so you must join us for breakfast before we embark for Avonmead.” Observing his confusion, Ridley elaborated. “Wiltshire, dear chap. We leave for Wiltshire directly after breakfast. You will be on time?”
