Page 20 of War of the Wedding Wagers
“I’m not sure that gaining my high regard is worth any trouble at all,” she said. “Soon these events that my mother insists I attend, mostly to chaperone my wayward brother, will be in the past.”
He looked sly. “Surely you must be secretly betrothed, Miss Fairchild, for I cannot believe you wish to eschew the possibility of finding future happiness.”
“You know I am not, Sir Frederick,” Amelia said. “On my twenty-fifth birthday I come into a small inheritance that will allow me to retire quietly to the country.”
“Alone?”
“I will have a companion, I dare say. Since my mother insists.”
“She will not live with you?”
“For some of the time, of course. But she and I are not disposed to live companionably under the same roof all of the time and when I have the funds to put some separation between us—fond as I am of her company—it will be relief to retire from the revels she is so insistent I endure.”
“Like this?” Sir Frederick swept his arm about the castle. They were in a gloomy corridor lit up with sconces, and had, during the past five minutes, crossed paths with several other knots of party-goers, all looking intent upon finding the ultimate prize. “I must admit to enjoying myself rather more than I had expected. I’m sorry the feeling isn’t mutual.”
Amelia felt bad. The truth was, she’d let herself go for a moment and had in fact felt lighter of being than she had for a long time. The challenge of interpreting clues while conversing with a man who was, she had to admit, rather unexpectedlymore lighthearted and entertaining than she’d remembered, was more enjoyable than she’d expected.
“I didn’t mean that,” she said. “Merely that I shall enjoy reading my books and not feeling as if I am being exhibited whenever I set foot in a public place as an unmarried young woman who must surely be looking for a husband.”
“And you are sure you are not?”
“I most assuredly am not!” Amelia said with more force than she’d meant for Miss Playford swung round as they reached the larger, lighter music room and asked, frowning, “Are you all right, Miss Fairchild?”
“Miss Fairchild was just explaining to me that she is not looking for a husband and intends to retire soon to the country.”
“Oh.” The shock in Miss Playford’s expression would have been amusing if Amelia didn’t feel so exposed and surprisingly put on the spot for her declaration. “Not ever? You don’t ever want to get married? I thought only ugly spinsters thought like that. At least, the only people I’ve ever heard saying they don’t want to get married are the ones who’d never get a marriage offer to begin with. But you’re beautiful, Miss Fairchild, so I am surprised.” She smiled. “But that’s all right. No one should be forced to marry if they don’t wish it.” Her smile faltered as she added, “Like poor Lady Pernilla. Her father should not have tried to force her to marry someone she didn’t want to marry! Though of course the groom would not have been at all suitable, either.”
Amelia shrugged. “Maybe she was in love with the groom. The poor fellow hasn’t been given the benefit of the doubt.”
“The fact that her letter remains in the book, unsent, is probably a sign that the young man couldn’t read.”
“Yes, she probably wrote the letters to make herself feel better,” Miss Playford agreed. “Now, here’s the fortepiano. I wonder if it sounds the same as the one I play.”
“I’m sure only you can give us an example of whether it does or not,” said Sir Frederick. “Do play us something, Miss Playford. I have been hoping all evening to hear your musical talents on display.”
“You have?”
The young girl sat down with such surprised delight that Amelia couldn’t help glancing at Sir Frederick, only to find him looking amused. He smiled at her, his eyes briefly sharing a moment of complicity, as Amelia recognized her own expression of fond amusement mirrored in his.
But their amusement turned to admiration at the first lilting notes of Miss Playford’s rendition of Haydn’s Sonata in G Major. She really was very good.
“Enchanting, Miss Playford. I trust you’ll entertain us all at some stage during the house party,” said Sir Frederick.
“Oh, my Aunt Pike says I’m not good enough to play in front of other people,” Miss Playford said, standing up quickly, and adding, “And we need to find the next note. I allowed my vanity to get in the way.”
Her flash of guilt was a surprise to Amelia who said, “It’s not vanity to show what you’re good at. Besides, all young ladies are encouraged to work at their singing and dancing skills.”
“Yes, but not to be vain about it,” said Miss Playford, as she began a quick search beneath the lid of the fortepiano. “Which is why my aunt, who is here chaperoning me, would not countenance my standing up in front of the other guests. Oh, look! Here it is, tucked away in the corner!”
“Our Miss Playford has hidden depths,” murmured Sir Frederick as Miss Playford unfolded the note and began to read:
“Outside these walls, a puzzle grows,
Where hedges high in patterns pose.
At the heart, a statue stands alone,
Bearing a message carved in stone.”
