Page 26 of An Amiable Foe
“Only three,” Perry returned with dry emphasis. “And as the war with Bonaparte is not set to end any time soon, I hope we might not finish all three in the next day.”
“You can hardly expect us to display self-control at this stage with such a temptation before us.” Lorry grinned at his own sally, but Perry did not doubt its truth for a moment.
A knock at the front door resounded through the front hall, and since they were at the foot of the stairs, Perry went to answer it himself. Charlie would be in the kitchen unpacking the foodstuffs that had been brought over, and the newer footman who had been hired was assigned to meet his guests’ needs. On the other side of the door, a liveried footman stood in stiff attention and extended a thick cream letter, whose Dutch sealing wax was imprinted with a coat of arms.
When Perry took the letter, the footman bowed. “This has come from the Belford household, sir.”
“Thank you.” Perry shut the door and turned to break the seal, skimming its contents. “True to Mrs. Vernon’s word, we have all been given vouchers to the ball that the Belfords will be hosting at the oast house. Did you bring your dancing slippers?”
He looked up at Lorry with a smile. A ball would be most welcome, particularly a country ball that hopefully had none of the crush or airs of a London ball. He wondered what Miss Edgewood would look like in something other than one of her old gowns.
“I always have my evening attire with me,” Lorry replied in all seriousness. “You never know when you might need it. The same cannot be said for Neck. But I suppose Raife can lend him something if he needs it.” Perry highly doubted Raife would lend any of his impeccable attire to someone as heedless as Neck.
They entered the library where Neck and Raife sat over a game of chess. “We’ve been invited to a ball,” Lorry announced, coming over. Neck grunted and Raife raised his eyes to them.
“When?”
“Thursday next,” Perry said, walking over to the window and lifting the vouchers up to read them in better light. “Shall we respond yes?”
“Yes,” Neck agreed, without looking up from the game. “We are to leave the next morning, but there is no reason we need have an early start.”
“Why not attend?” Raife leaned back, one hand over his chair and the other on the table beside the chessboard as he waited for Neck to decide his next move.
“Playing for guineas?” Lorry brought a chair over and straddled it to watch the game.
Miss Edgewood entered the library holding a book, and stopped at the threshold when she saw them. “You must forgive me. I have taken to treating the castle as my own again.”
Perry dropped the vouchers on the desk and went over to her. “And you must continue to do so. Did you wish to return a book?”
“Exchange it, actually.” The corners of her lips turned up when she glanced at him, and he returned the smile.
If he was not mistaken, she was growing more comfortable around him, and the idea pleased him. At least there was not the cloud of antagonism that had plagued them when they had first met. She pulled her gaze from his and turned to skim the titles on the walls that held shelves of books. It was not a proper library, not really. But a man might live out his days here with enough to read if he were as willing to peruse a book on sheep husbandry as he were a novel.
Perry stood at her side and read some of the titles on the shelf, but his mind was on the ball and the delight he would soon read on her face when he told her about it.
“We have received an invitation to the oast house ball that Mrs. Vernon said we should expect. Shall I include you in our number when I return an affirmative?”
She took a step backwards and held her book up to her chest, glancing at the shelves of books as though she could hide there.
“Oh no, you must send my regrets. I have no training in how to go about in society. I have never been to a ball before.”
Perry stared at her in surprise. She could not be serious. How could a young lady not wish to go to a ball?
“But surely that is not an objection to be considered. Your manners are not wanting, and it will be nothing but pure amusement. You can have nothing to fear in attending a ball.”
She gave a quick glance at his friends, who after having stood and bowed, returned to their game. He could not be sure if her glance was from interest in the game, interest in his friends, or fear of intruding. Raife talked to Lorry while Neck considered his next move in the plodding match. Despite his intrepid reputation in all manner of sports, he was not bold in the game of chess.
“No, truly. I cannot think of it.” Miss Edgewood shook her head, as though to add finality to what she was saying. Without turning her face to his in the way he was coming to expect, she added, “I beg you will excuse me. I wish to find a book about cooking. Perhaps I will assist Sarah in the kitchen one day when we return to the cottage.”
She took two steps away then turned back, a pained expression on her face. “Although, after tasting my almond cakes, you might doubt that any skill could be achieved in the kitchen by me.”
“Your cakes were very good,” Perry rushed to assure her. He wasn’t sure how to make her more secure about her abilities in general; he only knew he wished to try. “I have no doubt in your ability to create something fine.”
He released her from the conversation to search for the book she desired, but his thoughts were still on her refusal to attend the ball. For some reason, the idea of Miss Edgewood staying behind at the castle while he and the others were attending a ball made him uneasy. It was wrong. And the idea of attending a ball without her felt curiously flat.
Miss Edgewood spent a good deal of time looking at the titles of the books on the shelves before selecting two. She hugged them to her chest and walked by Perry with a shy smile in his direction. The question of how to make her feel more at ease had begun to tug at his mind.
He leapt up from the seat he had taken while he waited for her to choose a book. “I hope you will feel at ease to sit here in the library and read.”
