Page 16 of The Earl and Miss Muffet
Chapter 9
Antoncouldn’tverywellavoid dinner with the family. He dearly wanted to after seeing how affectionate Miss Bliss was with his brother, but he had no ready excuse. It hadn’t hurt him to see it like he imagined, but it had been confusing. Now he found himself at the dinner table, sitting at the head of the table with Miss Bliss on his left, and he had to do his level best not to look at her. She was a rare beauty, but it was more awkward than anything.
“Lord Crawford.”
Oh, why did she have to talk to him? “Yes?”
“Are you ready for another session of parliament?”
He feigned a smile. “I will be when it comes.”
“My father will not put down his newspapers. I fear you shall be very busy next year.”
“Anton is the same,” Terrance said. “Except when he is challenged in chess by Miss Muffet.”
Anton did not expect Terrance’s comment, and he squirmed in his seat. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Miss Bliss—oranyone else for that matter—knowing about his time with Miss Muffet. He glanced down the table to find Miss Muffet with her head down over her chicken fricassee with mushrooms—she seemed to have no intention of eating. He knew she did not care for public attention, and she was likely worried about Anton’s response.
“Yes,” he answered, his chest warming as he thought of their time together. “I have not found a better opponent than Miss Muffet. I have yet to beat her.”
Miss Muffet looked up, and her doe eyes melted the walls he had spent the morning building around his heart. Miss Bliss might be a renowned beauty, but Miss Muffet was the one who stirred him inside. His posture relaxed and he smiled, this time without pretense.
He stabbed a mushroom with his fork. On its way to his mouth, he noticed Mama looking at him curiously. Drat. He did not need his family drawing conclusions before he was ready. He would need to be careful. It would be wise to completely understand his feelings this time. He was not the only one capable of having their heart broken. Forcing the mushroom into his mouth, he concentrated on chewing and eating. It felt like a safer course of action than thinking about the subject of romance. After all, there was a strong possibility that Miss Muffet might only be in his life for another two weeks.
Miss Bliss had been at Banbury Castle for three days now. They sat close in Mary’s sitting room on the second floor and sipped their tea. Outside, a soft rain pelted against the windows. While the weather cast a gray hue over the room, it did not detractfrom their visit. Elena gazed over the gold rim of her cup at Miss Bliss. Despite her beauty, Miss Bliss was modest in her manners. Elena envied her easy nature around the family. There were no haughty airs like Bianca and the many other debutantes Elena had met, just an ample amount of kindness.
When Elena had met Miss Bliss at Rosewood Park, Elena had not cared one bit about knowing her. She had been intent on avoiding Bianca and anything her sister deemed as special. Here at Banbury, Elena had adopted a different mindset. Part of her worried that Mary would cast her aside for Miss Bliss, but the other part wanted to believe she could make another friend.
“Miss Bliss,” Mary’s voice took on a note of excitement. “What do you think of a picnic?”
“Please, you must call me Sophia now. We are to be family, are we not?” Sophia turned to Elena. “You, too. We have been thrown in each other’s company often this summer, and we ought to put aside niceties.”
Elena blushed at the sweet gesture. “I should like that. Please, call me Elena.”
“I would enjoy nothing better. Now let’s hear more about this idea for a picnic.”
“I thought it would be a splendid way to celebrate the arrival of your parents and grandmother,” Mary explained, “and perhaps introduce them to some of our neighbors. Mama approved, but we both thought it best to ask your family’s preference first.”
Sophia seemed pleased. “How kind of you to think of them. I would like to meet a few of the families in the neighborhood. My parents always enjoy making new acquaintances, but my grandmother will likely prefer to stay at the castle. Will it be too much trouble with the wedding plans? I should not like to burden the household staff.”
“My mother has employed a few temporary staff members to accommodate the extra guests. It won’t be any trouble at all.”
“What about you, Elena? Do you enjoy picnics?”
Elena had been listening quietly and hardly expected to be included in the decision. “A picnic sounds lovely.”
They both looked at her as if expecting her to say more; but surely, they did not care to hear of past ways her sister had made picnics less than enjoyable for her. Thankfully, the opportunity to be with her new friends on an outing surpassed the displeasure of her memories.
“Wonderful!” Mary clapped her hands together. The teacup on her lap wobbled, and she quickly moved to balance it. “Oh dear. My eagerness for the picnic is not worth burning my legs. Perhaps we had better talk of something else. I know! Let’s compare wedding plans, Sophia. I have been anxious to learn what you and Terrance have planned.”
Elena shifted in her seat. She would be gone before either wedding ceremony, and for that reason, it always made her uncomfortable to listen to wedding preparations. They were quiet affairs, so it shouldn’t matter that she was not invited. Perhaps it was because she had so little opportunity to attend weddings and even wondered if she would ever have one herself.
“Mary,” a voice called from the door. They all turned to see Anton on the threshold. “I daresay the topic of Terrance’s wedding trip is none of your business.”
Mary stuck her tongue out at her brother, and Elena had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.
“At least spare Miss Muffet.”
Mary pushed her breath out and made a noise of annoyance. “You think she would prefer to play chess with you over spending time with us?”
