Chapter Twenty-Two
Lord Chester had taken Harrelston’s net from his boat. While he retrieved it, he found a lone egg rolling round the bottom that the gentleman had missed. He cracked it open and held an emerald in his hand, sparkling in the moonlight.
He was on his way to riches, as long as Monroe did his part.
He hurried to one of the rowboats. Lord Chester had never actually rowed before. They did not have any nearby lake that would accommodate it. Even if they had, he would have hired rowers, so he supposed it did not signify.
Still, if the rubes from the village could manage rowing a boat, Lord Chester imagined it was no great trick.
He put the emerald in his pocket, threw the net on the rowboat, and pushed off.
The little boat drifted out into the inky-black lake.
With the torches that had been lit at the banks snuffed out and clouds coming in to dim the full moon, it really was very dark.
He squinted to try to see any eggs floating nearby.
It was impossible to spot a small back egg bobbing on black water.
Harrelston, as irritating as he was, had the right idea about the net. One could not spot these stupid eggs with one’s eyes. One had to just lower the net and see what one was able to scoop up.
The light breeze was doing its job, gently pushing him to the center of the lake. He ran the net in the water and pulled it up.
Two more eggs! He cracked them open, throwing the shells over the side of the boat. A topaz and a ruby. This was incredible! Their finances were suddenly taking a turn for the better. The very much better.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure on the far bank, waving a bag.
It was Monroe. My god, Monroe had held up his end of the operation. They had done it. Finally, luck had decided they’d had enough failures and had turned their way. She was throwing her blessings on them every which way.
He would row to the bank, scooping as he went, get that bag from Monroe, and return to the inn as if he’d never been anywhere at all.
On the morrow, they would depart. Monroe was to be picked up in his carriage, return to the inn, and they would be off to London.
There, he would find out who was in the market to buy precious stones.
Rundell & Bridge might be a likely place.
Or maybe that was too prominent, they might encounter someone they knew.
They would look for a less popular place or even an individual in the market for precious stones.
If they were questioned about where the stones came from, he’d say they were an inheritance from an old aunt who had a penchant for collecting jewels.
Lord Chester pulled his net in, this time empty, and looked around the bottom of the boat for the oars.
Oddly, they were not there. Then he looked over the sides of the boat, wondering if they were somehow attached. They weren’t attached to the stern either.
Lord Chester slowly turned to the side of the lake he’d left. He saw the dim shadows of two oars laying on the bank far behind him. He’d forgotten the oars.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Beatrix was in such a state of emotions after being handed Lord Harrelston’s bag of eggs, she hardly knew what to do with herself. Any notion of a casual flirtation must be immediately dismissed.
Lord Harrelston had not even hesitated in naming her the recipient of his winnings. He’d said, “of course,” as if there could not possibly be another choice for him.
She’d left the bag of eggs on a table, along with her glass of wine. The eggs were to be opened later, in her room. He did not even know what exactly he’d gifted her. She did, though. Each egg held a precious stone.
He led her to the floor for the Russian Ambassador’s waltz.
The orchestra began and the top couple, the queen and Lord Wilton, did the steps.
The steps were not complicated and the only thing that would affront Miss Sprite were the turns.
The couple were to lay one hand on each other’s waists, with the opposite hands holding one another before parting again.
“I must thank you for gifting me your eggs, Lord Harrelston,” she said, feeling very abashed to say it, though she was not sure why.
“Who else would I have given them to?” he asked.
She did not answer, as she did not know how to answer. Fortunately, it was their turn.
If anything could be said to describe the Russian Ambassador’s waltz, it must be named thrilling. She had never been closer to Lord Harrelston or any other gentleman. She was practically in his arms. She would not mind staying there.
They parted to their respective sides and she waited to do it again. She did not have to wait long, as there were numerous opportunities to do it. She enjoyed every single one.
She had been so close to him that she’d smelled the scent he wore of bergamot and orange. He’d stared down and smiled at her. She dearly hoped she was not shaking over it.
It occurred to her that this might be a moment to make an attempt to appear sophisticated, but she had tried that with dismal results.
She supposed that if she looked nervous it was because she was nervous.
Lord Harrelston already knew she was not a seasoned and sophisticated lady.
Lord Harrelston knew all about Miss Sprite.
She was not a sophisticated lady. She was a giddy lady, and she could not be anything else in this moment.
The dance ended, far too soon, she thought.
“Might I escort you back to your glass of wine, Lady Beatrix?”
She nodded, as speech seemed to have got away from her for the moment. They walked back together. He picked up her glass and handed it to her.
“Lady Beatrix, I hoped to have a moment alone this night.”
Beatrix looked down at the table as she knew not where else to look. What did it mean? A moment alone for what? As she stared at the table, she realized the bag of eggs was gone. She took in a sharp breath and steadied herself.”
“Lady Beatrix?” Lord Harrelston asked.
“The bag. The bag with your eggs. I put it right here and now it’s gone.”
“Perhaps a footman removed it for safekeeping. In any case, those eggs are not important.”
“But Lord Harrelston, each egg contained a precious stone,” she whispered. “The queen told us last evening and it was a very great secret.”
Lord Harrelston’s brows knit and then he looked around the ballroom as if he knew something she did not know. Then he said, “Never mind it.”
“Never mind it?”
“Lady Beatrix, I am trying to, that is, what I wished to say…”
It dawned on Beatrix that this might be the moment he would declare himself and here she was going on about the eggs. “Go on,” she said softly.
“I believe you cannot mistake my interest, my partiality, my love, in fact. I pray you would consent to become Lady Harrelston.”
“Consent? Yes, of course I consent! Gracious, you’ve said it.”
“I have said it,” he said, their hands drifting together.
She had a great wish to throw herself into his arms but there were so many people wandering around.
Then a very terrible idea came to her. She pulled her hand away.
“I have to tell you something and it is so awful you might change your mind, which would be perfectly acceptable, considering how awful it is.”
“Out with it, then,” he said, looking amused.
He would not be so amused when he heard it, though. “There is gossip going round that I read a shameful book and enjoyed it. The gossip is true! I did say it. I just did not mean it as I’d never even heard of the book.”
“Yes, Fanny Hill, I know all about it and could not care less. Stay here for a moment,” he said.
Beatrix nodded. Of course she would stay where she was. She would stay anywhere that Lord Harrelston wished her to stay. How odd, he did not give a toss about that book. He could not care less.
She watched him cross the ballroom. That fine, fine man. He approached her father and they were heads together for a minute. Then her father nodded.
He had told the earl. He was always so gentlemanly in everything he did. He’d gone right to her father.
Lord Harrelston returned to her. He grasped her hand and said, “I have gained your father’s consent, we will work out the details back in Town. Meanwhile, I have told him that we wished to go off and see if we could locate the missing eggs.”
“And he agreed to it?”
“He did, because we are engaged.”
“Oh yes, everything is different now. Because we are engaged.”
Lord Harrelston led her out to the balcony under the moonlight.
Beatrix looked about and said, “No, I do not think the eggs are out here.”
He laughed rich and deep. “I do not give a toss about the eggs and am not looking for them. I have a very good idea of where they’ve gone and do not much care about it because I have won the greater prize.” He bent his head over hers and kissed her.
Beatrix had not known how she would view kissing. She’d seen it done on occasion, usually at a fair when Miss Sprite could not get her hands over Beatrix’s eyes fast enough. It had not looked that appealing.
But this, this was marvelous. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
Then he made his way down her neck and it gave her goosebumps. “By the by,” he said, “I will buy you piles of jewelry so think no more about the missing eggs.”
Beatrix giggled. “That is not what I was thinking about at all.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Lady Beatrix Bell, Miss Sprite would be scandalized.”
“Yes, she most certainly would,” Beatrix said.
“As it happens, I did bring with me a token.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slender velvet case. Inside was the most charming topaz bracelet. He put it round her wrist and fixed the clasp, then kissed her wrist for good measure. “One of many to come,” he said.
They were out on the balcony on their egg hunt that was not an egg hunt for an extended period. Finally, Lord Harrelston pulled away and said, “As much as I would prefer to spend the rest of the evening out here, I do not like to test your father’s good humor.”