Chapter 4 #2
He scoffed. “Nonsense. If that were true, it would have been such long ago.” He paused as he gathered the matching ear bobs.
These he handed to her once they were face-to-face again.
“Remember that you have to appear the part. It would not be out of character for you to wear something belonging to the family since you bear the same last name.”
She secured the earbobs with some reluctance and then looked at him. The twinkling gems did nothing to dim the allure of her beauty. And while the deep blue stones complimented her lighter blue gown, they reflected the light in her green eyes and made them sparkle.
She truly was a treasure.
He cleared his throat. “We should go. It is one thing to be fashionably late, but we do not wish to draw too much attention to our arrival. We are supposed to be somewhat circumspect.”
“Lead the way, Your Grace.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up as he led her toward the waiting carriage. They climbed inside, and he rapped on the roof then said dryly, “I am glad to see that you are already adopting a proper decorum, Lady Astrid.”
“Of course. How else am I to prove that I am a better agent than you are?”
It wasn’t often that Knox allowed himself the chance to laugh, to truly unleash his less somber demeanor for that long, but he found himself chuckling despite his strict personal rules.
When he had collected himself, he glanced at his companion and he found the most absurd grin on her face. Some of his merriment diminished. “What?”
“Nothing.” She waved a hand. She turned her head to look out the window, not exactly a dismissal, but certainly a mysterious response to his query.
He decided he would not pursue that line of questioning since he wanted to ensure she kept her focus on the important task ahead. And as much as he didn’t want to keep his expression from showing his current contentment, no doubt it was easy to see.
* * *
Astara was quite pleased that she had accomplished her goal in making the duke laugh in such a short amount of time. Likely he found her comment so humorous because surely, she could not dare to compare to his abilities in the Lion’s Watch. But that was where she intended to prove him wrong.
She had nearly forgotten about the uncomfortable dress in her sudden influx of joy, but when they arrived at the brightly lit house with several carriages lined up in front of the impressive estate just outside of London, she discovered that she was all too aware of her uncertainty.
She attempted to take a deep breath and found her stays more constricting than ever.
I cannot do this. What was I thinking?
“Are you ready, Lady Astrid?”
It was when she turned her attention back to the duke, who had already stepped to the ground, that some of her equilibrium returned.
He was holding his hand out to her. It was the calm expression on his face, the warm look in his dark eyes that caused her to extend her white gloved fingers and place them over his knuckles.
Pasting a smile on her face that she hoped looked easy and not forced, she replied, “Naturally.”
As they made their way to the receiving line, which looked as though it stretched the entire length of the manor house, Astara leaned toward her handsome companion and whispered for his ears alone, “Is it always like this?”
He inclined his head. “During certain times of the season, it can be. The reason this ball is so well attended is that it shall be one of the last events before many of the assemblage retire to the country for the summer.”
“Ah, yes. To escape the oppressive heat, is it not?”
He lifted a brow, catching the sarcastic tone that she didn’t try to hide. “It is interesting that you should mention that because there have been rumors swirling among the continent from various scientists alluding to that very effect.”
“And how would you know about what is occurring on the continent? Aren’t we at war with France?”
He snorted. “All the more reason to be invested in what is happening around us and them. The better informed we are, the more efficient we can be in resolving the conflict.” He looked down at her. “It is the reason you are here.”
Astara was aware that he wasn’t speaking in a demeaning tone, but it still felt as though she was being put in her place, effectively being reminded that without his escort and the support from the Lion’s Watch, she had no business being at such a luxurious gathering.
Deciding to steer the conversation to the task at hand rather than glare at her own shortcomings as a poor orphan, who until recently, had taken up residence on the streets under the goodwill of those who were kind enough to take her in for a night or two.
Until she’d met the duke, the only clothes she owned were the ones on her back or ones that had been donated to her.
It had not gone unnoticed by her that just one of the priceless earbobs would do well to feed and house her for quite some time.
But while she had practiced thievery to gain the attention of the Lion’s Watch (the item already having been returned anonymously), she was not deceitful by nature.
She just wanted to know where she came from, to know her true parents and reconnect with them if possible, to find out if there was a way she could help them gain their footing after all this time.
The line seemed to move at a snail’s pace, but eventually they made their way to the front where the duke greeted the host and hostess with the utmost decorum. After introductions were made to his “cousin,” Astara offered a light curtsy. “It is an honor to be welcomed.”
The lady smiled stiffly and Astara wondered if she’d done something amiss. However, when Hampton led her to the side while they waited to be announced to the room in general, he whispered, “You did remarkable. She always looks as though she’d just bit into a ripe persimmon.”
Astara did her best to hold back a laugh, but no doubt her eyes twinkled with her merriment.
“The Duke of Hampton and Lady Astrid Ancell.”
Astara was surprised if anyone might have heard the majordomo’s announcement over the nearly deafening roar of chatter mixed with the musical entertainment, but a slight hush seemed to have descended around them.
Certainly, there were a bevy of fluttering fans as they walked toward the array of couples spinning across the marble floor.
She didn’t have a care for the gossips at the moment, her attention fixed on the lavish decorations and countless gowns and jewels that shimmered in the light from the hundreds of flickering candles in the overhead chandeliers.
It was surreal to be someplace like this as a guest, rather than one of the servants scrambling about trying to appease such a large gathering. “How many people are here?”
“I would say around five hundred. But it is generally so.”
For Astara, it seemed much more than that. It was as if the entire fashionable set of London had graced the interior of this ballroom.
“How are we to ever gain any information in such an atmosphere?”
As they moved further into the periphery of the room, she was jostled, giving credence to her concerns.
“This is where we all need to rely on your intuition. It was one of the qualities that my superior appreciated about you. Now is your chance to prove yourself if you want to keep further interest beyond tonight.”