Eleven
Evangeline bustled into the private sitting room where her sister and brother-in-law were sitting on a light green seashell-upholstered settee.
The rococo-style furnishings throughout the villa were grander than she had expected in a city that valued austerity, but after meeting Lord Dominic earlier that day, the decor made sense.
The theatrical flair matched his person well—the sudden appearance from nowhere and his sardonic humor, as if he shared a secret with an invisible audience. She didn’t quite know what to make of him.
When she lightly rapped on a side table, Regina and Xavier ceased their hushed conversation. Regina’s smile was patient and kind.
“You are correct, dearest. The blue gown was acceptable, but the apricot one looks very smart.”
Evangeline glanced down at the scalloped white lace and apricot satin bows around the hem. “You don’t think it is too elegant?”
“You look perfect,” Regina said.
“Absolument.” Xavier nodded toward the book cradled in her arms. “Have you finally decided to request a reading from Sir Jonathan?”
She hugged the thin tome. “Should I?” Xavier was the only expert on men at her disposal. “I don’t want to seem too eager.”
Xavier grinned. “Most gentlemen appreciate an eager lady. It helps settle the nerves when one knows a lady is receptive to his courtship.”
“Courtship? I never said—”
Evangeline groaned and lifted Sir Jonathan’s book to hide behind it. She couldn’t bear the thought of him believing her admiration of his work was disingenuous.
Xavier chuckled when Regina playfully swatted his arm.
“Pay him no mind. Xavier knows your interest in Sir Jonathan is scholarly. An opportunity such as this doesn’t come along every day.”
“Yes, exactly.” Evangeline turned her back to hide the warm rush of a blush.
Ever since her sister had planted the seed that afternoon, she couldn’t stop contemplating the advantages of having a husband who shared her passions.
She had always recognized the unlikelihood of making a match after she finished chasing her dreams of adventure.
After all, she would be quite advanced in age before she tired of being an antiquarian.
Still, she had hoped to find love someday.
She squeezed her eyes closed, shaking her head.
Her sister had to be wrong about Sir Jonathan’s romantic inclinations toward her.
Newlyweds imagined romance blossoming everywhere.
Before their party ever left London, Regina was predicting a love match between their youngest sister Sophia and Crispin, even though they got along like a cat and a bucket of water.
But what if Regina is correct?
Evangeline groaned a second time and shot toward her bedchamber. When she returned empty-handed, her sister tilted her head to the side.
“It will be less conspicuous if I don’t bring Sir Jonathan’s book to supper,” Evangeline said. “I can retrieve it if he agrees to a reading.”
The corners of Regina’s mouth twitched. “I see.”
“You see what you want to see,” Evangeline retorted. “Would you ask him, Xavier?”
“Now that would be conspicuous,” he said as he helped Regina from the settee.
They walked as a group into the corridor. As they neared the entryway, Xavier addressed Evangeline. “Have you read any of Lord Dominic’s work?”
“I haven’t, which is odd. I thought I was familiar with every Englishman in the field.”
They passed the double staircase, following the U-shaped corridor.
“Tonight will be the perfect opportunity to ask about his area of study,” Regina said softly. “If you don’t want Sir Jonathan to mistake your intentions, you should include his colleague in conversation.”
Xavier smiled at Evangeline’s sister, his eyes overflowing with tenderness. “Excellent advice, ma chérie.”
Evangeline touched the spot over her own heart where the twinge was strongest. She was pleased her older sister had found Xavier, but their affectionate displays reminded her that Regina had a new confidant now.
The days of Evangeline slipping into her sister’s bedchamber to share secrets and laughter until the wee hours were gone.
She had known the time would come. After all, she would be out of the country most of the year when she traveled with Uncle Charles.
She should be grateful Regina had a husband who made her happy, and Evangeline was, but she still missed the special bond she and her sister had shared all their lives.
Through the drawing room doorway, she spotted Sir Jonathan and Lord Dominic speaking quietly together.
They turned as Evangeline and her family entered, their conversation cut off abruptly.
She held back while Regina and Xavier approached her future colleagues and engaged in pleasantries with Lord Dominic.
Having never mastered the art of chitchat, she felt at a loss for words in such circumstances.
Sir Jonathan sported a tight smile, appearing as uncomfortable as she.
“May I offer you an aperitif?” Lord Dominic asked Xavier. “Perhaps a brandy?”
Her brother-in-law politely declined.
“Hackberry?”
Sir Jonathan shook his head, holding Evangeline’s gaze from across the room. “I anticipate an evening of lively conversation. I don’t wish to seem dull-witted.”
She smiled, pleased his expectations matched her own. “No one familiar with your work would ever make such an accusation, sir.”
Sir Jonathan sketched a bow. “Once again, you flatter me, Miss Darlington.”
“And don’t think for a moment he wants you to stop either,” Lord Dominic said with a wry twist of his lips. “The poor man’s chest puffed up to twice its normal size when he heard you’ve read his book. It’s a wonder his jacket still fits.”
Evangeline swept her gaze over Sir Jonathan’s attire and could find no fault with the tailoring of his burgundy jacket, charcoal grey waistcoat, or black trousers. “You look very well, sir. I refuse to believe Lord Dominic’s claims for one moment.”
“A bright lady.” Lord Dominic grinned, not seeming offended in the least by her comment. “You do realize, Miss Darlington, you are one of only three people to have cracked the spine of Hackberry’s book—two if we exclude the author.”
“I assume you are the third?”
The man laughed, which she took as a denial.
Evangeline darted a quelling look his way. “Your esteemed colleague presented an excellent evaluation of the role of music in communing with the spiritual realm and promoting enlightenment. Perhaps those who haven’t read his book lack the mental acumen to do so.”
“Now, Dom…” Sir Jonathan clapped his companion on the shoulder. “There is no reason to feel neglected. If you introduce Miss Darlington to your own work, I’m certain she will dole out accolades equally between us.”
Lord Dominic glowered in return.
Evangeline seized the opportunity to follow Regina’s advice to send a clear message about her intentions this evening. She was here for intellectual discourse and nothing more. “What is your area of expertise, my lord? Perhaps you publish under a nom de plume?”
“If you were to pose the same question to my father,” Lord Dominic said, “he would tell you I excel at nothing, barring debauchery.”
Evangeline pursed her lips. She could well imagine. He smirked and took a sip from the tumbler.
“Do you refer to ancient erotic art, my lord?”
His lordship gulped and gagged. His eyes flared. When he plopped the glass on a side table and doubled over, Evangeline edged closer.
“Is he choking? Someone do something.”
Sir Jonathan and Xavier’s eyes widened, but Lord Dominic waved them away before they could leap into action.
“Swallowed—wrong,” he said between violent coughs wracking his solid frame. By the time he caught his breath, he was laughing. “A brilliant suggestion, Miss Darlington. I am always in search of novel ways to needle my father. Becoming a patron of erotic art would accomplish the goal nicely.”
She crossed her arms. “If you don’t mind my stating the obvious, Lord Dominic, your father sounds uncouth and uncultured. The human form has been the subject of artists for centuries.”
“I have never taken issue with a woman speaking the truth.” Lord Dominic saluted her with his drink before risking another go at it.
Now that his colleague wasn’t on the brink of death, Sir Jonathan suggested they retire to the dining room.
“I may have misled you earlier, Miss Darlington. Lord Dominic is a middleman rather than a scholar like you and me.”
Evangeline warmed at being lumped into the same category with a man she greatly admired.
When she sent a triumphant smile in Regina and Xavier’s direction, her brother-in-law winked.
Not for the first time, Evangeline was pleased her sister had married a man who encouraged her and her sister to be their true selves.
“What role does a middleman play in the world of antiquities, Lord Dominic?” The question came from Regina. Xavier pulled out her chair, and she sat.
“I facilitate introductions between antiquarians like Sir Jonathan and potential patrons.”
“How interesting.”
“Not particularly,” Lord Dominic said, taking his place at the head of the table. “I arrange social gatherings, Hackberry discusses his work, and interested parties pledge to support him. My role is minor.”
Sir Jonathan chuckled. “As usual, his lordship is too humble. It is no small feat, and he has been known to make generous contributions himself.”
“Only when the subject interests me.” Lord Dominic turned his attention to Evangeline. “I understand your uncle, the illustrious Charles Wedmore, has undertaken a dig in the region. What is he researching here in Greece?”
“Uncle Charles swears us to secrecy before a dig,” she said. “I’m afraid he would not like it if we broke his confidence.”
Regina nodded. “He would be very disappointed.”
“Sir Jonathan,” Evangeline said, as eager to change the subject as she was nervous to pose her request. She took a deep breath. “Would you honor us by reading from your book this evening?”
“Erm…” Color rose in his cheeks. “I don’t wish to bore everyone.”