WHEN THEY’D scraped up every morsel of the excellent trifle and emptied the last decanter of wine, Joseph’s mother announced it was time to dance. Father offered another feeble protest, but all Mother had to do was place a hand on his arm and say, “Please, dear,” very winsomely while batting her eyelashes. And he gave in.
Watching the exchange, Joseph promised himself he’d never let Creath manipulate him so easily.
Not that he’d have to worry about that. His intended was the most agreeable, sweet-tempered creature on earth. She’d never employ feminine wiles to get her own way; it wouldn’t even occur to her. Nor would it enter her head to make a fuss over such a frivolous matter as dancing.
Why Joseph’s mother had been suddenly gripped by the need to dance was a mystery to him. Normally, Mother was a perfectly sensible woman. He couldn’t imagine what had got into her.
Well, actually, he did have one idea of what—or rather, who—might be the cause. One who seemed rather prone to impulsive and irresponsible whims. One who exhibited little regard for propriety, and even less for the rule of law. One who, by all appearances, was here for the express purpose of getting on his nerves.
One Lady Chrystabel Trevor.
When supper first began, he’d watched her and he’d wondered. What was it about this girl that he found so bothersome? She was a girl, after all—even hidden inside that dowdy nun’s habit of a gown, she was quite unmistakably a girl. And Joseph liked girls. He’d never met a beautiful girl he didn’t like. So why couldn’t he get along with this one? It seemed every word she’d uttered was calculated to raise his hackles.
That had been irritating enough. But then she’d gone into raptures over his gardens, permanently endearing herself to him. He’d been touched—and baffled—by Chrystabel’s enthusiasm. Even Creath, his oldest and dearest friend, could muster only polite praise on the subject of his gardens. Affectionate admiration, perhaps, if she were feeling generous. Gardening was the sort of pastime that elicited genuine enthusiasm only from one’s parents.
And now Chrystabel.
So here he was, paradoxically endeared to someone he couldn’t stand. She was the most puzzling girl he’d ever met.
“Oh, my heavens,” the puzzle breathed as they stepped into the great room, “this chamber is massive.”
“I believe it was used for large banquets in the last century,” Mother told her.
“I’ve never seen such an enormous fireplace in my life. My whole family could sit inside and play Pope July!”
Mother laughed. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Having lived here for nearly ten years, Joseph never paid much notice to the great room himself. But he could see why an outsider might find this chamber particularly awe-inspiring. It had dark Tudor paneling, gilded family crests, two intimate oriel window niche seating areas, and an abundance of plush, richly upholstered furnishings—but not so much that it filled the whole space, for that would be well-nigh impossible.
“Let’s push all the furniture out of the way,” Chrystabel suggested.
The gentlemen jumped to do her bidding, creating a large open expanse in the center that was perfect for dancing. Chrystabel certainly knew how to command a room. Joseph wasn’t sure whether he found that impressive or frightening.
Meanwhile, a footman had returned with the instruments and musicians, two spirited youths who looked so alike, they had to be brothers. “What dance shall we perform?” Mother asked while the boys readied themselves.
“We’re an uneven number,” Chrystabel pointed out, “one more lady than we have gentlemen.”
Lady Arabel bounced on her toes. “But all the country dances are done in pairs.”
“Oh, yes, that’s a shame,” Chrystabel said cheerfully, as though it weren’t a shame at all. “And the pavane is for pairs, too. It seems the volta is our only choice.”
Father gasped, then coughed. “The volta?” he choked out.
“It will suit our situation perfectly.” Her honeyed smile struck Joseph as a bit too innocent. “For the galliard portion, it shan’t matter if there’s a spare. For the measures done with a partner, the ladies can take turns pairing with the gentlemen, and the extra lady can just twirl in place.”
“But the volta is scandalous.” His coughing fit under control, Father braced his hands on his hips. “It’s much too intimate for a family party.”
Mother made an impatient noise. “Queen Elizabeth and Queen Henrietta Maria both enjoyed the volta. It’s a good Royalist dance.”
“It’s settled, then.” Chrystabel clapped her hands. “Music, please!”
Joseph couldn’t believe his ears. It was settled? Just because Chrystabel had said so? Not even here a full day, the interfering chit apparently thought herself lord of the manor—and no one was objecting. When the musicians raised their instruments, even Joseph moved toward the center of the room. And before he knew what was happening, he found himself beginning the galliard, a series of small leaps, jumps, and hops that could be performed without a partner.
When the beat changed to signal the partner portion of the dance, he made sure to pair up with Creath first, as was only proper. Right palm to right palm, they circled each other.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked.
“As much as possible, I suppose.” They switched to go the other direction, touching left palms this time. “Under the circumstances.”
They didn’t discuss the circumstances—not there in that room. He, Creath, and his parents had all agreed the betrothal should be kept secret from their guests, as they didn’t want to risk word reaching Sir Leonard. What the Trevors didn’t know, they couldn’t spread to others after leaving Tremayne.
As the dance dictated, Joseph pulled Creath close, lifted her, and twirled her around. This was the part of the volta that his father found scandalous. Each of the three times he lifted her, Creath’s exhilarated giggles escalated, making him smile. He was growing accustomed to the idea of marrying her.
Sort of.
They parted ways for another set of the energetic galliard steps. When the music changed again, he found himself paired with Chrystabel.
“Your father is very conservative,” she said without preamble, raising her arm. Their hands came together palm-to-palm.
Touching Chrystabel felt so different from touching Creath that he was momentarily struck dumb. But he recovered his composure quickly as they began circling each other. “My father is indeed conservative. In fact, that’s why we live so far out here in the wilderness. Father and Grandfather thought it safest to avoid Cromwell’s notice during the war, thus they took us as far from the fighting as possible.”
Her eyes flickered. “He didn’t fight? My brother and father both fought in the war. Father died defending the king.”
Joseph’s memory flashed to when he’d accused her of being a secret Roundhead at supper. He felt immediately awful for teasing her. But he refused to feel ashamed for the difficult choices his family had made.
“My grandfather wasn’t willing to risk his heir—or his grandchildren, for that matter. And after he passed, the earldom’s well-being rested on my father remaining alive, at least until I was grown enough to take over if the need arose.”
She leveled him her with her dark, wide-set gaze. “Meaning you placed the earldom ahead of the country.”
He didn’t like how that you made him a culprit. For pity’s sake, he’d been a mere boy when they’d come to Tremayne.
But then he remembered no one was a culprit, because the Ashcrofts had done nothing wrong. How did she keep twisting him around in this manner?
“I suppose yours is one interpretation,” he retorted as they reversed direction. “Mine might be that while other Royalists were busy killing people, we were protecting people instead. Not only our family, but the hundreds of others who depend on our lands and resources to survive.”
“You think Grosmont has no dependents?” Her breath was coming faster, from annoyance or exercise or something else, he knew not. “We care about our people, too, but we made sacrifices for our king.”
He shrugged. “And we chose not to make sacrifices for a hopeless cause.”
Her mouth fell open in a little O that said more than words how astonished she was to hear any Royalist call the monarchy a hopeless cause.
As he pulled her close for the first lift, his heart pounded in his ears—from exertion, he was sure. His hands encircled her waist, feeling the warmth of her skin through stiff, wooly fabric. When he raised her aloft and twirled, her big white collar fluttered in his face.
He felt the oddest urge to rip the stupid thing off her.
Following the third lift, it was a relief to part ways. Though the fire in the big hearth was down to embers, he was feeling overheated. His feet taking up the galliard, he wondered if he’d drunk too much wine. Or was it the stress of his impending marriage? Something must be affecting him, because he’d never acted so quarrelsome in his life, much less been afflicted with any violent, inexplicable urges.
The Ashcroft family motto was Interroga Conformationem, which was Latin for “Question Convention.” Joseph had often thought it an unfitting motto for his family—and wondered when it might have fit and how they’d come to be so altered. For these days, in most things, the Ashcrofts were very conventional indeed.
In contrast, he had never met a girl who questioned convention as much as Chrystabel did.
His next partner was his mother. “Lady Chrystabel is delightful, don’t you think?” Mother said as they circled together.
“Delightful?”
Mother’s carefully dressed curls bounced with her nod. “She’s so honest and refreshing.”
“Those aren’t the words I would have chosen,” he quipped.
“Oh?” When Mother smiled, he noticed she wasn’t a bit out of breath. For that matter, neither was he, and he no longer felt overwarm, either. “Which words come to mind?”
“Impulsive,” was his first choice. They changed direction. “Interfering. Irresponsible.”
“That’s a lot of i words,” Mother said with a rare sparkle in her eye. “Have you any more?”
“Naturally.” He grinned, enjoying this playful side of her. “Irritating, irrational, impertinent—”
“Irresistible?” she suggested slyly.
Joseph’s mouth gaped open. “Pray pardon?” Why on earth would she say such a thing?
“I saw you looking at her while the two of you danced.”
“I was not looking at her! I happen to find her insufferable.” Blast, another i word. It seemed he couldn’t stop. “Besides which, in case you’ve forgotten, I’m promised to another!”
“Hush!” Mother glanced around and dropped her voice. “Our guests might overhear.”
He hushed, since it was time to lift and and twirl her, anyway, which made it difficult for him to speak.
But she went right on ahead. “If you think a mere promise can prevent one from appreciating beauty or charm when one sees it, then you’ve much to learn about marriage. I have been a content wife for twenty-five years, yet still I’m not immune to the charms of other men.” Mother glided through the lifts without missing a beat, her frank gaze never leaving her son’s face. “If contentment is enough, my dear boy, choose the woman who will always remain by your side. But if it’s happiness you seek, choose the one who will always recapture your attention.”
It was lucky they’d just finished their last twirl, or Joseph might have dropped her in his astonishment. Never in his life had he heard his mother speak this way. Evidently she fit their family motto better than he’d thought. Question Convention, indeed.
When the music changed, she detained him with a hand on his arm. “I like Lady Chrystabel. She’s a pretty thing, and she makes me laugh. We haven’t had a lot of laughter in this house since your sisters left.” Joseph had three sisters who had all married well, thanks to the generous dowries his father had provided. He wondered if they really knew their mother. “I used to think you and your father were much alike, Joseph. But now I see you’ve got more of me than I realized.” And with a wink, she danced off.
Joseph performed the next galliard in a daze. He couldn’t even begin working out the meaning of her advice. His mother had winked at him.
Finding himself partnered with Lady Arabel, he scrambled to recover his wits. He cast about for a neutral topic of conversation. “Are you looking forward to living in Wales, Lady Arabel?”
“I’m trying to view it as an adventure.” She danced in a jaunty, light-footed way that matched her cheerful nature. “I just wish I knew some Welsh.”
“My father knows Welsh.” He felt absurdly relieved to engage in simple, polite chitchat. “Father knows lots of languages, actually.”
“Are languages his pastime?” Lady Arabel asked, as though she were really curious.
Joseph chuckled, remembering the discussion at supper. “I would say so. Shall I ask him if he might teach you a few words of Welsh?”
She squealed when he lifted her and twirled. “Oh, that would be marvelous!”
Marvelous words from a marvelous girl. For the first time this evening, he felt normal and like himself. Lady Arabel made him smile, while her sister made him…feel hot.
On a cold, snowy evening, Chrystabel Trevor had made him feel hot.
It was a peculiar feeling he’d never experienced before, and he didn’t like it one bit, he decided while performing the next set of galliard steps. It wasn’t comfortable at all.
He was paired again with Creath when Watkins appeared in the great room’s main doorway and cleared his throat. “My lord?” he called out over the music.
From across the ballroom, Joseph could see that the man’s forehead glistened with sweat.
Father held up a hand, and the musicians paused. “What is it?”
“Sir Leonard is approaching!”