If she attended the party and still decided he was not worthy of Joanna, she suspected she could finally convince him to stay away, not just consider it.
“Very well. We shall attend, but do not raise your hopes, My Lord,” she replied, tilting her chin up in defiance. “I would hate to dash them.”
CHAPTEREIGHT
“Remind me again why you suddenly decided to have a party, with just a week’s notice?” Amelia grumbled from the center of Westyork Manor’s grand ballroom, where she was in the midst of adding the last touches to the following night’s event. Or rather she was instructing the servants to do it.
Daniel, who was helping to bring in the vast quantity of champagne that he had hastily ordered from a friend in London, set the crates on a nearby table to catch his breath. “In order to make your greatest wish come true, Mother.”
“Do not blame me for this,” Amelia replied, wagging a finger. “And get one of the servants to take those filthy crates off the table linens! You should not be carrying them at all. Sometimes, I wonder if I raised you properly.”
Daniel leaned on the crates, chuckling. “You would rather see your son collapse than allow him to put crates on his own table linens?”
“They are not yours, they have been in the family since my great grandmother, God rest her soul, was on this earth,” his mother said, a smile appearing on her face, a twinkle in her eyes. “Awful woman.”
Daniel took that as permission to rest, settling himself down in a vacant chair. He had been back and forth to London twice in as many days, picking up crates of this and that, trying to scrape together enough port, Barsac, champagne, sherry, ginger beer, and lemonade to please the not-inconsiderable crowd that was due to attend tomorrow evening. All to impress one woman—strangely, not the woman he intended to court to.
“The liquor merchant has returned!” Caroline’s voice brightened up the ballroom.
Daniel turned to her, offering a weary smile. “The liquor merchant has lost a small fortune and sacrificed his spine in the endeavor.”
“Remind us why you are doing this?” Caroline said, hurrying to embrace her brother.
Daniel groaned. “Are you a parrot? Did Mother tell you to say that?” He paused, mischief in his heart. “Of course, we could just abandon the entire thing, for if you are still averse to the notion, then it would not be right for you to join in the festivities. Yes, perhaps it would be best if I withdrew all the invitations at once.”
“Do not dare!” Caroline scolded, smacking his arm. “I might not understand it, but I have been looking forward to this party all week.”
He laughed. “I thought you might say that.”
“But… what I meant to say is, why Joanna?” Caroline pulled up another chair, setting it right beside his. “That is what I cannot comprehend. I am a devout supporter of romantic gestures, do not mistake me, but… I did not think you knew her very well. Arranging a party for her so soon, and before you are even courting, is rather dramatic, is it not?”
Amelia sauntered over, wearing a sage expression that usually meant she was about to unleash a torrent of advice, whether it was welcome or not. “Menarefools in love,” she said, “but I do not think you are in love with her. You are too sensible to fall in love with someone at first sight. It is not in your nature as a gentleman of business. You never overlook the details.”
“I am aware that neither of you approves, but you have not met her,” Daniel said, feeling somewhat cornered. “When you do, you will adore her, and your disapproval will transform into delight.” Even as he spoke the words, he struggled to convince himself.
Caroline pulled a contemplative face. “Then tell us what we ought to watch for. Tell us what we can expect,” she urged. “What do you like best about her?”
“She is…” Daniel faltered “… um… exuberant. I believe she could transform the dullest dinner party into a lively affair.”
His mother raised a dubious eyebrow. “And what else?”
“Pardon?” Daniel did not quite understand the question.
“What else do you like about the girl?” his mother asked, nudging Caroline off the chair so she could sit.
Caroline giggled and sat in her mother’s lap, the pair of them staring at Daniel as if they knew something he did not.
Daniel stretched his memory, certain there was an excellent trait he could name somewhere. “She dances elegantly. She is… um… amusing.”
And she does not like daffodils or baby’s breath, much less together,he neglected to add.
“What color are her eyes?” Caroline threw in, irreverence teasing her mouth into a sneaky smile.
Daniel’s heart dropped. “Excuse me?”
“It is a simple question,” Amelia interjected. “What color are the girl’s eyes?”
For the life of him, he could not remember, nor could he picture her in his mind well enough to guess. Indeed, all he could see in his mind’s eye were a pair of dusky blue eyes, so enchanting and unusual that they turned him into an unsteady buffoon or an argumentative wretch whenever he looked into them. Yet, he also knew, without doubt, that Joanna’s eyes were nothing like Phoebe’s. No one’s eyes could possibly be like Phoebe’s.
