“Quite delightful, my lord,” the duke replied. His humourful tone was gone, replaced by one of polite formality. He paused for a moment and Elaine could have sworn his shoulders sagged as if he was resigning himself to what he was about to do next. “Lady Isabella, are you enjoying this fine performance?”
“Enjoying is a strong word, Your Grace,” Lady Isabella replied, her lovely voice rife with disdain. “I would call it a test of endurance.”
“Indeed,” the duke replied. “Perhaps they could recruit you for an encore. Your expertise would surely elevate the experience.”
Elaine covered her mouth, holding back her snort of humour. She caught the duke’s mischievous eyes and had to turn away to keep from letting out her laughter.
Lady Isabella’s brow arched. If she was aware of the duke poking fun at her, she didn’t make it show. “I shall graciously decline, Your Grace. I was not invited to play this evening, nor would I have wanted to. I believe my talents would be wasted when faced with competition such as this.”
“Competition?” Elaine couldn’t help but say. The marquess and his daughter were doing a grand job of ignoring her but she didn’t care. “This is not for sport, my lady. It is simply a way of showcasing one’s talents and enjoying music.”
“Yes,” Lady Isabella murmured. “You would think so, wouldn’t you?”
“Come now, my lady,” the duke chimed in before Elaine could think of a response. “Surely you must understand what Lady Elaine is saying? Or perhaps you truly do not play unless it is to compete against others?” He turned to Elaine, eyes wide with exaggerated confusion. “Or is that the trend of late, my lady? I’m afraid I have been away from society for too long to know for certain.”
Elaine could easily brush aside Lady Isabella’s slightly snide remarks in the face of the duke’s humourous ones. She fought her smile as she said, “You and I together, Your Grace. I know very little about it as well.”
“A shame. We shall be outcasted then. Deemed pariahs if we do not educate ourselves.”
“What a pity. I was hoping to become quite popular with the Ton.”
“Your Grace,” the marquess chimed in, his voice rumbling with irritation. “I trust you are not too easily influenced by this lady’s levity? A man of your standing should uphold a degree of decorum.”
“Of course, my lord,” he replied. “But laughter does lighten the spirit, does it not?”
“Laughter has its place,” he retorted, “but let us not forget the importance of seriousness in our society.”
Elaine couldn’t help but intervene. “Then I suppose we ought to practice moderation, my lord. But I find that a little levity often leads to more profound connections.”
“Such connections would be better made in the company of others, Lady…”
“Elaine,” she supplied.
He managed to look underwhelmed by her name, yet unsurprised. “Hm.” And then he turned his attention to the duke. “Your Grace, what are your thoughts on the current bill put before the House of Lords? You have been paying attention to England’s political climate, have you not?”
Lady Isabella took Elaine by the arm, surprising her. “Lady Elaine,” she began, “have you seen the new muslin gowns from France? I hear they are simply divine!”
Elaine frowned at her. She glanced at the duke but his attention was on Lord Grovington, completely devoid of any lingering humour. If anything, he seemed irritated at the topic at hand.
Realising that Lady Isabella was still waiting for a response, Elaine couldn’t help but admit, “I have not.”
“Well, I have,” she replied, flicking a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Though I must admit, I find them rather too simplefor my taste. The embellishments in our own country are far more—how shall I say? —enlightened.”
Elaine nodded, forcing a smile as she attempted to steer the conversation. “Indeed, but simplicity can often exude a certain elegance, don’t you think?”
“I think not. Such styles are far too dull for a society such as ours. But I suppose you would not know anything about that, would you? Such a shame.”
Elaine pulled away from her. She knew what was happening and she wasn’t going to let herself be caught in the middle of it. “Please excuse me,” she murmured, loud enough for the duke and Lord Grovington to hear. They paused their conversation but she walked away with silence at her back, her face burning with shame. If they sought to monopolise the duke’s attention, they could. Elaine would not fight them. Nor would she let herself be caught in a match between her and Lady Isabella for the duke’s attention.
So she didn’t dare turn around, even though she longed to see if the duke was staring after her.
***
Meanwhile, James stood next to Clarissa, his gaze fixed on a peculiar painting hanging in the back of the ballroom. It was fresh, he realised, which meant his mother must have gotten it this morning. Like many other of her paintings, its colours were nothing but swirling,chaotic patterns that seemed to defy reason. The artist had clearly intended to provoke thought, but James merely squinted at it, confusion written across his face.
At any other time, he would have simply walked away, deeming the painting utterly senseless. But Lady Clarissa’s attention was fixed wholly on it. And his attention was fixed wholly on her.
She was a beauty this evening, even more so than previous though it had seemed an impossible feat. The soft candlelight cast a warm glow around her, accentuating the delicate features of her face. Her blond hair fell in gentle waves, blue eyes sparkling with warmth that captivated him.
