“I do. And I adoreThe Creationby Haydn,” she replied, nodding to the orchestra that was currently playing the piece.
Lord Pembroke’s eyes lit up with genuine interest. “Indeed, Lady Judith? You have excellent taste. My favorite is Beethoven’sSymphony No. 2.”
A man who knows about music! What good fortune!
“Both pieces are masterpieces of our time,” she declared with enthusiasm.
Aaron looked at her, his lips parted in surprise, clearly taken aback by her poise and charm.
“I agree. Well, Your Grace, I must thank you for introducing me to this charming young lady. It is rare that one meets another with a genuine interest in music, beyond playing it to claim as an accomplishment,” Lord Pembroke said.
“Thank you, Lord Pembroke.” Judith beamed, feeling a surge of confidence. “I find that music has a way of speaking to the soul, don’t you agree?”
“Absolutely,” Lord Pembroke replied, his gaze appreciative. “It is the language of the heart. Pray, may I have the honor of dancing with you this evening?”
“Of course,” she said and handed him her dance card and pencil.
“Your Grace, may I borrow your back?” he asked.
Aaron, after a brief hesitation, turned his back to him.
Lord Pembroke took her dance card and wrote down his name for the quadrille, using Aaron’s back as a table—which made her grin, as this time, it was Aaron who was uncomfortable.
“I look forward to our dance, Lady Judith.”
“As do I, Lord Pembroke,” she replied with a genuine smile as she took her dance card back.
As they moved on, Aaron glanced at her, a mix of admiration and surprise in his eyes. “You were wonderful, Judith. I must admit, I didn’t expect that.”
Judith laughed softly, feeling a sense of triumph. “Thank you, Aaron. I suppose I just needed the right motivation. We might win our wager yet, do you not think?”
“I think we ought not to bet all our money on the first horse,” he cautioned quickly.
She raised her eyebrows, bemused.“Do you mean that Lord Pembroke is a horse?”
They looked at one another and then burst out laughing, which eased what had remained of the tension between them.
“Let us not jest too loudly, lest I ruin my chance of dancing with him,” she said.
Aaron grew serious at once.“Of course. Shall we press on? That dance card is still very empty, and we need to find you someone to dance the Boulanger with.”
They walked around the opulent ballroom, the scent of beeswax and perfume drifting in the air, and Judith couldn’t help but feel a newfound confidence as the evening progressed. Aaron introduced her to a number of gentlemen, some of whom she already knew, and she found that this time, conversation did flow easier.
If it was because she simply had found her rhythm again, or because she wanted to show Aaron’s high-in-the-instep friends that she could find herself a husband if she wanted to, she didn’tknow. But whatever it was, she felt invigorated. Once her dance card was nearly full, they came to a stop near an alcove.
Aaron turned to her with a warm smile. “You were truly impressive tonight, Judith. Especially when you spoke with Lord Pembroke. I had no idea you knew so much about music.”
She hesitated, unsure if he was teasing her or genuinely impressed. “Do you mean that?”
“Absolutely,” he replied, his tone sincere. “Your knowledge and passion for music were evident. Not that you weren’t equally impressive when talking about other matters. You have a keen knowledge of current affairs.”
Judith felt a blush creep up her cheeks. She didn’t want to admit it, but she’d gone through four different newspapers that morning to familiarize herself with what was going on in the world, so she might be able to impress.
“Well, thank you. I do my best to be informed,” she said, not meeting his eyes so he would not see the lie in hers. “But I must admit, I am glad when music is the subject, for I do love music. As a child, I hated the pianoforte, but now it’s almost a refuge for me. I find great joy in playing.”
It occurred it her that she hadn’t played in a while, and she resolved to sit down at the instrument this very evening to play.
Aaron nodded, his eyes softening. “I understand completely. I cannot extract a single tune from any instrument, unfortunately, but I love listening to music and singing. One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to attend musical concertos.”
