He was still rusty, so he started again. He faltered when the door opened but kept going, and soon a violin joined him. As the last chord died away, he put his hands on his lap. “I thought this would be quiet enough it would not wake you.”
Liam set down his violin and bow. “I was not sleepy. I’m actually glad you’re awake because I didn’t want to disturbyourslumber.” He began shuffling through the music folders. “Although I do owe you retribution for the way you disturbed my sleep last week. Scared five years off my life with that menacing growl in the middle of the night, and that frightful makeup.”
“I needed to rehearse.”
“Lucky me, letting you sleep in my music room so I was close at hand as your test audience.”
“You do have your uses.”
Liam grinned and pulled out a different sheet of music. “How about this one? Because I assume we are not going to discuss what is keeping you awake. Though I can guess her name.”
“What makes you think… Never mind.”
They played Beethoven’sFür Eliseas a duet, starting over again from the beginning as soon as they had finished because David was still hitting too many wrong notes. The second time through was more satisfying.
“If it’s of any help, she seems as enamored of you as you are of her. Should you decide to court her, I don’t believe she’d turn you away.”
David patted his right knee. “You know I have no intention of marrying.”
Liam dragged David’s cot away from the wall to reach into a different cupboard and pulled out music books. “Perhaps I will pay her court. She has a lovely alto voice. And unlike so many of the younger misses on the Marriage Mart, she doesn’t seem to be silly.”
David scowled but was unwilling to ponder why the idea of Liam courting Miss Hamlin annoyed him. “Play something else. The violin is too sweet for my mood just now.”
“Thenyoushould play something more appropriate.” Liam pointed at the violoncello on a stand in the corner. “Like that.”
Having made his selection, Liam took David’s seat at the clavichord. David set up a chair and the violoncello where he could see the music propped above the keyboard.
“Did you see her talking to Aunt Connie?” David played a minor scale to warm up and adjusted the tuning of two strings. “Wonder what they had to discuss.”
“With Miss Hamlin formally meeting Aunt Connie, as a woman of reasonable intelligence, you must know she’s going to figure out it was you who rescued her from Rupert. If she hasn’t already.”
David froze in mid-note. Had she? Is that what that knowing smile tonight was about, that blush?
Liam played a dramatic chord. “I would be willing to wager she has.” He played three more chords in rapid succession. “The question is, what is she going to do with her new knowledge?”
David played an arpeggio. “Now you know why I am awake at this ungodly hour.”
* * *
Aunt? Georgia could not mean what Ashley thought. “I- I beg your pardon?”
“I did not stutter.” Ashley heard the laughter in Georgia’s voice. She turned on her side to face Ashley and propped her head in her hand. “I saw you dancing together at the masquerade. You looked like you were in alt. And Uncle David never dances, at least not in public.”
“No?” Ashley’s heart raced even faster.
“Mother and Aunt Lydia often coaxed him into helping with our dance lessons before he inherited the title. But he did not like to dance for long, and hasn’t done so at all since he became the earl. Until you.”
Did she dare let her thoughts go down this path?
Ravencroft didn’t know her at all when he’d rescued her from Rupert. When they’d been introduced at Lady Mansfield’s home, he didn’t appear to recognize Ashley as the woman he’d rescued. Had he hidden his recognition? And been so smitten with her that he dressed up two nights later as a frightening creature from folklore, invaded Rupert’s lodgings, and scared him away lest the blackguard try to hurt her again?
Yes, smitten with a woman who cast up her accounts in front of him on first acquaintance, and nearly on his shoes. Ashley almost snorted.
A few nights later, he had dressed up again to scare Amber Barrow-Smith away from eloping with Sir Peyton. His theatrical performances had protected her and Amber from predatory men. As far as she knew, Ravencroft did not have any connection to Amber. Nor to Ashley, other than having rescued her.
So whyhadhe done it? Was he simply a gentleman using his unique vocal talents to protect women, in a way that was no more significant than another man might use his strength and quick reflexes to pull someone out of the way of a runaway horse and carriage?
“We did not exchange a single word during that dance.” Perhaps hedidrecognize her but hadn’t wanted her to recognize his voice. Recognizehim. He’d gone to great lengths to protect his reputation as well as hers that first night, to keep his identity secret.
