Hearing how well they had carried out their subterfuge, Sophia almost allowed herself to relax.Now all they had to do was prevent anyone from talking to Theo’s parents about her so-called cousin.All evening.Including…
Sophia felt it like a physical touch when Fairfax shifted his attention to her.He stood beside his friend Mr.Huntley, chatting with Mr.Middlebrook, the vicar.Fairfax blithely continued with his conversation while looking directly at her.Though the men were on the far side of the room, Mildred’s cheeks flushed pink when Mr.Huntley found her and they locked gazes.
Well, that was a good thing, was it not?As long as Mr.Huntley did not pay close attention to Miss Ebrington’s ‘parents.’And worrying about that kept Sophia from thinking about the look Fairfax was giving her.Approving.
As if she needed his approval.
But oh, how nice it felt to receive an admiring glance from a handsome young man!
After years spent as a fading-into-the-wallpaper teacher at a school for girls, appreciative looks like his had been scarcer than hen’s teeth, and what few there were, were almost always directed at one of the students about to leave and make their debut in society.Before that, the men in thetonhad not been unkind during her first and only Season, they had simply not paid her any attention.Completely overlooked her.Literally.They requested dances from her taller companions as though they had not lowered their gaze enough to see her down here.If not for a kind host or gentleman doing a good deed here or there, she would not have danced at all.
Fairfax himself was looking well tonight.His valet had made sure he was properly shaved and cravat tied neatly.His sea-foam green satin waistcoat and deep green velvet coat beautifully set off his long black hair.It’s a wonder he didn’t tie it back, as he had to give his head a little shake to get it out of his eyes each time he bowed.
Which he did right in front of Sophia.While she was still gawking at him like a country bumpkin.
“The sea air seems to agree with you, Miss Walden.”He lifted her hand to kiss.She couldn’t help it when her heart skipped a beat as his lips made actual contact with her hand, not the air above her knuckles.With neither of them wearing gloves, she learned his lips were soft and warm.“You are looking especially fetching tonight.”
To give her time to get her stampeding heart under control, Sophia looked at their surroundings to confirm they were in his aunt’s country home, not a London ballroom.“Careful that you don’t do it up too brown, my lord,” she said, willing herself not to blush at his compliment.“Are you simply staying in practice for when you return to flirting in London?”
“You wound me,” he said, one hand clutched to his heart.The sparkle in his eyes exposed his jest.“Can a gentleman not simply offer a heartfelt compliment?”
“My apologies, my lord.Perhaps I am out of practice in accepting compliments.”
“I will see what I can do to remedy that deplorable situation.”
Before she could ponder his meaning or come up with a witty response, Kendall called them all in to dinner.
The meal was delicious.Mrs.Bickford had risen to the occasion and sent up one delectable course after another.Mildred managed not to swoon though she clearly savored every bite.This was likely the best meal she’d had since running away from home.
After dinner, Sophia thought she would finally get to relax as the neighbors engaged in what appeared to be a longstanding habit of entertaining each other with singing, playing instruments, or reciting poetry.Starting them off was the vicar, Mr.Middlebrook, who still had a powerful baritone voice despite being on the far side of sixty, no doubt from delivering sermons.He sang the twenty-third Psalm.
Mr.Huntley seated himself next to Mildred on the sofa.Sophia didn’t worry—well, not much—as Theo immediately joined them, effectively acting as chaperone and blocking any possibility of the gentleman conversing with her parents.
The Webster sisters played a tune on the harp and harpsichord.
Mr.Middlebrook then recited passages from the Song of Solomon, causing the Webster sisters to ply their fans while Mrs.Digby calmly petted Henry.When he recounted a particularly salacious verse, Mrs.Royston winked at him.He did not wink back, though Sophia detected a distinct twinkle in his eyes.
Miss Webster briefly chatted with Mildred, and soon the spinsters took up the harp and harpsichord again, with Mildred at the pianoforte.As they launched into Haydn’sFantasia in C Major, Sophia thought back to the first time Mildred had attempted the piece, and the girl’s growing joy at how much better it sounded with more practice.
Watching a student progress from frustrated to joyous in her accomplishment had always elated Sophia.How learning the composition not just as a perfunctory requirement to appear polished and accomplished but actually enjoying the music would light up their eyes.Letting it move her, as it moved Sophia.
So many of her students at the Academy learned pianoforte only as a means to an end, that of securing a husband who could take care of her and give her or her family the social status they desired.Sophia taught them too, but she lived for the students who shared her love of music.
Mildred didn’t play just because she was expected to, but because she enjoyed the music.She thrilled at mastering a new composition, expanding her repertoire, playing with emotion rather than just correct keystrokes.She reveled in their spirited discussions about composers and what factors influenced their compositions.
Sometimes it was all Sophia could do to not tear up upon hearing someone play with such joy, knowing that she had helped them learn the skill to do so.Her heart now swelled with pride upon hearing Mildred play a Haydn sonata with such artistry.When she glanced at the others in the room, she was not the only one appreciating the performance.Mr.Huntley looked as though he was barely breathing, transfixed by Mildred’s splendid performance, his smile filled with approval and pleasure.
Enid brought in the tea tray as the song ended.Amidst applause, the Webster sisters and Mildred returned to the sofa and chairs to help themselves to refreshments, along with everyone else.
Several minutes later, Sophia sat back in the armchair with her second cup of tea, prepared to be entertained again as Mr.Huntley sat at the pianoforte and Fairfax stood behind him.Would they sing something new, or something she’d already heard?
Her tea grew cold, her hand frozen halfway to her mouth, as she listened in awe to their soaring tenor and mellow baritone in a song she’d never heard before.In Italian.Tiny hairs on her arms and nape stood on end at the lovely music.
“It’s Vincent’s composition,” Mrs.Royston whispered, leaning over and gently tipping Sophia’s jaw shut.
She barely spared a glance at the older lady before she returned her full attention to the duet.Fairfax didn’t just play and sing, he composed, too?
As if he’d been aware of their conversation, Fairfax winked at Sophia just as he launched into a solo stanza, his baritone voice strong and clear with warm resonance.She brazenly returned his gaze, though she did make sure her mouth was shut.His voice went right through her, more pleasant than a mug of mulled wine and a warm blanket on a frosty winter night.
