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August didn’t dare think about what he wanted—Dirty Esave hiust usually spent his birthday, just as they knew August was only at Somerton because of Lady Priscilla, and parental pressure
“We ton said in a brisk voice “What will the two of you play?”
“Oh, yes, play so”
Minette smiled and looked up at hiust ust’s birthday”
Everyone agreed that would be lovely, except for Warren, as giving August dire looks It wasn’t August’s fault that Warren’s silly sister had nurtured an infatuation with him for the last decade or so Given the choice between Minette’s blushing or Lady Priscilla’s aggressive and proprietary hovering, he would take Minette He scowled back at Warren, shrugged, and arranged the music atop the stand
“Are you sure you want to play the high end?” he asked, scanning the piece “It’s the more difficult part”
“I’ my piano”
As soon as they began the piece, it becah There was a great deal of pausing as she searched for the correct notes Once or twice, August was obliged to reach over her and strike theled
“Tempo, my dear A little faster,” he said when she nearly ca, ot plenty of exercise, with all the chattering she did She held a sustained note as she searched for the right keys again Soust reached around her to strike the chord, there were guffaws and bemused applause
Goodness, Minette was silly, but it was ih he had learned not to slances
They , his shoulder pressed to hers He joined in on the last chorus, his baritone steady if out of practice Minette stared up at hied her hand They banged out the song’s finale, although Minette ed effort was met by enthusiastic applause and wishes for a happy birthday
Minette’s brows drew together “I never knew you could sing,” she said, beneath the clamorous ovation
“Nearly everyone can sing And hoonderfully you played”
“Now that is a lie, Lord Augustine” She tilted her head and gave him a look It unsettled him, for it wasn’t the vapid, infatuated look of her childhood, but soether ard of his soon-to-be-bride, Lady Priscilla
“I must have a turn at the piano now,” she said She was the sahty, Priscilla was refined Where Minette was impish, Priscilla was beautiful and confident andcold His china doll “Will you stay and play with ustine?” she asked
There was nothing else to say “Of course”
Priscilla leafed through the music and decided on one of the baroque pieces, a difficult work by François Couperin
“I don’t know,” said August “It’s a rather heavy piece for the current mood”
“Can’t you play it?” she teased in an icily sweet voice
He could play it in his sleep, but Minette would be mortified when Priscilla perfor her shaky attele?” he suggested
Priscilla laughed “You’re joking with me, my lord I love your sense of huh of such foolishness The children are all in the nursery for the night”
As she said children, her gaze slid toward Minette It confused him for a moment, this cruel and petty behavior on Priscilla’s part, and then he realized the foolish woirl! Of Minette Bernard, the last wo Warren’s sister pretended not to notice Priscilla’s cutting look, turning instead to speak with Aurelia
“Are you ready to play?” he asked Priscilla didn’t answer, only plunged into the treble part of the Couperin selection August played the bass He glanced at Minette as the notes grew in co her normally pink cheeks flush a humiliated red By the time he and Priscilla finished the first movement, his friend’s sister had disappeared
“I hate her!” Minette sobbed as her sister-in-law stroked her hair “Lady Priscilla is the most despicable creature in the entire knoorld”
“I know, dearest I hate her too We all hate her,” Josephine crooned “You ust??
“Everyone laughed at me”
“Everyone laughed with you, because it was delightful and fun Now they’re doubtless covering yawns as Priscilla plods away in there, showing off as she always does I’ood-natured antics Even August smiled, and you know that almost never happens”
Minette pressed her handkerchief against her lips “He smiled? At me?”
“Several ti You would have seen if you were not so intent on the keys He sht down at you as you flubbed all those notes, and no, it wasn’t in mockery I believe he was charmed”
This made Minette cry even harder In fact, she felt like her heart was going to bleed right out of her body through her tears “I can’t bear this,” she wailed “I can’t sust court Lady Priscilla and pretend I don’t care” She grasped Josephine’s hands “You must talk to nancy isyou feel tired, or ill, or”
“I can’t lie to , perhaps he’ll agree to leave early I’ave Minette a deeply syust and Priscilla’s betrothal announceo, if we cana fuss”
“I just… I can’t believe it” Minette paused a moment to blow her nose “I always knew this day would come, that he would marry somebody, but I can’t believe it’s finally here It hurts so much worse than I ever believed I don’t kno I shall stand at their wedding and smile and wish them well I’ll have to manufacture some illness to excuse ue”
Josephine held her close and petted her hair “You could tell them that, but I don’t know if they’d believe you”
“I never thought it would really happen I thought he would break with her He doesn’t love her!”