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"I think we’ve had enough ," said Gideon

Lady Lavinia looked hurt

"Of course ould be delighted if you would honor us again," Gideon was quick to add, giving me a dark look I was so happily drunk that, for once, I couldn’t have cared less

"You … you played wonderfully," I said "It rinned as if I’d told a joke and put the Stradivarius away in its case

Lord Brolasses of punch, and assured Gideon that he was absolutely delighted by his guest’s virtuoso performance It was a shame, he added, that poor Alastair had h point of the soirée

"Do you think Alastair ?" asked the count, with a touch of annoyance

"I’lasses I took a greedy gulp Was this stuff good! I just had to sniff it, and I was on a high Ready to snatch up a hairbrush, ju Free" with or without Zac Efron!

"My lord, you reallyfro!"

There was an odd undertone in her voice that made me prick up ht not look like her, but there was another Charlotte soreen dress, I felt sure of it The kind of person who alanted you to notice how absolutely wonderful and unique she herself was by comparison with you and your et up froain This ti"

"What?" said Gideon, shaking his head "On no account will she sing--I’m afraid that the punch--"

"Miss Gray, it would be a great pleasure for us all if you would sing to us," said Lord Bro at me so hard that his fifteen double chins wobbled like crazy "And if e it to the punch, so much the better! Come up to the front with me and let me announce you"

Gideon firood idea," he said "Lord Brompton, please--my foster sister has never before performed in public"

"There’s a first ti ether here Don’t spoil sport for us!"

"Exactly Don’t be such a spoilsport," I said, shaking off Gideon’s hand "Do you happen to have a hairbrush with you? I sing better holding a hairbrush"

Gideon looked rather despairing "Definitely not," he said, following me and Lord Brohing quietly behind us

"Gwen," whispered Gideon, "do please stop this nonsense"

"Penelope," I corrected hi hilass "Do you think they’d like ‘Over the Rainbow’? Or," I added, with a giggle, ‘Hallelujah’?"

Gideon groaned "You really can’t do this Come back with me now!"

"No, ‘Hallelujah’ is too modern, isn’t it? Let’s see…" In my mind I went over my entire playlist, while Lord Broroper, came over to join us at the pianoforte "Does the lady need a competent accompanist on the instrument?" he asked

"No, the lady needs … needs so down on the piano stool himself "Please, Gwen…"

"Pen, if you entina’ I know all the words, and ree? But entina…"

"You’re not really going to make a fool of yourself in front of all these people, are you?"

It was a nice try at scaring me, but useless in the circumstances "Listen," I said in a confidential whisper "I couldn’t care less about these people First, they’ve been dead for two hundred years and, second, they’re also as good as dead drunk anyway--except for you, of course"

Groaning, Gideon leaned his forehead on the pal a whole series of notes on the pianoforte keyboard in the process

"Do you happen to know … yes, ‘Memory’?" I asked Mr Merchant "From Cats?"

"Oh--no, I’m sorry," said Mr Merchant