be a mother’s job to help arrange her own daughter’s engagement party,” Mother complained.
“But we do want an occasion befitting Brideswell, not an amusement park,” the dowager snapped. “I have handled several engagement balls and each one has been elegant and a success.”
“Well, I know what my Zoe would want. And I want to see my daughter happy.”
Oh, God. An engagement ball. As to her happiness, Mother rarely asked her what she wanted. After Billy’s death, Mother became more determined to guide Zoe’s life than ever.
She walked away from the drawing room. She had no intention of getting into the middle of that. Bathed in sunlight, the water on the lake sparkled in the distance. New leaves glimmered on the trees. The formal gardens glowed with new color. She walked toward the folly, a stone temple built on a hill.
She’d have to go through with an engagement ball. But the thought of lying so publicly made her stomach ache. She might be bold, but she was not thoughtless or without a conscience.
As she walked along the path that wound up the hill, she saw Langford standing by the door of another small stone building with a steep roof, delicate stained-glass windows and a pointed door. A cross hung above the door. It was a little chapel.
Zoe walked up to it, and Langford saw her from the end of the vestry. He came up to her.
“Your own chapel? It’s lovely.” She saw inside to an altar, with a red-and-gold cloth laid on it. Jewel-colored light spilled in from the stained-glass windows. Langford’s mother was on her knees before the altar, her head bowed.
“My father had it built for my mother, so she could come here and pray. Sometimes she has a priest come and give her mass. On Sunday, she comes in and says prayers for us all. Today, she is probably saying prayers for you, too.”
“She is very devoted to her faith.”
“She relied on it when my father made her unhappy.” Langford bent toward her and Zoe lost her breath. He was close enough to kiss her. She wanted it, even here in a chapel.
His lips almost brushed her ear. “I won’t let her be hurt.”
“I don’t want to hurt her,” Zoe said. And she turned and left. Before she did something sinful and kissed her fiancé’s brother in front of a house of God.
* * *
All the chandeliers blazed and hundreds of people filled Brideswell’s huge ballroom.
Zoe fanned herself. She wore a light dress in soft pink, with small straps and a short skirt, but she was still melting, at her own engagement party. Mother had spent a week crowing that it was the most anticipated event in England.
Zoe had doubted it, but as she stood on the receiving line with Sebastian, she could tell quite a few members of the British peerage were here out of curiosity.
After the long line of guests were inside, Sebastian made the formal announcement of his engagement, kissed her hand, and the orchestra started up. Sebastian swirled her into a waltz. He hadn’t attempted to woo her for days. A friend of his had arrived at Brideswell—a young former army captain, John Ransome. Captain Ransome was a beautiful man with high cheekbones, large brown eyes and full lips. And Zoe had noticed that the two men spent a lot of time together.
As the music faded after the first dance, Sebastian bowed to her. Then he disappeared. She saw him and Ransome near the terrace door. Ransome went out first, and then Sebastian followed.
She wouldn’t mind fleeing this thing, too. Zoe snatched two glasses of champagne from a passing footman. She gave one to Julia, who had come up to her side.
“Typical Sebastian, making himself scarce at his own party,” Julia said. “And he’s taken Captain Ransome. Isobel has been staring at Captain Ransome all night. I think she has a crush.”
Zoe looked where Julia gestured. The dowager—standing with Sir Raynard, who spent any evening he was at Brideswell at the dowager’s side—whispered a few words to Isobel, who flushed and
“But we do want an occasion befitting Brideswell, not an amusement park,” the dowager snapped. “I have handled several engagement balls and each one has been elegant and a success.”
“Well, I know what my Zoe would want. And I want to see my daughter happy.”
Oh, God. An engagement ball. As to her happiness, Mother rarely asked her what she wanted. After Billy’s death, Mother became more determined to guide Zoe’s life than ever.
She walked away from the drawing room. She had no intention of getting into the middle of that. Bathed in sunlight, the water on the lake sparkled in the distance. New leaves glimmered on the trees. The formal gardens glowed with new color. She walked toward the folly, a stone temple built on a hill.
She’d have to go through with an engagement ball. But the thought of lying so publicly made her stomach ache. She might be bold, but she was not thoughtless or without a conscience.
As she walked along the path that wound up the hill, she saw Langford standing by the door of another small stone building with a steep roof, delicate stained-glass windows and a pointed door. A cross hung above the door. It was a little chapel.
Zoe walked up to it, and Langford saw her from the end of the vestry. He came up to her.
“Your own chapel? It’s lovely.” She saw inside to an altar, with a red-and-gold cloth laid on it. Jewel-colored light spilled in from the stained-glass windows. Langford’s mother was on her knees before the altar, her head bowed.
“My father had it built for my mother, so she could come here and pray. Sometimes she has a priest come and give her mass. On Sunday, she comes in and says prayers for us all. Today, she is probably saying prayers for you, too.”
“She is very devoted to her faith.”
“She relied on it when my father made her unhappy.” Langford bent toward her and Zoe lost her breath. He was close enough to kiss her. She wanted it, even here in a chapel.
His lips almost brushed her ear. “I won’t let her be hurt.”
“I don’t want to hurt her,” Zoe said. And she turned and left. Before she did something sinful and kissed her fiancé’s brother in front of a house of God.
* * *
All the chandeliers blazed and hundreds of people filled Brideswell’s huge ballroom.
Zoe fanned herself. She wore a light dress in soft pink, with small straps and a short skirt, but she was still melting, at her own engagement party. Mother had spent a week crowing that it was the most anticipated event in England.
Zoe had doubted it, but as she stood on the receiving line with Sebastian, she could tell quite a few members of the British peerage were here out of curiosity.
After the long line of guests were inside, Sebastian made the formal announcement of his engagement, kissed her hand, and the orchestra started up. Sebastian swirled her into a waltz. He hadn’t attempted to woo her for days. A friend of his had arrived at Brideswell—a young former army captain, John Ransome. Captain Ransome was a beautiful man with high cheekbones, large brown eyes and full lips. And Zoe had noticed that the two men spent a lot of time together.
As the music faded after the first dance, Sebastian bowed to her. Then he disappeared. She saw him and Ransome near the terrace door. Ransome went out first, and then Sebastian followed.
She wouldn’t mind fleeing this thing, too. Zoe snatched two glasses of champagne from a passing footman. She gave one to Julia, who had come up to her side.
“Typical Sebastian, making himself scarce at his own party,” Julia said. “And he’s taken Captain Ransome. Isobel has been staring at Captain Ransome all night. I think she has a crush.”
Zoe looked where Julia gestured. The dowager—standing with Sir Raynard, who spent any evening he was at Brideswell at the dowager’s side—whispered a few words to Isobel, who flushed and
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