whispered.
Matilda was not as blind as her family perceived. She curtsied and took one step back to allow Alexandra room to greet their hosts. Her foot did not encounter solid ground. For one brief second she envisioned herself flat out on the Hollingberry’s marble entranceway, her gold dress covering her head. A hand on her elbow steadied her.
“Best not to fall flat on one’s behind at the outset,” Thornsby whispered in her ear.
“Thornsby,” Matilda said with a nod even as her face flamed. “Thank you.”
“Where are those dreadful spectacles you wear?” he hissed.
“Your Grace! How do you do?” Fran Sheldon said bowed. “Look, my dear, it’s the Duke of Thornsby. Alexandra, Juliet. The Duke of Thornsby is here.”
Matilda’s father was calling to Fitz to make his greeting. “We’ve established the Duke’s presence, Father,” Matilda grumbled.
Frances Sheldon curtsied and straightened. “Why look, it’s Matilda’s dance card,” she said and pointed to the floor near Thornsby’s feet. He knelt, retrieved the card and handed it to Matilda.
“There is a quill on the small desk behind you,” Frances said, smiling broadly.
“I would be honored if you would dance with me, Miss Sheldon,” Thornsby said.
“My dancing is comparable to my vision sans glasses, Your Grace,” Matilda said.
“How silly, Matilda. You dance divinely. Alexandra, Juliet, wasn’t I just remarking last week that Matilda is the finest dancer of all my children. Fran, don’t you agree?” Frances said.
“I thought you said I was the finest dancer, Mother,” Alexandra said.
Juliet flashed Alexandra a frown. “It was Matilda, Alexandra. Do pay attention.”
“But Fitz said . . .” Alexandra began.
Matilda was going to end this discussion immediately before Alexandra cried or Juliet stuck her tongue out. “Have you placed Jonah and Alice, Your Grace?”
Suddenly they were quite alone. The Sheldons had made their escape. Thornsby took Matilda’s arm and escorted her into the ballroom. “No, I have not. No thanks to you. Perhaps I should have allowed you to fall flat a moment ago.”
Matilda fingered her beaded reticule with no reply. Something other than her lace edged hanky was in there. She popped the metal clasp and pulled out her glasses. “How did they get in my bag?”
Matilda looked at him, clearly now and he was as devastatingly handsome as when she had first laid eyes on him. She was still mortified about the scene at the orphanage but was not about to allow him to know that. “What will you do with them?” Matilda asked. “The Gilbert children, I mean.”
“I’ve visited a few homes. None were suitable. I will continue my inquiries.”
“Where are they now?” Matilda asked.
“At Winterbourne.”
“I hear that your sister has married the Mr. Smithly that accompanied you to Maplewood. I did not realize they were affianced,” Matilda said.
“They were not. It appears Athena fell prey to a whirl-wind romance,” Thornsby replied.
“You do not approve of Mr. Smithly? I had thought you were friends.”
“We are.”
“Good evening, Matilda.”
Matilda turned. William Berfine, Viscount Altry was smiling at her. He was a friend of Franklin’s and long considered an admirable catch. Thornsby and he bowed curtly to each other.
“Good evening, William. And you two know each other, I see,” Matilda said.
“You look absolutely beautiful, Matilda. A diamond amongst lesser jewels. May I have his dance?” Berfine asked.
While always polite, Berfine had rarely bothered with her on his many visits to Maplewood. “My sisters are right over there, William.”
Berfine smiled and stepped closer to Matilda, taking her hand in his. “While your sisters are lovely, I’d prefer to dance with the prettiest woman in the room.”
“Miss Sheldon and I are busy, and her dance card is filled, Altry,” Thornsby said.
Matilda snorted. “I am not so busy to be unable to make my own decisions.
Matilda was not as blind as her family perceived. She curtsied and took one step back to allow Alexandra room to greet their hosts. Her foot did not encounter solid ground. For one brief second she envisioned herself flat out on the Hollingberry’s marble entranceway, her gold dress covering her head. A hand on her elbow steadied her.
“Best not to fall flat on one’s behind at the outset,” Thornsby whispered in her ear.
“Thornsby,” Matilda said with a nod even as her face flamed. “Thank you.”
“Where are those dreadful spectacles you wear?” he hissed.
“Your Grace! How do you do?” Fran Sheldon said bowed. “Look, my dear, it’s the Duke of Thornsby. Alexandra, Juliet. The Duke of Thornsby is here.”
Matilda’s father was calling to Fitz to make his greeting. “We’ve established the Duke’s presence, Father,” Matilda grumbled.
Frances Sheldon curtsied and straightened. “Why look, it’s Matilda’s dance card,” she said and pointed to the floor near Thornsby’s feet. He knelt, retrieved the card and handed it to Matilda.
“There is a quill on the small desk behind you,” Frances said, smiling broadly.
“I would be honored if you would dance with me, Miss Sheldon,” Thornsby said.
“My dancing is comparable to my vision sans glasses, Your Grace,” Matilda said.
“How silly, Matilda. You dance divinely. Alexandra, Juliet, wasn’t I just remarking last week that Matilda is the finest dancer of all my children. Fran, don’t you agree?” Frances said.
“I thought you said I was the finest dancer, Mother,” Alexandra said.
Juliet flashed Alexandra a frown. “It was Matilda, Alexandra. Do pay attention.”
“But Fitz said . . .” Alexandra began.
Matilda was going to end this discussion immediately before Alexandra cried or Juliet stuck her tongue out. “Have you placed Jonah and Alice, Your Grace?”
Suddenly they were quite alone. The Sheldons had made their escape. Thornsby took Matilda’s arm and escorted her into the ballroom. “No, I have not. No thanks to you. Perhaps I should have allowed you to fall flat a moment ago.”
Matilda fingered her beaded reticule with no reply. Something other than her lace edged hanky was in there. She popped the metal clasp and pulled out her glasses. “How did they get in my bag?”
Matilda looked at him, clearly now and he was as devastatingly handsome as when she had first laid eyes on him. She was still mortified about the scene at the orphanage but was not about to allow him to know that. “What will you do with them?” Matilda asked. “The Gilbert children, I mean.”
“I’ve visited a few homes. None were suitable. I will continue my inquiries.”
“Where are they now?” Matilda asked.
“At Winterbourne.”
“I hear that your sister has married the Mr. Smithly that accompanied you to Maplewood. I did not realize they were affianced,” Matilda said.
“They were not. It appears Athena fell prey to a whirl-wind romance,” Thornsby replied.
“You do not approve of Mr. Smithly? I had thought you were friends.”
“We are.”
“Good evening, Matilda.”
Matilda turned. William Berfine, Viscount Altry was smiling at her. He was a friend of Franklin’s and long considered an admirable catch. Thornsby and he bowed curtly to each other.
“Good evening, William. And you two know each other, I see,” Matilda said.
“You look absolutely beautiful, Matilda. A diamond amongst lesser jewels. May I have his dance?” Berfine asked.
While always polite, Berfine had rarely bothered with her on his many visits to Maplewood. “My sisters are right over there, William.”
Berfine smiled and stepped closer to Matilda, taking her hand in his. “While your sisters are lovely, I’d prefer to dance with the prettiest woman in the room.”
“Miss Sheldon and I are busy, and her dance card is filled, Altry,” Thornsby said.
Matilda snorted. “I am not so busy to be unable to make my own decisions.
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