Lady Ellingham and the Theft of the Stansfield Necklace: A Regency Romance by Miriam Rochester Page B

be his most
charming and what better place to start than with a Minuet.
          Thorndale
escorted the Countess onto the dance floor. As soon as he was out of earshot,
Mrs Haswell turned to her husband. ‘Well George, I really think you should have
said something.  I do not think that I am quite happy that our little Patricia is
to dance with that rake and I could hardly refuse him.’ Her husband looked
embarrassed. ‘Well dear if Richard did not see fit to object, I do not see that
I needed to.  I really do not think that you have very much to worry about.’ 
He gave Richard a sympathetic glance. ‘I think that worry lies with Lord Lealholme
here.’
          Richard just
smiled. ‘Oh I think the Marquis is a little misunderstood. You have no need to
concern yourself over him. I can assure you my eyes are quite open and I am
well in control of the situation.’
          Mrs Haswell was
of mixed feelings and although her indignation had been somewhat feigned, she
was secretly pleased that Thorndale had honoured her daughter with a country-dance. 
Dancing with a Marquis could only add to her consequence, even this Marquis and
if her Patricia could win a Marquis for a husband on her first season that
would be a fine accomplishment indeed. Not that in this instance she could
entertain the idea, for although her daughter was by no means plain, she was
very much in the ordinary way. What chance did she have against the classic
beauty of Lady Felicity Ellingham?
          Forty minutes
into the evening, the music for the first waltz struck up and Thorndale
approached to claim his Lady for the dance.  He led Felicity onto the dance
floor, pulled her close and took her in a firm waltz hold.  She looked up at
his suave dark face and felt herself tremble in his arms.  The man was an
enigma.  He had the reputation of a rake and held her much closer than the
regulation twelve inches. He had thought her a woman of easy virtue when she
had met him anonymously on his doorstep, and really, who could blame him.  Her
behaviour had been most irregular.  For a frightening moment, she thought that
he was going to accost her and drag her inside his home. Would he have done so?
 She wondered what he would have done if she had not been able to convince him that
she was not a member of the muslin company.
          On the morning
she had waylaid him on Hampstead Heath he had told her clearly that she was
very lucky that he had a pressing engagement.  Yet despite his words, he never
actually got around to acting in accordance with them. In fact, he had acted
honourably in all his dealings with Richard.  She looked up at him and he was
grinning at her, his humorous dark brown eyes sparkling with mischief.  ‘A
penny for your thoughts Lady Ellingham, I am hoping that you may be warming to
me and that you approve of what you see.’
          She looked up. ‘Approve?
I do not know what you mean.’
          ‘Your assessment
of me Lady Ellingham, now that we have cleared up our misunderstanding, I hope I
appear to you in a better light.’
          Felicity bit her
lower lip. ‘I have already apologised for that but as for your question, I
neither approve nor disapprove, and after all I hardly know you sir.’
          Thorndale
manoeuvred her expertly across the floor. He was a superb dancer and it was
easy to follow him.  ‘We will have to remedy that but you already know one
thing about me,’ he replied.  She frowned. ‘What is that?’
         He laughed, ‘that
I always get my way.  You swore that you would never dance with me, ‘not ever’
were your exact words if I remember correctly but here you are my sweetheart,
in my arms.’
          Felicity looked
embarrassed. ‘You are unfair sir. Circumstances have changed.  I could hardly
refuse you but I must say it was rather unscrupulous of you to mark every waltz
on my dance card.  You have put me in a predicament and people will