The Player (Rockliffe Book 3) by Stella Riley Read Free Book Online Page A

  She said
abruptly, ‘My mother is not – not well enough to receive visitors at present.   I’m so sorry. Perhaps in week or two, if her
health improves?’
    Marcus suspected that he was being put off.   Moreover, a week or two was longer than he
could comfortably wait.   He felt like
shaking the girl but, instead, he summoned a sympathetic expression and said,
‘Forgive me.   I had no idea.   Please accept my very best wishes for her
swift recovery.’
    ‘Yes.   I
mean – thank you, sir.’
    Caroline groped for a change of subject but, as
usual, her fund of social small talk proved inadequate and the conversation
ground to a halt.   Finally, his lordship
said, ‘Dare I hope to see you at the Overbury masquerade next week?’
    ‘Perhaps.   I’m not sure.   Lady Brassington
deals with all our invitations.’
    ‘Of course.   Have you ever attended a masked ball?’
    ‘No.’ They
don’t tend to have them in Halifax .   ‘Never.’
    ‘Then you shouldn’t miss this one.   You will enjoy it immensely, I’m sure.   And I,’ he exerted just a hint of extra
pressure on her fingers as the music ended, ‘will not enjoy it at all if you aren’t present.’   Which, he reflected grimly as he returned her
to Lily Brassington’s side, had the merit of being absolutely true.
    Lady Brassington watched his lordship saunter
elegantly away, then looked searchingly at her charge.   She murmured, ‘Handsome is as handsome does,
my dear.   I’d remember that, if I were
you.’
    A little later, Caroline found herself marooned
beside two young ladies she’d never met before, with no idea what to say to
them. She smiled tentatively at Mistresses Delahaye and Garfield and wondered if
she was correct in detecting a note of friction.
    ‘Maitland?   I’ve heard about you,’ said the shrew-faced girl in pink. ‘You’re the
new heiress.’
    The other girl rolled her eyes and said, ‘I
wouldn’t put it like that if I were you, Cecy.   If she’s the new heiress –
what does that make you?’
    Mistress Garfield shot her a venomous glance and
returned her attention to Caroline.
    ‘That’s a perfectly awful dress. What on earth
made you choose it?’
    The blatant rudeness was sufficient to unlock
Caroline’s jaws and, without stopping to think, she said, ‘Probably the same
error of judgement that made you choose yours.’
    Unexpectedly, Mistress Delahaye laughed.
    ‘You asked for that, Cecy – and it’s quite
true.   Pink doesn’t suit you and all
those ruffles and ribbons and roses are positively vulgar.’   Then, smiling at Caroline, ‘Don’t mind
Cecily.   She’s like that with everyone.   I’m Cassie, by the way. And you?’
    ‘Caroline.’
    ‘Goodness.   We’re all C’s. How odd.’
    ‘Oh for heaven’s sake,’ snapped Cecily.   She sent a searching glance around the room
and added crossly, ‘This is a waste of time.   I’ve only danced three times all evening and there’s nobody here now
worth dancing with .’
    ‘What she means,’ confided Cassie, ‘is that Nicholas
Wynstanton isn’t here.’
    Cecily came sharply to her feet in a cascade of
pink frills.
    ‘That is completely untrue,’ she snapped.   And, turning on her heel, marched off in
search of fresh prey.
    ‘Thank goodness,’ murmured Cassie.   ‘As you’ve seen, she’s positively
rag-mannered.   If it wasn’t for her
money, I doubt she’d still be invited anywhere.’
    Caroline stared down at her lap and said nothing.
    ‘Oh – I’m so sorry!’ Flushing with mortification,
Cassie reached out and took her hand. ‘I didn’t mean that to sound as if … as
if --’
    ‘It’s all right.   I know you didn’t.   And I’m aware
that I’m only here for the same reason as Mistress Garfield.’
    ‘But with much, much better manners.’
    ‘Not so very much after what I said to her.’
    ‘She deserved that – and it was such a neat
put-down that I very nearly applauded.’   Cassie paused, and