Page 125 of How the Belle Stole Christmas
However, as she looked at herself in the dressing table mirror, she had to admit that she could grow accustomed to such finery. She loved how the dress swished with every step she took. The only impediment was her boots, but they were hidden by the length of fabric.
When Mrs. Peel arrived to fix her hair into a more elegant style, Claire could hardly believe her reflection. “You look beautiful, Miss Meyer,” the housekeeper said with a touch of pride in her tone.
“Thank you.” Her cheeks warmed as she made her way downstairs at the appointed time. She had been told that the duchess had arrived earlier, and that the earl was entertaining her in the Oak Room.
Claire nearly missed a step when she saw Lord Darville dressed in his formal finery.
Other than the day he’d gone into the village, she was used to seeing him in a casual state of dress.
But attired in stark black and white, his dark hair carefully combed back from his forehead, he looked inordinately handsome.
She found it difficult to tear her eyes away, even when she was introduced to his sister, Camilla Brewings, the Duchess of Claymoore.
The earl excused himself to pour another drink, giving them a moment to speak in private.
“I understand you are the one to thank for this welcome invitation.” The duchess looked very much like her brother with the same shining, brown hair and expressive, green eyes, right down to the amused twitch of her lips.
“I have prayed for the return of my brother for years, but it was only with your arrival that they were answered.”
Claire smiled warmly. “You should offer that gratitude to your aunt, Lady Mimbley. She was the one who asked that I use my knowledge of massage and exercises to help Lord Darville. All I did was offer my assistance.”
The duchess leaned forward slightly. Raising a brow, she said, “If you believe that, you are quite na?ve. I have never seen Ethan quite so besotted with anyone, not even with Margo.”
“Margo?” Claire echoed. “Do you mean his former betrothed who wed another after he was injured?”
“The very same.” She nodded with a sigh.
“I daresay I wondered if Ethan would ever realize that they were children playacting at being in love, that it wasn’t the abiding joy I feel with the duke.
” Her eyes warmed. “Something tells me he understands the difference now. If I were you, I shouldn’t be surprised if there is a proposal by Christmastide. ”
Claire wasn’t sure how to respond to this suggestion, and she was saved from doing so with the earl’s return.
Dinner was an elegant affair and although it had been years since Claire had been part of any sort of social event with anyone of the aristocracy, she found that the teachings she’d learned as a child were still vivid in her mind.
She knew which fork to use during each course and the proper sort of conversation that was appropriate for young, unmarried ladies.
Claire couldn’t help but feel as though she were being judged for her actions, but thankfully, the duchess approved of her mannerisms.
However, it was the master of the house, Lord Darville, whose gaze Claire yearned to seek out during the meal.
She caught his glimmering focus on several occasions, but she found her courage faltering when the heat of sensual promise would fill his eyes.
She didn’t want to act as though anything inappropriate had happened between them when quite the opposite was true.
While they hadn’t yet lain together, the warmth swirling in her midsection and the incessant ache between her legs, told her it wasn’t just an eventuality, it was an inevitability.
Perhaps she was being foolish in wanting to save herself for the right man who would never come along.
She wasn’t getting any younger and would soon be considered on the shelf.
After which, her prospects would start to dwindle significantly.
It wasn’t as though she had anyone vying for her hand at the moment, but neither had she had the strong desire to marry, deciding that she would devote herself to helping others.
For years, she had considered that her lot in life, but the longer she was at Darville House, the more she found that those convictions were starting to wane.
She kept imagining small children running through the great hall, filling this interior with life again when there had been so much devastation and dismay.
All too soon, dinner concluded and as the earl escorted his sister to the front door, the duchess turned back to him. “I hope that my next invitation will include the rest of my family and it will not take several years to gain another.”
“You have my word.” He leaned down and bussed a kiss on her cheek.
The lady opened her arms to Claire, and she found herself moving forward into the welcoming embrace. “I am so glad that my brother has discovered you. I hope that if he does ask you that important question, I will be able to call you my sister.”
Claire could feel her throat clog with emotion. She nodded but said nothing as the duchess departed.
Once the door had shut behind her and silence surrounded her and Lord Darville, her heart started to thump wildly.
She turned to reluctantly bid him goodnight, but she found his hand extended to her instead. “Come with me.”
Placing her palm in his, he led her to the great hall where he drew her against him in the stance of a waltz. Immediately, her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I might be making a fool of myself,” he returned softly. “But I cannot imagine living the rest of my life without sharing at least one dance with you.”
Again, Claire was struck with an emotion so strong, so deep, that she found it difficult to draw a full breath. “There is no music.”
“I can take care of that.” As he began to hum a slight tune in his mumbling baritone, Claire found herself captured in his enchanting spell. It had started to weave itself around her the moment she’d arrived and it had only ensnared her further with each passing day.
As they started to slide gently over the floor, Claire found that her heart was lighter than it had ever been. Looking into the earl’s eyes—into Ethan’s eyes—she could see that same buoyant sentiment reflected in his gaze.