He brought the book to her then, holding it out with a softly murmured, “Miss Bridgerton.”
Hyacinth accepted it, shivering against the odd feeling that she had just done something far more powerful than merely taking a book into her hands.
“Are you cold, Miss Bridgerton?” Mr. St. Clair murmured.
She shook her head, using the book as a means to avoid looking at him. “The pages are slightly brittle,” she said, carefully turning one.
“What does it say?” Mr. St. Clair asked.
Hyacinth gritted her teeth. It was never fun to be forced to perform under pressure, and it was nigh near impossible with Gareth St. Clair breathing down her neck.
“Give her some room!” Lady D barked.
He moved, but not enough to make Hyacinth feel any more at ease.
“Well?” he demanded.
Hyacinth’s head bobbed slightly back and forth as she worked out the meaning. “She’s writing about her upcoming wedding,” she said. “I think she’s due to marry your grandfather in”-she bit her lip as she scanned down the page for the appropriate words-“three weeks. I gather the ceremony was in Italy.”
Mr. St. Clair nodded once before prodding her with, “And?”
“And…” Hyacinth wrinkled her nose, as she always did when she was thinking hard. It wasn’t a terribly attractive expression, but the alternative was simply not to think, which she didn’t find appealing.
“What did she say?” Lady Danbury urged.
“Orrendo orrendo…,” Hyacinth murmured. “Oh, right.” She looked up. “She’s not very happy about it.”
“Who would be?” Lady D put in. “The man was a bear, apologies to those in the room sharing his blood.”
Mr. St. Clair ignored her. “What else?”
“I told you I’m not fluent,” Hyacinth finally snapped. “I need time to work it out.”
“Take it home,” Lady Danbury said. “You’ll be seeing him tomorrow night, anyway.”
“I am?” Hyacinth asked, at precisely the moment Mr. St. Clair said, “She will?”
“You’re accompanying me to the Pleinsworth poetry reading,” Lady D told her grandson. “Or have you forgotten?”
Hyacinth sat back, enjoying the sight of Gareth St. Clair’s mouth opening and closing in obvious distress. He looked a bit like a fish, she decided. A fish with the features of a Greek god, but still, a fish.
“I really…” he said. “That is to say, I can’t-”
“You can, and you will be there,” Lady D said. “You promised.”
He regarded her with a stern expression. “I cannot imagine-”
“Well, if you didn’t promise, you should have done, and ifyou love me…”
Hyacinth coughed to cover her laugh, then tried not to smirk when Mr. St. Clair shot a dirty look in her direction.
“When I die,” he said, “surely my epitaph will read, ‘He loved his grandmother when no one else would.’”
“And what’s wrong with that?” Lady Danbury asked.
“I’ll be there,” he sighed.
“Bring wool for your ears,” Hyacinth advised.
He looked aghast. “It cannot possibly be worse than last night’s musicale.”
Hyacinth couldn’t quite keep one corner of her mouth from tilting up. “Lady Pleinsworth used to be a Smythe-Smith.”
Across the room, Lady Danbury chortled with glee.
“I had best be getting home,” Hyacinth said, rising to her feet. “I shall try to translate the first entry before I see you tomorrow evening, Mr. St. Clair.”
“You have my gratitude, Miss Bridgerton.”
Hyacinth nodded and crossed the room, trying to ignore the strangely giddy sensation growing in her chest. It was just a book, for heaven’s sake.
And he was just a man.
It was annoying, this strange compulsion she felt to impress him. She wanted to do something that would prove her intelligence and wit, something that would force him to look at her with an expression other than vague amusement.
“Allow me to walk you to the door,” Mr. St. Clair said, falling into step beside her.
Hyacinth turned, then felt her breath stop short in surprise. She hadn’t realized he was standing so close. “I…ah…”
It was his eyes, she realized. So blue and clear she ought to have felt she could read his thoughts, but instead she rather thought he could read hers.
“Yes?” he murmured, placing her hand on his elbow.
She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
“Why, Miss Bridgerton,” he said, guiding her into the hall. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you at a loss for words. Except for the other night,” he added, cocking his head ever so slightly to the side.
She looked at him, narrowing her eyes.
“At the musicale,” he supplied helpfully. “It was lovely.” He smiled, most annoyingly. “Wasn’t it lovely?”
Hyacinth clamped her lips together. “You barely know me, Mr. St. Clair,” she said.
“Your reputation precedes you.”
“As does yours.”
“Touché, Miss Bridgerton,” he said, but she didn’t particularly feel she’d won the point.
Hyacinth saw her maid waiting by the door, so she extricated her hand from Mr. St. Clair’s elbow and crossed the foyer. “Until tomorrow, Mr. St. Clair,” she said.
And as the door shut behind her, she could have sworn she heard him reply, “Arrivederci.”
Hyacinth arrives home.
Her mother has been waiting for her.
This is not good.
“Charlotte Stokehurst,” Violet Bridgerton announced, “is getting married.”
“Today?” Hyacinth queried, taking off her gloves.
Her mother gave her a look. “She has become engaged. Her mother told me this morning.”
Hyacinth looked around. “Were you waiting for me in the hall?”
“To the Earl of Renton,” Violet added. “Renton.”
“Have we any tea?” Hyacinth asked. “I walked all the way home, and I’m thirsty.”
“Renton!” Violet exclaimed, looking about ready to throw up her hands in despair. “Did you hear me?”
“Renton,” Hyacinth said obligingly. “He has fat ankles.”
“He’s-” Violet stopped short. “Why were you looking at his ankles?”
“I couldn’t very well miss them,” Hyacinth replied. She handed her reticule-which contained the Italian diary-to a maid. “Would you take this to my room, please?”
Violet waited until the maid scurried off. “I have tea in the drawing room, and there is nothing wrong with Renton’s ankles.”
Hyacinth shrugged. “If you like the puffy sort.”
“Hyacinth!”
Hyacinth sighed tiredly, following her mother into the drawing room. “Mother, you have six married children, and they all are quite happy with their choices. Why must you try to push me into an unsuitable alliance?”
Violet sat and prepared a cup of tea for Hyacinth. “I’m not,” she said, “but Hyacinth, couldn’t you even look?”
“Mother, I-”
“Or for my sake, pretend to?”
Hyacinth could not help but smile.
Violet held the cup out, then took it back and added another spoonful of sugar. Hyacinth was the only one in the family who took sugar in her tea, and she’d always liked it extra sweet.
“Thank you,” Hyacinth said, tasting the brew. It wasn’t quite as hot as she preferred, but she drank it anyway.
“Hyacinth,” her mother said, in that tone of voice that always made Hyacinth feel a little guilty, even though she knew better, “you know I only wish to see you happy.”
“I know,” Hyacinth said. That was the problem. Her mother did only wish her to be happy. If Violet had been pushing her toward marriage for social glory or financial gain, it would have been much easier to ignore her. But no, her mother loved her and truly did want her to be happy, not just married, and so Hyacinth tried her best to maintain her good humor through all of her mother’s sighs.