Dance With Me At Midnight (Regency Fairy Twists Book 3) Read online

  “Well, I suppose you gentlemen must come in.” She smiled at Jackson. “I am Lady Eloise.”

  Then she gave him a little curtsey. Which was a damned sight more than Charles had been given. No, he had merely been greeted by a flutter of feathers and large bird dropping.

  Jackson’s eyebrow remained arched even as he dropped into a deep bow—far deeper than Charles had received. What the devil was going on? When Jackson rose after what seemed an interminable time, there was a slight twinkle in his eye. Not a smile, for certain, because Jackson never, ever smiled. Even when something made him laugh, his lips remained utterly firm. But the slightest hint of…amusement or something strangely warm lingered in the man’s gray eyes.

  “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

  “And you are?”

  The valet did an admirable job of hiding his surprise. Why, a valet would not normally even pass a lady’s notice but here was Lady Eloise, demanding a name. Charles resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. This stay at Hanbury was going to be interesting, to be certain.

  “Jackson, my lady.” The valet dipped once more.

  Charles, by some miracle, kept his jaw from dropping to the ground.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Jackson. I shall introduce you to the housekeeper shortly, once you have seen to your master. She shall make you welcome, though be warned, we are in full preparation for the ball, so things are busy downstairs.”

  “A little busyness never bothered me, my lady.”

  What a lie that was. Charles had never met a man who liked peace and quiet more. He swung a glance between them both and shook his head. “Shall we?” He motioned to the house.

  “Indeed.” Eloise smiled. “You have come a distance, I hear. From Surrey?”

  “No, actually. I was with my mother in Shropshire so it was only a short journey to Hertfordshire.”

  “Well, that was a blessing, and explains why you are much earlier than the rest of our guests.”

  Charles suspected his early arrival had aggravated the woman, though why she should be bothered, he did not know. It had not been his eagerness to meet her as such that had persuaded him to leave with enough time to meet Eloise before the rest of the guests arrived but more because he wished to get the blasted meeting over and done with before they had an audience. At least if he met her alone, he could create a proper judgment of her character.

  So far, all he knew was that she liked Jackson a darned sight more than she liked him, and she owned a parrot that had also taken a disliking to him. Even now as they followed her into the house, the creature eyed him as though he was waiting for Charles to keel over so he could pick his bones dry. There was something distinctly unsettling about the bird.

  “Fool, fool, fool.”

  The loud squawk of words from the parrot made them all pause. Lady Eloise twisted and grimaced.

  “Forgive him, he has no sense of decorum.”

  Charles eyed the bird and had no doubt that the words were directed at him.

  “Oh, do not take it personally. He is rude to everyone. We should be grateful that was all he said.” She laughed and even Jackson gave a grunt.

  He was not at all sure he should be grateful that a bird was insulting him. “He needs a muzzle,” Charles grumbled.

  “Oh heavens no. I could never do that to him. Besides, they were only words. If one is insulted by the words of a bird that has merely been taught to copy, then one must be insulted by everything in life.”

  Charles did not need to ponder her words to know he had been thoroughly scolded. Very well, it was childish to be annoyed by a bird but still, could she not control him better?

  “Just up here.”

  She led them up a curving staircase, lined with portraits. The ceiling was painted with a dark mural of angels and half-naked men, darkened by time and candle smoke. The house, while attractive, had clearly not been updated for at least one hundred years, whereas his own seat had been built upon and changed by his father to match the latest fashions, and, naturally, he would be expected to continue the work to ensure the house remained one of the grandest in the country.

  After all, he could not have anyone outdoing the Earl of Marlton, he thought, with some frustration. Keeping on top of the pile was going to be an expensive business and he did not much relish the thought of it.

  Nor did he think much of his proposed bride. Unless she came up with something spectacular, he imagined he was going to walk away from this event bride-less, which meant his hunt would continue.

  Chapter Three

  The early arrival of the earl had not only aggravated Albert but had set her back some in her preparations. Albert had taken to squawking “fool” every few minutes and was clearly not impressed with the man. Well, neither was she. Who did he think he was, swanning in earlier than invited and expecting everyone to wait on him?

  “Oh, very well,” she said to the bird as she set him back on his perch. “He is an earl and the chances are people have always waited on him.” She wagged a finger at the bird. “There is no need to be rude, however, is there? Fancy putting a muzzle on you. It is hardly your fault you were taught bad language once upon a time.”

  “Hell fire,” Albert responded seriously.

  “No more of that. I hope you are going to behave while our guests are here. I have a lot of work to do and chasing after you and ensuring our first guest is comfortable has taken up too much time as it is.”

  Albert opted to ignore her wanting and fluffed his feathers. Eloise sighed. This ball had to go perfectly. A yearly tradition since her mother had married her stepfather, it had become quite the talk of Herefordshire. The pressure to ensure it continued to be so was immense, particularly as her stepfather put so much stock in appearances.

  Which was likely why he was interested in the earl for her. A marriage of his stepdaughter to a man of his rank would certainly improve a viscount’s standing in society.

  “Well, that is not likely is it, Albert? He hated me instantly, I could tell.”

  “You talk to that parrot more than you talk to me.”

  Eloise whirled and grinned when Millie entered. The maid was a round, short woman and ten years her senior but with an almost ageless face. Her nose was always scrunched like that of a rabbit and her soft, rosy cheeks kept any lines at bay.

  “You are not jealous of Albert, are you?” Eloise teased.

  “Hardly.” The maid dropped a dress onto Eloise’s bed. “He’s an ugly old thing.”

  “Fool!” the bird protested.

  Millie tilted her head. “I haven’t heard him say that in a while. Not since Lord Harrington visited.”

  “Apparently, he thinks there is another fool in the house.”

  “Not the earl, surely?”

  Eloise nodded.

  “But he’s so handsome!”

  “When did you see him?”

  Millie gave a smug smile. “I had to make the bed in the room next to his.”

  “Nonsense, that was done this morning.”

  Millie simply smiled. “Wonderful hair. So dark and dashing. Good shoulders too. Strong.”

  “I do not think Albert cares for strong shoulders, and nor do I.”

  “You should. You know why your stepfather brought him here.”

  Eloise sighed. “I do. But I think it is clear Lord Marlton will not find me at all suitable. He was quite annoyed with Albert and how could I ever marry someone who does not like animals?”

  “You must admit, Albert is not the easiest of birds to like.”

  “Nor are some humans.”

  Millie shook her head. “I think you shall change your mind about this man soon enough. Who could not fail to be bowled over by such a man? And those thighs.” Millie waved a hand in front of her face. “Did I mention those thighs?”

  Laughing Eloise ushered Millie out of her bedroom. “Get along with you. Have you not got some chores to attend?”

  “Yes. All of them in the east wing.” Mill
ie winked and skipped off down the corridor.

  The east wing. Where the earl was. Eloise laughed again. Well at least someone liked the earl. She certainly did not and that was not going to change, wonderful thighs or not.

  “He did have excellent thighs, I suppose,” she admitted to Albert.

  The bird ruffled his wings. “Hell fire!”

  “Yes, such thoughts will probably condemn me. Best to put a stop to that. Thank you for your wise counsel, Albert,” she told him sincerely. “What would I do without you?”

  “Fool!”

  “Well I shall strive my best not to be, I promise.” She gave his feathers a stroke and refilled his food bowl. “Now if I am to behave then so must you. I have things to do.”

  Eloise left the bird in her bedroom. He would be well enough there for a while. When she had first taken him in, he had come from a tiny cage and the stables had terrified him. Her stepfather muttered about removing the bird from her room but no one would go near him apart from her. She hoped it would remain that way so long as Albert behaved.

  With the intention of stopping in to see the chef and ensure preparations for tonight’s meal and the ball in two days were going ahead, she made her way downstairs. She paused and rolled her eyes when she heard a ruckus coming from the main drawing room.

  Pushing open the door, she readied herself to march in and break up the argument but she spotted Lord Charles sitting in the corner by the fire, a cup of tea in hand, looking very much like he would rather be anywhere but there.

  “You always steal all the jam,” Adam declared, making a grab for the jar.

  “You do not need any more. Your waistline is large enough as it is.” David held the jam jar aloft, away from his shorter brother.

  “Nonsense. I am as fit as ever.”

  For the first time in a long time, she wished her stepfather was here. Why was he leaving their guest in the hands of these two, in the words of Albert, fools?

  “David,” she said softly as she stepped into the room. Somehow, she had to end this quietly and calmly. Her stepbrothers had been known to argue for days and could keep the entire household awake for hours with their shouting.

  Her stepbrothers ignored her. She met Charles’ less than amused gaze and felt heat rise in her cheeks. While she might not care about impressing him, she did not wish for this awful family of hers to make a spectacle of themselves.

  David continued to hold the jam aloft while Adam scrabbled in his chair to stretch higher. Finally, he gave up and stood, coming around to take the pot from his brother.

  “Adam, no,” she hissed, stepping forward.

  Too late, though. As Adam made a grab for the pot, David swung it the other way. The jar slipped from his hands and soared through the air. Eloise had time to hold her breath and pray for a different outcome but it was too late. The jam pot landed right at Lord Charles’ feet and shattered.

  Eloise clapped a hand over her mouth. Oh no. Jam splattered up his beautiful buff breeches. Oh no no no no no.

  Charles did not immediately move. Instead, he scooped up a blob of jam on one finger and peered at it with a raised brow.

  Adam thrust a finger at David. “It was his fault.”

  Forcing her frozen legs to move, Eloise rushed forward and tugged a handkerchief out from her sleeve.

  “I am so sorry, my lord,” she blabbered. “So sorry.” Without thinking, she dabbed at the jam on his thigh.

  Charles snatched her wrist and she froze. Slowly lifting her gaze, she met his. His eyes, a deep, mossy green, were cold and that eyebrow remained arched.

  “I think I shall go and change for the evening.”

  She swallowed and nodded. He released her wrist slowly, leaving a strange warm sensation behind. She took a step back and they all watched him leave in silence.

  Once Charles had departed, she spoke to the footman. “Will you see that his valet is sent to him?”

  The footman gave a brisk nod and hurried away. David let out a bark of laughter.

  “That was not funny.” Eloise whirled on him.

  Adam grinned. “It was a little.”

  “You humiliated a guest all because of your silly behavior.”

  David sneered at her. “Why are you so concerned? Is it because you want him to be your husband? You must know he will never want a girl like you.”

  Adam nodded. “Why would an earl want a girl who smells like animals? You would have a better chance of marrying the stablehand.”

  Before Eloise could open her mouth to declare she had no intention of marrying the earl, her stepfather entered the room. Her insides immediately shriveled. His eyes were dark and a tinge of red filled his face.

  “What the devil did I just see?” He peered at the broken jam pot. “Can someone tell me why I just walked past the earl to see him covered in jam?”

  David and Adam remained silent and stared at their feet.

  “Well?” her stepfather snapped, making them all jump.

  “It was Eloise’s fault,” Adam declared.

  David nodded. “Yes, all her fault.”

  “No, it—”

  Her stepfather thrust a finger at her and she clamped her mouth shut. “You are meant to be looking after our guests.”

  “I am,” she protested, annoyed at the feeble sound of the word.

  “I do not expect to see men of the earl’s stature covered in bloody jam.”

  “It was an accident, my lord. And it certainly was not—”

  “I have little interest in what happened, or why. All I know is that our highest-ranking guest has just been humiliated. This is not what I expect of you, Eloise. You are meant to be ensuring everything runs perfectly, do you understand?”

  She nodded.

  “If anything goes wrong—I mean anything—I shall have all those animals thrown out.”

  “No!”

  “Oh yes.” Her stepfather’s nostrils flared. “I am too kind to you, letting you continue on like this. If you do not procure a marriage proposal from the earl by the time he has to leave, all those animals will be gone.”

  In the corner of her eye, she saw her stepbrother’s sniggering.

  “I cannot force him to marry me.”

  “Then why do you not try being a true lady for a change? Spend less time with those blasted filthy creatures and more time being charming. Lord knows where you get it from. Your mother was not at all wild.”

  No, she was not. Not once she married the viscount anyway. Before that, her mother had been funny and warm. Not long after they had moved into Hanbury Hall, she had grown cold and quiet—at least when the viscount was around, anyway.

  Unable to summon a response, Eloise peered at the carpet. The truth was, no matter how hard she worked to please her stepfather, she never would. And it was unlikely that she could please the Earl of Marlton either. As had been pointed out, she was no true lady.

  “See that someone cleans up this mess before anyone else arrives.” The viscount nodded to the jam splodge upon the floor. He twisted on his heel and marched swiftly out of the room.

  Her stepbrothers waited until he had vanished and sniggered.

  “Looks like your dirty little creatures will be gone before long.” Adam nudged David. “She will never be able to win the earl’s hand.”

  “I do not want to win his hand!”

  “Well, then you can say farewell to those flea-ridden animals.” David’s smug smile made her skin feel hot.

  “I certainly will not.” Regardless of what her stepfather said, she would not let those animals go easily. And nor would she be forced into a marriage with a stranger. Somehow, she would have to find a way to ensure neither happened.

  David laughed and shook his head. “Poor little Eloise. She has no friends so she must resort to talking to crazed birds and filthy rats.”

  “Kittens,” she said tightly. And they were not filthy. She had bathed each of them when she rescued them and now they were looking after themselves wonderfully.
Not that David or Adam would care.

  “Shall we have some fun, David?” Adam asked.

  Eloise narrowed her gaze at the shorter brother. She did not like his tone.

  “Oh, yes I think we should.”

  “Those animals will be gone soon enough, Eloise,” Adam threatened. “You shall never make the earl fall for you. We will make sure of that.”

  Chapter Four

  Charles could not help but be grateful he was no longer alone at Hanbury Hall. His idea of arriving a little earlier to meet his intended had been a disastrous one. It was clear she was not suited to the role of a countess and her family…well, her brothers were utter dandies, and he had no time for that. Men who spent more time on their appearance than bettering themselves or the situation of others were a waste of air to his mind. The viscount was not much better. Cold, brisk, and business-like. He was no different to many fathers all over the country, trying to palm off his daughter onto a wealthy heir but it aggravated Charles that the man had exaggerated her qualities so wildly.

  He released a long slow breath and tried to focus on the conversation about him. Cradling a drink, he skipped his gaze over the handful of people about him. The most senior in rank in the vast drawing room, he had found himself accosted by many. Though there was a marquis and several viscounts in attendance, all were married, and not nearly as interesting as a new earl by the looks of it. With it having only been two months since the death of his father, it was taking some getting used to.

  Not that women exactly avoided him. At this very moment, a Miss Blythe was being steadily pressed closer and closer to him by her pushy mother. He kept catching the hissed words from her mother while the daughter resisted and hissed back angrily.

  “Get closer,” her mother would hiss.