Every Time We Kiss. Christie Kelley
she was only allowing his appearance because of Jennette. Glancing around the room, he noticed she hadn’t attended tonight, leaving him stranded in a sea of frowns. He walked toward the seats in the back and sat down, hoping the chair would swallow him completely.
A commotion at the door forced him to look over just in time to see Jennette enter the room with a swish of violet silk. Several women formed a circle around her, whispering to her.
“I really don’t see why it is a problem,” she answered loud enough for him to hear.
After a few more vehement protests from the ladies surrounding her, Jennette broke from the group and walked directly toward him. “Good evening, Lord Blackburn.”
Damn, she had pluck to greet him in front of everyone. “Good evening, Lady Jennette.”
“I do hope you enjoy the musicale this evening. Lady Sheldon’s daughters have quite the talent for both singing and the pianoforte.”
He couldn’t stop the pleased smile from forming. “I am certain I shall enjoy myself immensely.”
She nodded and then gave the ladies a sardonic look. “I think you shall at that.” She glanced about the room as if looking for someone in particular. After blowing out a delicate breath, she said, “But you do need someone to sit beside you, my lord. You shouldn’t be alone.”
“You could do me the honor,” he said just loud enough for her to hear.
Her black eyebrows rose and her lips twitched as if she found the idea perfectly amusing. “I have just the person.”
She walked away before he could stop her. His preference would have been Jennette, not someone who would sit quaking in the chair next to him. Nonetheless, he couldn’t stop himself from watching her work her magic on some poor young girl whose face suddenly blanched as Jennette spoke with her. After a quick nod, Jennette led her toward him.
“Miss Amelia Sheldon, may I introduce Lord Blackburn,” Jennette said with a smile to them both.
Matthew stood and bowed over Miss Sheldon’s quivering hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sheldon.”
“Th—Thank you, my lord.”
“I would be truly honored if you joined me.” He had to keep from rolling his eyes back into his head. The girl couldn’t be more than eighteen and appeared scared even to let him bow over her hand. Perhaps he should set an age limit with Jennette. No women under twenty-one. He had no idea why she chose the youngest of the Sheldon women, unless Jennette assumed Amelia would be the easiest to manipulate.
Miss Sheldon sat in the seat next to him and pulled out her fan. Staring straight ahead, she made no attempt to draw him into conversation. Matthew’s attention skipped to Jennette. She’d taken a chair three rows in front of him but to the right. He could just make out her profile and delicate, long neck.
After a quick shake of his head to clear his errant thoughts, he tried to get Miss Sheldon to speak to him.
“Are you looking forward to the Season?” he asked gently.
Her eyes widened with either fear or surprise that he had the audacity to speak with her.
“Yes,” she said in such a soft voice that he had to strain to hear her. She glanced around the room as people turned to stare at them.
“Will this be your first Season?”
She shook her head. “No, my second.”
Well, at least he received a three-word answer instead of one. “Did you enjoy your last Season?”
“No.”
“No?” he queried.
“With four older sisters out, my mother would prefer I don’t draw too much attention to myself.”
And it appeared Amelia had done a fine job of that until tonight. By sitting next to him, she’d gained the attention of the entire room. Every few moments, someone looked back at her as if to make certain she was still alive. As people continued to watch, he noticed a gleam of pleasure enter her eyes.
“I see,” he finally said. Well, he didn’t really but he couldn’t say that to her. “Will you be performing tonight?”
“No, again too much attention with aging sisters,” she said.
Lady Sheldon stood and walked to the front of the room. She introduced her eldest daughter, Beatrice, to start the night off with a sonata. As Beatrice took her seat at the pianoforte, Matthew let his gaze settle on Jennette again.
He’d noticed her glancing back at them before the music started, but now her head faced the pianoforte. What was it about her? Was it the way a few hairs had escaped her pins only to fall against the soft skin of her neck? A neck so perfect his lips wanted to touch that sensitive place where her shoulder met her neck.
Dear God, he was insane!
He should not feel attracted to Jennette. This was madness. There had to be something he didn’t like about her.
Her shopping habits, he decided. The woman was known for her fashion sense and style. And he didn’t like it. She was most likely driving her brother into huge debt over clothing.
Although, the violet silk gown she wore tonight deserved applause. The color suited her perfectly. And then there was that curving neckline framed with a hint of fine lace, drawing attention to the gentle outline of her breasts.
Before he knew it, the sound of clapping alerted him to the fact that the eldest Miss Sheldon had completed her music for the evening. Lady Sheldon next introduced her two middle daughters, who would sing a selection of songs for them.
Matthew forced his concentration on the two young women. It was then that he realized they must be twins. He couldn’t tell the two apart. Both had light brown hair, dull hazel eyes, and freckles over the bridge of their noses. His gaze slid to the woman next to him. He now understood why Lady Sheldon insisted Amelia do nothing to call notice to herself. Amelia Sheldon was the only beautiful lady of the Sheldon family.
She was exactly what he’d told Jennette he was looking for in a woman: petite, blond, quite pretty, and from a fine family. With no sons to inherit, Lord Sheldon had been quite vocal about the small fortune he would give in dowry for the women.
So why didn’t he feel drawn to her? After her initial nervousness, he’d noticed that she relaxed when the music started. She’d even glanced over at him a few times with a shy smile.
He should court her. Put all his efforts into making her want to marry him. After all, he only had a few weeks before he either married or faced selling off his properties. Amelia Sheldon would do.
When the musicale finally finished with a violin solo by the fourth Miss Sheldon, he turned toward Amelia. “May I get you some lemonade?”
Her thin pink lips turned upward. “I would like that.”
The refreshments were in the dining room and this could be his opportunity to converse with her. “Would you accompany me?”
“Thank you, my lord.” She rose with the grace of a swan then hooked her arm with his.
He watched her as she looked around the room with a smug smile on her face. Blowing out a small breath, he understood exactly what she was doing.
“Are you enjoying the attention?” he whispered.
“Yes, I am,” she replied just as quietly. “I do hope you don’t mind. It is very rare that anyone notices me when my mother is constantly pushing her older daughters on any man she can.”
“I see.”
She glanced up at him with sympathy. “I know what you are about, my lord.”
“Oh?”
“You think to marry a wealthy woman. The gossips have spoken of nothing else for days.” She looked forward