A Wager Of The Heart

31. The Countess shows her hand

:::Kent:::

"And for the duration of my stay, I shall act as Geraldine's chaperone. So I hope we shall get along."

I stared at the presumptuous little woman and bit back my retort, trusting my mother to handle her. Geraldine looked tired but happy standing next to her grandmother.

"Whatever Geraldine wishes." Edith said archly. I could tell she was angry from the tightness in her shoulders and the clipped tones with which she spoke.

The grandmother smiled at my mother as if they shared a secret. "Now that everything is settled, may I introduce my sons and Geraldine's uncles, Kesler and Tallys?"

The two men stepped forward. They were as tall as I was with sunny blonde hair a shade or two lighter than Geraldine's and piercing blue eyes. I was surprised to find they were a two or three years younger than me where as the Countess must have been older than my father. They were so similar that it was hard to tell them apart.

"Welcome, all of you." My mother said after a moment of shock. "Please be seated." She gestured to the empty seats around the library. "I'd offer to show you my garden if the weather permitted it." I joined the sea of eyes as we all peered out of the window into the gloom of a summer storm. Let's see how Charity feels within a day or two of being cramped up inside. I imagined my angel would kick her shoes off and run wild through the rain. My vision was blurred when I heard the quiet room pierced by the sound of the grandmother's voice.

"Which of you men is Kent?" She asked shrilly. I raised my hand lazily but did not get up. "Well boy, let me have a look at you." The older woman laughed to cover the waspishness of her tone.

I turned my head to regard her and rolled my eyes at her outrage. I gazed back out the window and listened with only half my attention as the conversation turned to details about the upcoming party and ball.

"Is it true?" Amelia asked bursting into the relative quiet of the room. "Has the Countess come to stay?" She bounced with excitement as her eyes roamed the room. "Oh goodness." She exclaimed when she finally noticed the Countess. "I'm so very excited to go to your party." She bubbled, "I've never been to one before."

The Countess smiled and patted my sister's hand. "And who might you be?"

Amelia dropped into a curtsy and smiled. "Amelia, Countess." Her excitement brought lightness to the room. "Geraldine and I have become fast friends and I'm very happy to call her sister." Amelia tittered, clearly overcome.

"It is wonderful to hear that Geraldine can finally call someone like you friend and sister." The Countess said with an edge to her voice that made the statement seem like an insult but Amelia just beamed like such things were common place.

Geraldine tensed for a moment and then smiled at my sister and for the first time I saw the way this woman had bewitched my family. I grimaced, if she wanted nothing more than marriage to the future Earl, she would be even more difficult to eradicate.

"Please excuse us." Edith said sometime later. "Had I known we would be having visitors, I would have arranged things differently. But as it is, Amelia and I have business that takes us away."

"Quite alright, dear, all is forgiven." The grandmother said. "I'm sure it can't be avoided."

My mother's look darkened at the tone the Countess addressed her with but left the room with Amelia without comment. It wasn't long after their departure that I wished to have an excuse to leave as well. I was soon to learn that the Countess was as charming as she was young and as subtle as she was kind.