Never Land the First Fish

Chapter Twelve, Part 2

"So you will keep Lady Julia on, will you?" Maddox took a seat as soon as Emily did. "It is good of you to do it."

"She does a good job; I see no need to suspend her employment."

"I suspect her father, the marquess, would thank you, were he here."

"I should hope so. Thank you for coming, Lord Maddox. I wish to speak to you about reprising the lecture with the Philharmonic, for perhaps two or three more engagements at the same terms as before. I wish to make the suggestion to Mr. Vandenburg that he sponsor them, but it would be simpler to argue my case if I had your agreement."

"But of course, Miss Kilbrierry. I am in no great rush to any other destination. Was that all you wished to speak of? I do hope not, for I find our conversations fascinating."

Maddox's voice was smooth, almost lyrical. The sound of it affected Emily like a good composition played by a great orchestra: it reverberated. Was he flirting, or was it just the way his voice centered her like a tuning fork?

She felt herself smiling. "No, I am certain we can find more to speak of. For instance, I have been dying to ask. I would very much like a balloon ride, Lord Maddox, should the occasion present itself."

"I think that can be arranged, though I will beg your forbearance on timing."

"You may have any forbearance you'd like if it ends with me riding in a balloon."

Maddox smiled broadly and nodded his assent. "Then I shall accommodate the lady as soon as it can be arranged with my crew."

With that, the butler and footmen entered with the tea things, and sandwiches and cakes, which took some minutes to arrange. Maddox smiled at Emily the whole time, which she was sure made her blush.

When the servants left, she poured tea and passed sandwiches and begged his indulgence in one small additional request. "I am... I am embarrassed to admit it, but my sisters and I bought all your books and shared them among us. We spent many hours talking about them. I am sure I am being too forward, but I've bought new copies and I will ask you to sign them for my sisters and auntie in Brazil. Sharada is here with us and will wish to meet you herself, but she will not think of Kamala and Mausii, so I must put myself forward to ask."

"It seems I can deny you nothing, Miss Kilbrierry. Of course, I will sign as many books as you'd like. These are the simplest of requests. I am capable of much better. In fact, I have a request for you, if you do not mind it. I would like you to come to the opera tonight, if you are free. Gills has taken a box for the Season to try to impress Lady Julia, but the lady is not impressed. He will be pleased to have our company."

That was assuredly flirting. She was far too old for Lord Maddox. What was he playing at?

"Lord Maddox. How very kind of you to offer. I accept." What am I playing at? What am I thinking? "I do hope you can induce Julia to join us. She can wear something from my wardrobe, if need be."

"Gills will do his best, you may be sure, and if I know him, a dress will be part of the bargain."

A throat was cleared just outside the door to the drawing room. Mausaa stepped inside. "I do not wish to intrude when you have a guest, Emily, but I did not want to miss the opportunity to meet the man himself. Lord Maddox, I am Lord Rookscombe; Rook if you'd like. Late of Brazil. I am such a fan of your work. My wife will be green with envy when she hears I've met you."

"So Miss Kilbrierry has been saying. I'm becoming quite self-conscious. Please, call me Maddox."

"You may as well sit, Mausaa, now that you have invited yourself to tea. It is good I had the foresight to order enough for all the people who would assuredly stop in when they heard Lord Maddox was here."

"Did you indeed? That's lovely." Rook took a seat. "What are you talking about then?"

"Miss Kilbrierry has just consented to attend the opera with me this evening."

"Has she? How lucky for you." Rook winked at Maddox. "Emily could have been an opera singer, you know. When it came to it, she chose the violin."

"Mausaa, that's not true. I would have been a good opera singer instead of a great violinist."

"I have heard your greatness and am in awe. Perhaps one day, you will sing for me, too," Maddox said, in that tone that turned her knees to jelly. The flirting was so obvious, Mausaa literally sat up straighter, his attention drawn fully to Maddox, and his countenance not quite so friendly. Emily raised one brow and stared right at the father of her heart. She was 38 years old and did not need his permission to take a lover.

Rook capitulated. He had stopped judging her for her choices years ago. But of course, he had very firm ideas about the appropriate and honorable behavior of English gentlemen, especially as regarded his own daughters. His acceptance of her decision to remain unmarried notwithstanding, he would insert himself if he felt it advisable.

"Ahem" from the doorway announced the arrival of Sharada and Ben, both of whom would embarrass Emily with blatant obsequiousness while Maddox was here, then tease her about his flirting for the next fortnight. And that look on Mausaa's face did not bode well. If he did not relax about Maddox's attentions to Emily, he might make things quite difficult indeed. It might well be time for her to establish her own household in New York, for she was too old to live by her father's rules.

Nevertheless, she would be attending the opera this evening, so she would need to recall Julia to help her dress and hope she could also be convinced to join them all in Lord Joseph's box, for Emily did not relish gossip about being shared by two lords in bed. She would give Julia any gown she wanted from her wardrobe to avoid that. In fact, given what she now knew of Lady Julia, she would make a far more appropriate companion than maid.