The Heir - Catherine Coulter [122]
“So, it’s like that, is it?”
The earl disliked that gleam in Suzanne Talgarth’s lovely eyes. The minx wasn’t a dolt, not at all. “Yes,” he said, flicking a piece of lint from his sleeve, “it is. Behold a reformed man. As for my wife, who can possibly say? I daresay it will be a mystery that will tantalize me for the remainder of my days. Now, what is your invitation?”
“Such a pity that I did not meet you first, my lord.”
“Suzanne,” Arabella said, “I will cosh you into the carpet if you don’t get to the point. Just look at your dear mama. She wants to issue an invitation yet you won’t stop talking long enough to let her.”
“I have always believed you were a baggage, Miss Talgarth,” the earl said.
Lady Talgarth cleared her throat. Her massive bosom trembled. “We are here,” she said in a ringing voice, “to invite you to a card party tonight, with dancing naturally for the young people. Even though you and Arabella are married, you must still be considered young, so I imagine that you would enjoy dancing. As for you, my dear Ann, I suppose that you must come also. Dr. Branyon as well. He is my husband’s physician, as you know. Hector thinks highly of him. Yes, he must attend as well, there is no hope for it, no matter what one would wish. However, there is no call for you to dance, since you are a mother of a grown woman and a fairly recent widow.”
“No indeed,” Lady Ann said without hesitation. “What a wonderful idea. Why, I do believe, dear Aurelia, that you can give me advice on my wedding trousseau.”
“I would know nothing of such things.”
“Mama, of course you would. Did you not wed Papa before you birthed me?”
“Suzanne! Mind your tongue or I will tell your father!”
“Do tell him in front of Lord Graybourn, all right? Please, Mama?”
When the earl led Lady Talgarth to the carriage, Arabella tugged at Suzanne’s sleeve. “However did you bring your mother around?”
“Well, it wasn’t difficult at all, Bella. Papa and Dr. Branyon have been friends for too many years to allow such silliness to sour their acquaintance. Of course, I slipped in that Dr. Branyon was, after all, her doctor as well. ‘Why, Mama,’ I said, ‘whatever would happen if you became ill? Why, there would be no one about to prescribe for you. After all, you could not expect Dr. Branyon to want to see you fit and well if you insulted his lady wife, now would you?’ She quite came around at that point. Am I not a veritable Socrates? Or do I want to be a Solomon? It is difficult, these sorts of decisions. And these were men, after all. What could they possibly know?”
Arabella just stared at her lifelong friend. “You terrify me, Suzanne. That was just excellent.”
“Well, Mama doesn’t want to be ostracized, you know. She isn’t stupid. She will come around completely once Lady Ann does the deed.”
Then it struck her. A card party with dancing would be perfect. It was the comte’s last evening here. What better way to keep him from Elsbeth?
Suzanne kissed Arabella quickly on the cheek, then turned to the earl. She smiled at him pertly, then held out her hand.
The earl looked faintly amused. He took her hand and carried it to his lips. He said, “Do not wed Lord Graybourn, Miss Talgarth. You would send the poor fellow stuttering off a cliff. No, you need a gentleman who will beat you daily and tell you jests. You must also remember that Arabella is as fierce as a tiger. If you continue with your outrageous remarks, she just might challenge you to a duel. She is very accomplished, Miss Talgarth. I am a caring fellow. I warn you for your own good.”
Suzanne tossed her blond curls and smiled impishly at Arabella. “Oh, Bella is far too certain of her own accomplishments to ever be concerned about mine. She would never hurt me, she would see no need. She would just laugh and tell me to hie myself off to buy a new pair of gloves.”
Suzanne gave a trill of laughter and moved with Arabella to the door. She confided in a carrying voice, “Do you know that Mama absolutely refused to allow