The Consolation Prize (Brides of Karadok #3) - Alice Coldbreath Page 0,68

and then the meal was over and done with.

After supper, the servants started to industriously tidy away. Una managed to tell Mr. Beverley that he had surpassed himself and Armand’s family trooped up to the solar.

Armand cast his eyes heavenward. “We’re not done yet”, he murmured, and led her up the stairs to join them there.

As Una stepped over the threshold, she heard Muriel making disparaging comments about the state of the tapestries and she winced inwardly for though she and Rose had shaken and beaten them, it had not improved their murky green appearance one bit.

“Oh,” said Armand nonchalantly. “You needn’t worry about those old things for we mean to tear them down and consign them to a dung heap. We’ll have new tapestries all round,” he announced, to the sharply indrawn breaths of Henry and Muriel.

Una could only suppose that he was deliberately baiting them, for now she came to think of it, she was sure that he had previously described Henry as a miser and clearly his wife also had something of a mania for economy.

Armand led her to a two-seated bench and drew her down beside him, his arm sliding about her waist once more. “And now, music,” he said extravagantly. “Will you entertain us, dear sister-in-law, with a song?” Muriel pressed her pale lips together and folded her thin hands in her lap. She was dressed in the fashion of at least a decade ago, with a large pointed wimple and velvet hood that covered her hair completely. Her little face looked quite swamped beneath the huge headdress.

“No?” continued Armand in mock disappointment. “Well then, I suppose we must not be greedy. After all you have been entertaining us with your voice all evening.”

Roger let out a guffaw, which he hastily stifled by pressing the back of his hand to his mouth.

“Armand,” said his father warningly.

“I could ask Rose to come up and play the harp for our entertainment,” Una suggested. “She is a most obliging girl and—”

“I think not,” said Sir Hugo, cutting across her words coldly.

“Father,” Armand said in the same warning tone his sire had used only moments before. They stared at one another a moment.

“I apologize,” said Sir Hugo stiffly. “I forgot where I was for a moment.” He rose jerkily from his seat. “I think it is high time that we departed. Henry, Roger.” The other two rose and Henry crossed to where his wife sat rigid-backed, to offer her his hand before hauling her out of the chair.

“Thank the gods for small mercies,” Armand murmured, before wishing them a cheery goodnight.

8

“Do you suppose Henry’s wife has a bad back?” Una asked later, as she sat on the edge of the bed and braided her hair.

“What’s that?” Armand lowered his razor and glanced over at her. He had been reflecting on the fact their bedroom fire had not been lit, despite the evening going off cold.

“I just wondered …,” she trailed off. “I suppose they must have heard from someone in the village that you were home.” Suddenly, she gave a suppressed wail and dropped her face into her hands.

“What is it?” he asked with alarm.

“I wish I had not made such a horrible impression on your family!” she said through her fingers. “I was awful!”

Armand gave a soft laugh. “You weren’t anywhere near as bad as they were.” He set down his razor and wiped his face. “How are you feeling now?” he asked, blowing out the candle on the table and approaching the bed.

“A lot better,” she sighed.

“Good.” He pulled back the bed covers and climbed in, eying her back as she tied the ribbon at the end of her braid. Then she swung it over her back and blew out her candle, joining him in the bed.

They were both silent laying side by side, the only sound their breathing, except for some scuffling under the cabinet, which he hoped was her dog and not a rat. “Are you doing your trick to take the edge off a cold bed?” he asked casually.

He heard her turn her head toward him. “Are you cold? I did not think to remind Rose to light the fires,” she said regretfully.

He grunted. “It will be a good thing when that new housekeeper starts. Maybe she can keep her in line.”

Una was silent at this and he found himself going over the evening in his mind’s eye. His father hadn’t changed one bit, still a stiff-rumped, disapproving, old buzzard. The least said about