Lady Star (7 page)

“Now hold on a moment. Here you are a London
beau…” Jules offered.

“Up to every rig,” Star interrupted to
add.

“Yes, and dressed to the nines,” Georgina
concurred.

“Definitely, Byronic in demeanor!” Star stuck
in on a laugh. “Won’t the women of Rye swoon?”

“Yes, indeed. If he has a fortune and our Rye
society discovers this? Oh my,” put in Georgina.

Both ladies began to giggle and when Jules
exclaimed, “Right you are!” Sir Edward made an unintelligible
sound.

“I hope you are all enjoying yourselves at my
expense,” Sir Edward said as he pulled a face at the assembled
company. A slow smile forced its way onto his countenance, however,
and Georgie dimpled at him.

“You are a jolly good sport,” Georgina
said.

“Yes, and I hope you will continue to be,
when the mamas of marriageable chits have at you,” Star added.

“And the widows… let us not forget the
widows!” added Georgina.

“Ah, do tell me about the widows.” Sir Edward
could not resist saying and a devilish glint lit his hazel eyes as
he looked directly at Star.

She met his glance and almost caught her
breath. He was of course, being outrageous, but they had goaded him
after all.

“And the lovely Rye debutantes,” she said
softly. “Will no doubt, frighten you to death and send you flying
back to London.”

“Not,” said the victim of these jibes, “if
they are in any way
like you,
Miss Berkley,” he returned
gallantly.

Star laughed and got up to move in his
direction, her hands reaching for his, “Oh, that was sweet and here
we have been anything but. Do not be angry, sir. We really mean no
harm.” His hands had clasped hers and a shudder of sensation swept
through her.

Their eyes met.

Did the world suddenly stop all around her?
Had everyone ceased to exist? Was she alone in a room filled with
stardust? Why, oh why did her knees feel as though they were about
to crumble into dust? What, was happening?

Sir Edward released her hands so sharply that
she was momentarily dumbfounded. His touch had sent rivulets of
sensation scurrying through her to all nerve endings, but before
she was even able to wonder about this, he had dropped her fingers
as though stung by them. Devoid of the capability of logic she
watched him step back with a look of confusion.

“I am very pleased to have been the one to
entertain you,” he said, breaking through the moment. She looked
into his warm hazel eyes and composed herself.

“One day, sir, you will find yourself in the
position to do the same to me and I shall be happy to pay the bill.
It is only fair after all,” Star came back to a sense of self and
managed to answer him softly.

“Fair-minded, are we?” he inclined his head.
“We shall see if that is so, when the time comes.”

She laughed and the conversation moved on to
other things. All this while Star was all too conscious of
everything he said and everything he did. It was as though no other
person in the room existed—
only him.
With his prominent
masculinity and that particular look that came into his eyes when
he happened to glance her way, with…
oh gracious
, she
thought, what was happening to her?

At some point Star and Georgina fell into
feminine conversation. With all of Georgina’s modern and
controversial opinions, she actually enjoyed clothing and fashion.
They put their heads together as Lady Sefton’s Ball was coming up
and they had to plan their wardrobe.

The gentlemen obviously took this as their
cue to leave. The ladies watched them exit and waited for the sound
of the front door closing, before grabbing one another’s hands and
squealing.

Star was the first to actually speak, “What
do you think of them?”

“What I thought when you first introduced me
to Jules Stamford,” Georgina replied with a soft sigh that sounded
wistful to Star. “He is a dear man and quite an exceptional
gentleman.” She eyed Star, “He seems quite taken with you.”

“Does he? I can’t agree with you there. I am
not at all his type. Perhaps he is momentarily diverted because I
am so different than what he is used to. I would never be able to
make him happy. Never mind Jules, what of Sir Edward? What do you
think of him?”

“Ah, now there is a very dashing, handsome
man, but I don’t have his measure yet.”

“He is intriguing though…isn’t he? And all
that stuff about having his heart broken is interesting, isn’t it?
I would have thought
he would be the heartbreaker
.”

“Hmmm, I do agree with you on that, but it
doesn’t matter. Does it?” She touched her friend’s hand, “Star,
don’t be making him out to be some knight in shining armor, because
I am fairly certain,
he is not that.”

“Oh Georgie, when did I ever give you the
impression that I was holding out for a knight in shining armor,
for I am not. I am holding out for love…wherever that might take
me.”

“Widgeon,” pronounced her friend with a
musical laugh.

While the ladies went on about beaus,
clothing, the waltz and the cotillion, the gentlemen made their way
to the stables.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Jules
turned to Sir Edward and asked, “Was she not the most beautiful
creature you have ever seen? So lively, so easy at
conversation.”

“Jules, how can you come out of your blue
devils for a woman you claimed to be in love with and jump right
into the fire for a chip of a girl?”

“Oh well,” Jules shrugged. “I wasn’t in love,
was I? Stands to reason I wasn’t for I didn’t pine overly long, did
I? And Miss Berkley is not a chip of a girl. She is…” he frowned
and stared at his friend.

“Yes, I know, the most beautiful creature in
the world,” Sir Edward said with resignation.

“Don’t you think so? Tell me, Edward, just
what do you think of Miss Berkley?” Jules asked doubtfully.

“You don’t want to know.”

“But I do,” Jules answered on a frown. “I
value your opinion.”

“First of all, you shouldn’t be asking. A man
in love shouldn’t give a fig what another man thinks. Sometimes, to
their detriment. I should have listened to my inner voice and when
I didn’t, I made a terrible mistake and crossed the line, Jules. I
crossed the line.”

Jules eyed him for a moment, “Yes, you did,
but it is over and done with. Now, tell me your true opinion.”

“Right, my opinion shouldn’t matter if she is
who you want. However, since you have asked, I will tell you, I
don’t think she is the sort to make you comfortable. She will lead
you a tiring dance. Yes, she is a beauty, possibly an incomparable
beauty. Her features are perfection, her eyes most…but she is an
imp of a woman, full of mischief. I repeat, you Jules, you would
never be content with such a wife. You say you don’t know yet if
you shall enter Parliament, but I think you shall. You need someone
who shares your interests, for there will be political functions
and you will need a woman who will enjoy being your hostess. You
need a woman who will be pleased to be part of that world. From
what I can tell, Star has no interest in politics.” He saw his
friend about to answer back and put up his hand, “Hold
, you
asked me, I answered and I will tell you another thing, I like Miss
Madison. She is a lovely creature…very full of mystery and
elegance, don’t you agree?”

Dumbfounded, Jules did not deem to answer.
Instead, he stalked off toward the stables putting distance between
himself and his friend. Sir Edward looked after him and shook his
head. Jules was making another mistake if he thought Star Berkley
would make him a good wife. The wayward Berkley chit, lovely to be
sure, was not for such as a man as Jules. Why couldn’t Jules see
that? For the same reason you thought the Lady Babs wanted you to
abduct her and run off…because a man often forgets to think with
his brain when the hard rod in his breeches tries to do the
thinking for him.

Chapter
Six

A DAY HAD passed and Vern, though better, was
still not up and about. His sister had entered his room to find him
propped up against his pillows, looking glum. He eyed her as she
smiled at him and ruefully put down his book and told her, “If I
was just a bit stronger, I think I would hurl this piece of boring
nonsense across the room.”

She laughed, “You should read the book you
gave me…” She pointed, “I left it there for you on your nightstand.
It is funny and romantic and naughty.”

“Female nonsense,” he grimaced with a
wink.

“Not at all. I think you would like it,” she
returned and sighed.

He eyed her for a moment. His sister for all
her country ways and easy style was looking lovelier than ever. She
was his baby sister. It was his duty to see that she had something
of a season, even if it was only here in the country and not in
London as he had hoped. He was inadequate to the task of truly
providing for her and he felt like a fiend. A frown descended over
his face.

“What is it, darling?” she asked for she
immediately saw the change of mood flit over his features.

“The Sefton Ball. I had hoped I would be well
enough and… I see that I am not, but I won’t have you missing it
because I am sick in bed. Can you not go with Georgie and enjoy
yourselves without a chaperone? After all, it is ludicrous that you
two should have to miss it just because you don’t have a
chaperone.”

“Never mind,” Star shook her head, “You know
it would be frowned upon and Georgie’s mother is not up to the
task. We shall stay here with you, play at cards and bother you to
give us a lively time.” She had taken a place on the edge of his
bed and bent forward to touch his arm, “Stop worrying yourself over
it. There will be other balls.”

A breeze soft and warm wafted through his
open window and she said, “Ah, isn’t that lovely—has all the scents
of summer.”

He nodded absently and said, “But Star, what
if…”

“You know, I think I will take my old Butch
and ride over to visit with Georgie and her mother.” She cocked a
brow at him and her dark eyes twinkled. “
If
you can spare
me?”

“I am heartily sick of your ministrations.
Off with you!” he rallied and once again was struck with how dear
she was to him.

“You
will
miss me,” she countered on a
laugh.

“I shall thank the heavens for a few moments
to myself.”

“Then lad, so be it.”

“Yes, but Star, I may have a solution…”

“Later,” she answered and was off.

He watched her go and silently grumbled. He
did not
have a solution. He tried getting up and out of bed
once more. He was able as he had before, to stand and take a tour
of the room, but it swam before his eyes. He wasn’t right yet.
Could he somehow just manage to get to the ball, find a chair and
sit? He had to find a way to get his sister and Georgie to the
ball—he simply had to.

* * *

It didn’t take long for Star to don an old
but pretty pale green riding ensemble, plop a light straw chip
bonnet on her waves of cornsilk hair and make her way to the
stables. It was warm, but her clothes were lightweight and the
breeze was lovely.

Jeffries helped her tack up her horse and a
few moments later saw her taking a shortcut through the woods. It
was a glorious summer day and the air, sweetly scented with
honeysuckle and wild roses was seductive. Star’s imagination was
always at work and she found herself daydreaming happily.

She loved riding and Butch was a reliable old
chestnut gelding who knew exactly where they were going. She didn’t
even have to guide him. He took the deer path through the woods
with ease. She slowed as she approached an oval-shaped pond
ornamented with rich ferns and wildflowers and smiled to
herself.

Beautiful, it was all so beautiful, like
something out of a painting. She watched a mother duck lead her
ducklings into the pond when something, she didn’t know what, made
her turn in her saddle.

Sir Edward astride a large and flashy Gray
came toward her. Her heart began to flutter so wildly that she
almost put a hand to her chest to keep it from taking flight.

She was intimidated and excited all at once.
She was anxious and thrilled. She was…oh my, she was absolutely
losing her mind, she told herself.

“Miss Berkley,” Sir Edward said as he
approached, with an inclination of his handsome head. “Are you
here…alone?”

She heard disapproval in his voice and sat up
straight and defensively. His tone whipped her back into shape and
she found the voice she had been certain was lost, was right back
where it should be. “Hallo, Sir Edward, and yes…I am quite and
thankfully alone.” She eyed him with a challenge, “After all…
I
am
still on Berkley land.” She couldn’t help but notice that he
looked dashing in his dark blue riding coat and pale breeches. His
Hessians were brightly polished, his top hat slightly angled, and
his steed was completely prime. As Star’s love of horses over-rode
all else, she was able to look the animal over with great
admiration and offered, “He…” she said with some show of surprise,
“did not come from Jules’ stable.”

Edward laughed. “No, Prancer is my own. My
staff arrived at Jules’ estate yesterday with my coach and Prancer
in tow. The trip from Brighton was good for him, took off his
edginess. I am afraid he doesn’t much care for London or Brighton.
He likes the wide open.”

“Well, I am in sympathy with him on that
score. He certainly is special. Do you hunt him?”

“With great pleasure.” Sir Edward smiled at
her and his smile for some inexplicable reason brought the heat to
her cheeks. “We hunt the North country—no easy sport there.”

“Meaning the South
--here
is easy?” she
said, her chin up.