The Darcy Code Read Free Page B

have been horrified if she had known what her parents were saying, for surely Mr. Standish was simply waiting for the right moment to make his proposals. Why should he not? He danced attendance upon her, he sent her posies and Henrietta, when she could spare attention from her own courtship, warned her that she was setting tongues wagging, that if she truly believed he was going to propose, then the sooner the better. "People are talking, they say it is too bad of him, that it will be like Amelia all over again, he will drop you and you will go into a decline. My mama says that even Mr. Vere, who has no interest in gossip, has mentioned that he goes too far. Mr. Standish works for Mr. Vere, you know."
    "Oh, what an objectionable man that Mr. Vere is. He dislikes my friendship with Mr. Standish; you should see how he looks at me when I'm dancing with him. He stands by, looking down that haughty nose of his." Anna, dressed for a ball in a gown of pink gauze, shrugged a white shoulder. "I care nothing for that man, he may disapprove of me as much as he pleases. I love Mr. Standish, and I'm sure that he feels all the most tender passion for me that any young woman could wish for."
    She danced till dawn at the ball and came home in a dream, tumbling into bed with the first light of the morning, reliving that ecstatic moment when Mr. Standish had drawn her to a secluded vestibule and kissed her, his lips caressing hers in such way that she felt overwhelmed with passion for him. Yet, she reflected when she woke much later in the day, despite that, despite his words of love, still no proposal had been made. Why was he holding back? He loved her, there could be no objection to the match on grounds of family or fortune; oh, why did he not say the words?
    That evening she was going to a ball with both Mama and Papa and she dressed for it with especial care. The ball at Langthorpe House would be one of the most important of the season, all her friends would be there, everyone who was anyone would be there. Most important of all, she knew Mr. Standish would be among the guests, because he had mentioned it to her.
    In her best looks, full of expectation and excitement, Anna skipped out of the house and into the carriage where her father and mother were awaiting her. They were to dine at Langthorpe House before the ball, and Anna was eager to know who would be there.
    Her father pursed his lips. "Do not expect to find many of your young friends at dinner, for mostly they will be older people, of a political bent. It is civil of them to ask you to dine before the ball, and it is only because Lord Langthorpe is a connection of ours that you have been invited."
    This slightly dampened Anna's spirits, although Papa father always a severe gloss on everything. But when she was announced with her mother and father and went into the great drawing room, a blaze of candlelight, and looked around to see which of her particular friends were there, she was dismayed to see none of them. In fact, the only person who appeared to be anywhere near her own age was Cousin Freddie. He was a distant cousin, and a young man who, although of pleasing looks and agreeable manners, was inclined to be rather more attentive to her than she cared for. However, this evening she was glad to see him as he came over to her with a smile and a graceful bow.
    She looked around her and whispered to Freddie that she hardly knew a soul there. Inwardly she said, Where is Mr. Standish?
    He was announced, he came in, and unable to restrain herself, her eyes flew to him and her heart leapt in her bosom.
    "Devilish handsome fellow, Standish," Freddie observed seeing where her eyes were focused. "Devil of a one with the ladies too."
    Why did he not come over to her, had he not seen her? Now he was standing over by one of the tall windows, in conversation with that disagreeable Mr. Vere. Both of them looked her way for a moment, but Mr. Standish didn't smile, didn't even acknowledge her