The Waltzing Widow Read Free Page A

slackened grasp. She pretended not to notice either of their flushed faces. “Oh, it is you, Colin. I am happy to see you, as always. How does your dear mama?” She advanced toward him smiling, her hand held out to him.
    The young gentleman, who was dressed in riding clothes, awkwardly took her hand and sketched a bow. “Mama is much better, thank you, Lady Mary."
    "I am happy to hear it. Influenza is such a particularly fatiguing ailment. But I expect we shall soon see Mrs. Rollings to be her usual self again,” Lady Mary said. She seated herself beside her unusually quiet daughter. She chose to ignore Abigail's swift wondering glance. “We were just about to take tea. I hope that you will join us, Colin.” As she spoke, the butler entered with the tea tray and set it down on the occasional table before her. She thanked him quietly.
    "No ... no, that is to say, Mama must have been expecting me back long since. I but stopped to ... to pay my respects to yourself and Miss Spence, my lady,” Colin stammered. He appeared extremely uncomfortable and cleared his throat.
    Lady Mary calmly nodded her understanding, betraying nothing of the amusement she felt. “Of course. We must not keep you, then. Pray give my regards to your mother. I shall make a point of calling on her in the next few days,'’ she said, once more holding out her hand to him.
    He took it, mumbling his excuses before turning to Abigail. Faced with her gleaming eyes and lovely countenance, Colin swallowed hard. His voice was hoarse as he took a lengthier leave of her. With one last anguished glance cast in Abigail's direction, Colin exited the drawing room.
    When the door closed behind him, Abigail let out her breath on an exasperated sigh. "Thank you. Mama. Before you came in, I did not know what I was to do. You have no notion what a cake Colin was making of himself."
    "Of course I do,” Lady Mary said. She gestured for her daughter to pour the tea. “That boy has been head over heels in love with you for months. I am not at all astonished that he was at last able to screw up his courage enough to make an offer for you."
    "You heard! Oh, how glad I am that you did not say anything. It was such an embarrassing moment in any event, and I most certainly would have laughed if Colin had turned one shade redder,” Abigail said, handing her mother a saucered cup. “Mama, I have known Colin Rollings simply forever. I do not understand why he should suddenly take it into his head that I would make him a good wife."
    "My dear daughter, have you looked in the mirror today?” Lady Mary asked with a gathering twinkle in her gray eyes.
    "Of course I have,” Abigail said. She blushed when her mother laughed at her. “Oh, you know what I meant, Mama. But Colin—he has seen me every day of our lives, except when he was away at school and this last time that I spent visiting with Grandpapa and Grandmama in London. Colin has always known what I look like, but he never paid the least attention to me until now."
    "You forget that you have changed considerably in the last few months, Abigail,” Lady Mary said.
    Abigail instinctively glanced down at herself, and a slow satisfied smile curved her lips. “I have gotten my figure, haven't I, Mama? And it is quite a nice one, too."
    "Really, Abigail, your vanity seems to have kept pace with your increase in dress size. Yes, my dear, your figure is very nice and you have a lovely face as well. And that pretty package is what has Colin completely bowled out.” She saw that her daughter was immensely pleased with herself and she shook her head. “What was that Colin was saying about the army just before I entered?"
    Abigail brushed aside her query. “Oh, that. Colin swore that if I refused to marry him, then he would run away to the army and I would never see him again. Such stuff! It was all nonsense, of course."
    "So I should hope. I do not like to think what Mrs. Rollings’ feelings would be if Colin were actually to