Chapter 10

A PARTY ALREADY? Gabrielle hadn't yet had a chance to relax since she'd arrived at the Malory townhouse. Her nervousness might have decreased a bit during her talk with James and Georgina Malory, but it hadn't dissipated completely. And she was expected to attend a party tonight?

After she'd been shown to a room upstairs, she'd done nothing but pace until Margery had arrived a few hours later. The housekeeper had elected to stay behind at the inn when they couldn't find a carriage big enough to accommodate all of them that morning, and to come over later with the baggage and Miss Carla.

She missed Ohr and Richard already. They hadn't intended to stay in the same house with her, merely to make sure she was welcome. But Malory had made it clear they weren't welcome. Her friends wouldn't be deserting her entirely, though, just the neighborhood. The original plan included their waiting in England until Nathan arrived, since it was quite possible he'd be on his way to join them before they got back to the Caribbean, so they were going to rent a flat near the docks where they could watch for The Crusty Jewel 's arrival. She'd guessed her father had simply ordered them to remain here to keep an eye on her.

Her father took care of incidentals like that without telling her, though she usually found out. His overprotective nature had been a surprise to her, had even included having reports sent to him regularly over the years about her progress and activities as she was growing up. Her mother's gardener had been in Nathan's pay. No wonder that old man had always questioned her extensively about what she was up to!

When Nathan had fessed up about the gardener, she'd realized he must have also been informed about her mother's affair with Albert. He didn't say so, and she certainly didn't mention it, but she'd felt bad for months, thinking about it, and had a feeling that his parrot hadn't been taught derogatory remarks about Carla until after her father had knowledge of her mother's unfaithfulness.

Georgina Malory came up with Margery when she arrived, to tell Gabrielle they would be attending a soiree that night being given by her niece by marriage. "I wasn't intending to go," the lady admitted. "Regina has so many parties when she's in London that I don't feel the need to attend more'n a few of them. But as it happens my brothers Drew and Boyd are both in town for a visit and would make fine escorts. So it occurred to me that this will be the perfect opportunity for you to get your feet wet, as it were. So we'll go."

Gabrielle would have preferred to keep her feet dry, but she wasn't rude enough to say so. She had several perfect excuses to decline, such as no suitable wardrobe yet and exhaustion from her trip, but she didn't use them. She'd already inconvenienced this nice lady with her presence, which had forced Georgina to cancel her own plans. She was determined not to disrupt her plans in any other way.

"Your brothers don't live in London?" she asked.

"London? Goodness, no, not even in England. In fact, while our family home might be in Connecticut, you could say all five of my brothers actually live at sea. My family owns Skylark Shipping, you see, and each of my brothers commands his own vessel."

Sailors, Gabrielle thought with some amusement. She couldn't get away from them even in England. But at least these two from Georgina's family were only visiting. And she might even like them. She'd never marry one, but she did have a lot in common with sailors, after all.

"About the party tonight," Gabrielle said. "I have one dress that would be appropriate, but I'm going to need to visit a seamstress tomorrow. I've brought the funds with me for a wardrobe for the Season, so I really should get started on that right away."

"I agree, and you needn't wait until tomorrow. I'll send for mine today. She's very good at producing miracles on short notice."

"That would be wonderful," Gabrielle allowed. "I'll just need to know how many ball gowns I should order. Can you hazard a guess?"

"A half dozen at least."

Gabrielle blinked and gasped out, "That many this late in the Season?"

"Oh, yes," Georgina said with a roll of her eyes. "It's due to the competition among the ladies who typically host these gatherings. If one of them outdoes another who's already given her ball, then she simply must give yet another ball to get back in the lead of who's ball was the best of the Season. It's all quite silly in my opinion, but it's why we get deluged with so many invitations near the end of summer. By the by, why did you wait so long to come to London? There are only a few weeks left of the bigger gatherings. You do realize that many of the best eligible bachelors will already have made their choices and be committed?"

Gabrielle nodded and added, "I'd be surprised if the pickings weren't thin. The timing wasn't by choice, it was merely my father suddenly realizing that I'm long overdue in getting this done and sending me off posthaste."

Georgina chuckled. "Getting this done? That's a rather unique way of looking at it."

Gabrielle grinned. "Well, to be honest, coming here wasn't my idea. I would have preferred to find a husband at home in the islands. But I'm rather excited about this now that I'm here. I just hope that I can persuade whomever I do marry to at least take me back to the Caribbean occasionally. I know I'm going to miss my father dreadfully if I only see him rarely like before."

"Before?"

"I missed out on his presence while growing up. I lived here with my mother; he works out of the West Indies. It was very rare that he came to visit us."

"Ah, that explains it, why your diction is so cultured. So you actually grew up here in England?"

"Yes, near Brighton. My mother would have seen to my being launched into society. She knew all the right people. But she died when I was seventeen, so I went to live with my father. He didn't explain this in the letter?"

"No, he didn't mention your background at all."

"Good grief, you've taken me in without even knowing that my credentials are up to snuff? You're too kind, Lady Malory."

Georgina laughed. "No, I'm an American. We don't put much stock in titles where I come from, so please don't use the one my husband saddled me with. If I could get rid of it without getting rid of him, you can be sure I would."

Gabrielle wasn't surprised. She'd met enough Americans in the Caribbean to know that they preferred to stand on their own merits, not those of their ancestors. But in England people took bloodlines much more seriously, at least the nobility did, especially when it came to marriage.

Before she could reassure the lady, Margery glanced up from her unpacking to volunteer, "She's got a couple earls she can dig out of the pantry."

Gabrielle blushed to hear it put that way, but felt it prudent to add, "Several generations removed, so I have no title. But then I'm not looking for a title either."

"But you wouldn't turn one down if it comes to that?"

"No, of course not."

Georgina grinned. "I only asked because I would have."

"But you didn't."

"Only because I was already married before I found out James has a title!"

Gabrielle didn't know whether to commiserate with Georgina or congratulate her, but Miss Carla saved her from remarking on it when Margery moved her cage off of the next trunk she was about to open, and the bird squawked, "Lemme out, lemme out!"

Georgina gasped and said, "Is that what I think it is?"

Gabrielle decided to uncover the cage so the lady could see for herself. It was better to be forewarned anyway, because the parrot could be quite loud, and she didn't want anyone breaking down her door to find out what the racket was. But the oddest thing about parrots was that women found it hard to resist talking to them, and Georgina Malory was no different. She came over to the cage to examine Miss Carla and immediately started saying hello to her.

"Dumb bird," the parrot replied.

Gabrielle's cheeks went up in flames, but Georgina burst out laughing and said, "That was amazing. Does it say anything else?"

"Too much," Gabrielle mumbled. "She belonged to my father. He gave her to me after I got attached to her, but he'd already taught her some outlandish phrases, all of which are too embarrassing to mention."

Georgina raised a brow. "Too vulgar for young ears?"

"I would say very much so."

The lady sighed. "Well, that's too bad. I would have suggested you bring her downstairs occasionally to amuse my family, but my oldest daughter is only seven and too impressionable. She already hears more than she should from the men in this family."

"I'll try to keep her quiet."

Georgina chuckled. "And I'll try to keep Jack from investigating."

"Jack?"

"My daughter Jacqueline."

"Ah, I see."

"No, you don't, but then nobody understands my husband's propensity to give the females he's fondest of unusual nicknames."

"Not unusual, George," James said from the open doorway. "Just names that no one else would consider. Now come along and let the girl get settled. She'll want to rest before you drag her off to Regan's tonight."

"Regan?"

"Another one of those names, this one for his favorite niece, Regina," Georgina explained, then added with a frown, "Do you need to rest?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Good, then expect the seamstress within the hour. I'll send for her now."