Chapter Twelve

A t the dinner which had been pushed back an hour for late-arriving guests, Clarity was seated between the elderly Lord Fenwick and a married man, Lord Branton, whose wife was seated opposite and already round with child. Since that gentleman was distracted, constantly gazing at his adoring wife through the flowered centerpieces, she was free to converse with her parents' old friend.

Lord Fenwick was good company over the fish soup, followed by roast beef and potatoes, and all the way to the sponge cake with cream and strawberry jam drizzle.

Afterward, the ladies retired to the drawing room, able to chat more easily than at dinner across the long table. Each guest had their own tidbits of news to share, be it weddings, births, or deaths in their extended families. Then came the usual discussion of the latest fashions as dictated by the magazines most of them read. Some had even thoughtfully brought copies to pass around.

With utmost politeness, no one spoke of anything too personal in their own lives, especially the single women who would never dream of disclosing if they might be developing a tendre or for whom.

Nevertheless, more than one of the married ladies directed pointed questions toward a blushing Miss Brambury regarding Lord Hollidge, setting Clarity's teeth on edge. The gossip rags of London had made it known they were keeping company even if absolutely nothing scandalous had been detected.

The ton enjoyed a love match among equals, and the disclosure of which sold many papers. If they had not been equals, many more papers would have sold!

About halfway through a tedious discussion of whether the mineral waters at Bath were really good for one's health, with Alex's aunt coming down firmly on the side of yea, and another woman, a young wife, being just as firmly of the opinion that it was not, Clarity realized Purity was attempting to catch her eye.

Giving her sister her full attention, she watched Purity gesture with a lift of her head while wrinkling her nose. Clarity knew the signal, rose to her feet, and excused herself before exiting the room. She waited on the stairs, and soon, her sister came out to join her.

"Don't tell me," Clarity guessed. "You were unimpressed with your dining partner."

Purity had been seated next to Lord Kilbey, a titled bachelor whom her brother had invited. Only a little younger than Purity but worlds less mature, he'd probably been repeatedly chastised over some perceived failing in etiquette.

"Indubitably," Purity said. "It was like dining with a boy who ought to still wear leading strings."

Clarity laughed until her sister pierced her with eyes that were the mirror of her own.

"But this isn't about me. It is about you."

"Me?" Clarity asked. "What did I do now?"

"Don't you blink those innocent eyes at me, sister dear. Why were you all ‘Alex this' and ‘Alex that,' during the afternoon reception, knowing it is not done? If I didn't know better, which I do, I would think you were trying to get under Miss Brambury's perfect creamy skin. And why would you be doing that?"

Clarity opened her mouth, but her sister filled in the answer.

"I'll tell you why. Because you don't think she's good enough for your old friend. But you must let Hollidge make his own choices and above all be gracious to our guests."

With those sound words of advice, Purity returned to the drawing room, and Clarity had no choice but to follow.

In a short time, the men rejoined them.

"Was everything satisfactory?" Lady Diamond asked the male guests, most of whom now wafted the nutty, earthy aroma of cigar smoke.

"Perfectly satisfying," came murmurs of approval.

"Diamond's port was as smooth and buttery as ... well, as butter," declared one chap who'd perhaps had a glass too many.

Then her mother rose from her chair. "Dear guests, I am aware many of you traveled long distances to come, and my husband and I are grateful." She glanced at Clarity's father, who made a good show of appearing grateful.

Clarity caught Adam's eye, and he nearly started to laugh. They both knew their father would be as happy, if not more so, for a peaceful fortnight in the country without a single guest in sight.

"Therefore," Lady Diamond continued when it was obvious her husband wasn't going to perjure himself with an effusive welcome, "I am going to make the mildest of suggestions on how to pass an amusing hour or two before we have a light supper and go to bed early." She cleared her throat. "Would anyone care to play charades?"

There were more claps and yeas than groans and nays. Thus, in short order, the evening's entertainment was decided.

"Please feel free to watch if you don't wish to play," she added graciously.

"Or if you think you shall be beaten soundly," Brilliance Diamond spoke up for the first time in hours.

With that challenge from such a young person, all the adults rallied to play.

"Acted charades or riddles?" asked Adam's friend, Lord Kilbey.

"Both," said Lady Diamond, "until we grow weary of each. I've taken the liberty of creating teams." Then her mother grouped people, being certain to mix up the married couples and also the singles.

To Clarity's delight, instead of Alex being partnered with Miss Brambury, he was on her team, along with one each of her parents' male and female married friends, Lord Trent and Lady Fenwick, who had a special grandmotherly relationship with Clarity. The dear woman had even brought Clarity a stack of thick colored paper for folding and another slim volume upon the same subject. Her enjoyment of the game had increased tenfold.

"I am thinking of a number between one and fifty," her father said. "Each team must pick a number and the closest will go first. After that, we shall continue clockwise if the team doesn't guess correctly."

"Pick the number five," Clarity suggested to Alex, who'd been named their team's leader.

"Why?"

"Because he loves his five children."

Perhaps because he thought she was cheating, he chose twelve. When the winning number turned out to be five, guessed by Purity's group, Clarity glared at him. He didn't care in the least and only shrugged.

Her sister's team went first and easily solved the well-known riddle, read by Lord Kilbey:

"My first doth affliction denote,

Which my second is destin'd to feel.

And my whole is the best antidote

That affliction to soften and heal."

People clapped and whistled to distract, but Purity calmly said, "The answer is ‘woman'."

However, their next charade was for three of the four to act out The Fall of the House of Usher . No matter how many times Lord Kilbey and Lord Branton, whose expectant wife was in Adam's group, fell to the floor amidst much laughter, Purity and Lady Aston, who was the fourth member, could not guess.

Clarity's team also had a riddle to begin with, and she was allowed to ask it.

"When is nine plus nine equal to six?"

"Absurd," someone called out. "The math of a lunatic."

People laughed.

"Give us a chance," Clarity said.

Hoping it wasn't cheating, she looked directly at Alex, who seemed to be pondering, and she moved her eyes, left to right and back, like the pendulum of the longcase clock in the front hall.

When they were children, it was an easy signal to indicate silently it was time to vacate a room or ask to be excused from the table to go have fun.

His eyes widened in response.

"Repeat the clue," he ordered. And she did.

The others on their team remained silent, mystified until Alex said, "Add nine hours to nine o'clock and you get six o'clock, so the answer, Lady Clarity, is a clock."

"Indeed," she said, and people clapped their approval.

Their next charade was a tableau vivant , or living picture. The two older team members nominated Alex and Clarity to perform for them.

Looking at the slip of paper in her mother's handwriting, she saw three words: The balcony scene .

Her cheeks warmed. Showing it to Alex, since they weren't allowed to speak, she saw him react with the merest hint of his jaw clenching. When he looked at her, she saw a resolute determination to win.

Dragging the chair he'd vacated to the front of their group, he turned it to face the guests. Then he offered Clarity his hand and assisted her to step onto the chair. She hoped her mother didn't mind her feet on the furniture.

Glancing over, she saw Lady Diamond smiling softly to herself. Apparently, she would enjoy the spectacle of her daughter playing the famed Juliet.

Thinking how best to mime the balcony, Clarity pretended to lean her forearms on an invisible railing and then rested her chin on one of her hands. It was a little awkward, and if she leaned over any farther, she might pitch forward onto the laps of her team members.

Getting into position, Alex went down on one knee and gazed up at her, then for added effect, extended his arms upward and looked at her adoringly.

"Romeo and Juliet," said Lady Fenwick at once.

"More specific," called out Lady Diamond, adhering to the rules to make it harder.

"The balcony scene," added Lord Trent, who was Clarity's father's close friend from school.

The clapping began in earnest.

"I object," Lady Aston said, and the clapping trailed off. "There was no balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet as written by the Bard."

An awkward silence ensued. It was only a parlor game, and they had succeeded brilliantly.

"But everyone knows it as such, Aunt Elizabeth," Alex said, breaking character and rising to his feet.

Clarity stood straight because her back was starting to ache, holding her pose.

"Your nephew is right," she chimed in. "From Otway's first staging to Garrick's famous revival, we all think of it as ‘the balcony scene.' Besides, that's what was on the paper."

"Well, it is wrong, and the point should be deducted," Lady Aston insisted.

"I am afraid it is my fault," Lady Diamond said. "I assumed most people saw the play performed on stage rather than reading it."

"Hm!" Lady Aston said. Perhaps realizing she was arguing with the hostess and a countess at that, she suddenly sighed. "You are right, of course. Bravo to my nephew and your daughter."

With that mishap averted, they reached for their next charade, this time another riddle that none of them could guess no matter how hard Lord Trent tried. The answer was a hat, which made Clarity laugh at the simplicity that eluded them, although Alex looked disgruntled at losing.

Miss Brambury and Adam's group went next, along with Lord Fenwick and Lady Trent. They began with an easy one they'd all heard before, which Clarity thought seemed a bit like cheating.

Rolling her eyes as her brother began to speak, she crossed her arms and waited.

"A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid. What is it?"

The other two on the team looked at Miss Brambury, who made a great show of puzzling it out before saying, "I believe the answer is an egg."

Everyone clapped. However, they lost on the next one.

The turns continued with Lady Diamond's group, which also contained Lord Brennon, gaining three points and beating Clarity's.

Before they knew it, it was time for tea or coffee, and then the guests broke into groups for cards or chess, or merely sitting and chatting. There would be no more organized events that night as people were feeling increasingly weary.

At ten, the announcement of a light supper was welcomed, as was the sparkling champagne that accompanied it. Afterward, people happily went to their rooms, almost floating on the good will and the bubbling French wine. No one would ever say the Diamonds couldn't throw a good house party.

Clarity and her family stayed up until all their guests were settled and then bid each other goodnight. Ray and Bri had long since disappeared with some of the fashion magazines and were probably fast asleep. Purity and Clarity went arm-in-arm up the stairs.

"I'm glad this is only three nights and four days," Purity said. "It's a little taxing."

Clarity couldn't help laughing. "No, it's not. It is all good fun, and you need to relax and remember that Mother and Father are the hosts. Don't try to take it on, dear sister, and have it rest upon your shoulders."

"You're right. Tomorrow, I shall endeavor not to worry if we have perfectly even numbers for the games or if each person gets a new partner for dinner."

"That's a start," Clarity said. And she kissed her sister's cheek and watched her close her bedroom door. Her own room was directly next to it, but then she remembered Lady Fenwick's book and folding paper. If she left it lying around, one of the guests might easily take it to his or her room for an interesting read or help themselves to her folding paper as if it were stationery.

"Drat!" In two shakes of a lamb's tail, she was back downstairs, recalling she'd set the bundle down on the round table in the main drawing room. Fortunately, it was still where she'd left it.

However, as she retrieved her gifts, she heard someone nearby in the adjacent salon. Not expecting to hear footsteps, when she did, she assumed it was her father or Adam.

What other male would be prowling after hours?

"Greetings," Alex said, coming into view through the open doorway.