My Favorite Major (Heroes Returned Book 1) (5 page)

“
Good.” Clayworth breathed a sigh of relief. “She has been in Caroline Staveley’s pocket the last little while, and though I adore the viscountess, I’d rather not have the lady’s proclivity for interfering in other’s lives rub off on my wife.”

Philip chuckled. He couldn’t help it. Didn’t the man know his wife at all? “I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Clayworth, but Cordie has always had that proclivity.”

“
Don’t I know it? But Lady Staveley is much worse, Major. You may take my word for it. No one I’ve ever met can go toe-to-toe with her, and I’d rather not have the lady tutoring Cordie in that regard. I can’t imagine living through the turmoil Caroline has put poor Staveley through over the years.”

Philip didn’t give one whit about Lady Staveley or her beleaguered husband, but the pretty blonde, laughing at whatever inanity Russell had just uttered, was an entirely different matter. “How long will Miss Pritchard be in Town?”

The earl looked out across the crowded ballroom and frowned when his eyes settled on his cousin. “As long as she needs to, I suppose.”

As long as she needs to? What was that supposed to mean? Philip was just about to ask when Cordie approached the pair, grinning like the cat who ate the cream.

“
Well, if it isn’t my two favorite gentlemen in all of London.”

Clayworth laughed. “You’d better hope your brothers don’t hear you say that.”

She rolled her eyes. “As Tristan didn’t even bother to show up this evening and Russell is…well,
Russell,
I don’t really care if either of them hears me at all.”

“
Well, I won’t tell Gregory you said it either when I head home.” Philip smiled at her.

Cordie scoffed. “As though he’d care. He never comes to Town as it is, so he could never be one of my favorite gentlemen
in
Town, now could he?”

“
I hadn’t thought of it that way. You do have a point,” Philip agreed.

“
Don’t encourage her,” Clayworth muttered, though the grin he flashed his wife belied his words. “Besides, you should only have
one
favorite gentleman, Cordelia,
in
Town or otherwise. I don’t know where you got the idea it was all right to have two of them.”

Love and complete adoration radiated from Cordie as she gazed at her husband. “I think you should be quite unfashionable, Brendan.”

“
Unfashionable?” Clayworth frowned.

“
Hmm. I think you should actually dance with your wife for the next set.”

“
What a wonderful idea,
mon minoche.
” He lifted his hand out to her. “Will you do me the honors, Lady Clayworth?”

“
It will be my greatest pleasure, Lord Clayworth.”

Somehow Philip managed not to gag. No matter how much he adored both Cordie and her husband individually, they could turn a man’s stomach when they were together.

At that moment, the waltz ended and Clayworth began to lead his wife towards the dance floor. “Oh, Philip,” Cordie said over her shoulder, “we are headed to Drury Lane tomorrow night. Will you still be in Town?”

He shouldn’t be here now. He
should
have already started for Papplewick, but he caught sight of Russell and Miss Pritchard headed in his direction. “Drury Lane?”

“
Henry V,” Cordie replied, waiting for his answer.

Wonderful! An entire play about the Battle of Agincourt. Philip grimaced. He’d seen enough war to fill a hundred lifetimes.

With Miss Pritchard on his arm, Russell grinned from just a few feet away. “You aren’t attending the theatre, are you, Moore?”

“
Are
you
?” Philip returned.

His friend nodded. “Of course. I’ve always loved the Bard.” Then he smirked at Miss Pritchard. “Just wait ‘til you see Clayworth’s box, Amelia. Best seats in the house.”

Amelia?
Since when had the pair become so intimate they were using the other’s first name? Philip’s eyes sought out Miss Pritchard’s light blue ones. She looked as innocent as a lamb headed to slaughter, which was precisely what Russell would do if given the chance.

Philip heaved a sigh. “I’m certain we’ll have a grand time.”

Russell’s brow rose in surprise. “I thought Leverton Park awaited you.”

“
One more night in London won’t kill me.”

His friend laughed. “First time I’ve ever heard you say that.”

Indeed, it was the first time Philip had ever muttered such a thing.

Just then, a fellow Philip didn’t know approached the trio and dipped his head in Miss Pritchard’s direction. “I believe this is my dance.”

“
Yes, of course, my lord.” She smiled as she stepped towards him and accepted the man’s proffered hand. Then they started for the dance floor.

“
Who is that?” Philip asked under his breath.

“
Clifton.” Russell grimaced.

Philip didn’t even know the name. Why was Russell scowling at the man? Was it jealousy? He’d never seen Russell jealous of anyone. Was such a thing even possible? “She’s a substandard kisser, huh?”

Russell scoffed as he glanced across the room. “Speaking of kissing, I really should claim Miss Dewhurst. My name is on her card for this set.”

And within the blink of an eye, Philip was all alone on the edge of the ballroom, leaning on his cane for support. His eyes strayed back to Miss Pritchard and Lord Clifton, whoever the devil he was, dancing a lively quadrille. A pretty pink colored her cheeks as she giggled, making her seem full of life, and Philip couldn’t help but sigh. Even before his injury, he’d never been one for dancing, but watching Miss Pritchard twirl on Clifton’s arm made him think that dancing with her might actually be enjoyable. Well, for someone who was capable of dancing, anyway.

“
Cordelia darling!” gushed a lady with golden brown hair, who could only be Lady Staveley, as they had just entered the viscountess’ blue parlor.

Though Amelia had never met the widely esteemed Lady Staveley, she had heard quite a bit about the woman ever since her arrival in London. The mere mention of her ladyship’s name made grown men cower in fear. What a wonderful trait to possess.

Lady Staveley kissed both of Cordie’s cheeks, then she turned her hazel gaze on Amelia. “You must be Miss Pritchard.”

“
Caroline Staveley, Amelia Pritchard,” Cordie introduced.

“
Nice to make your acquaintance, Lady Staveley.” Amelia curtseyed.

Lady Staveley smiled in response and gestured to one of the settees in her parlor. “Please do make yourselves at home. Merton will have refreshments to us in no time.”

Amelia wasn’t quite certain that was true. Not if Merton was the aged butler who had showed them into Staveley House. She wasn’t sure how the old man was able to support his own weight as he walked, let alone carry a tea tray. Still, saying such a thing would be highly improper, so she did as she was bade and took a spot on a sapphire brocade settee.

Cordie and Lady Staveley followed at a slower pace, their heads tilted together as though they were sharing a secret. The viscountess took a spot beside Amelia while Cordie sat in a high-back chair, just a few feet away. “Tell me, Miss Pritchard, how are you enjoying London?”

“
I am enjoying it rather well, my lady, thank you.”

Cordie shook her head. “You will never guess what my brother put Amelia up to, Caroline.”

“
I might guess. Which brother are we talking about? Not the level-headed Lieutenant Avery, surely.”

“
No, the foolish and pig-headed
Captain
Avery,” Cordie clarified. “Russell thought to draw Major Moore out of his shell with Amelia’s help.”

At this pronouncement, Lady Staveley sat up straight and turned her attention back to Amelia. “Oh? And how did you find the good major?”

Amelia blinked, for lack of anything else to do. How was she supposed to answer that question? “Serious,” she finally muttered, a bit anxious under Lady Staveley’s scrutiny.

The viscountess nodded in agreement. “He is that. I do hate that my cousin broke his heart. That was never Livvie’s intent. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be helped under the circumstances.”

Amelia’s ears perked up. Major Moore was heartbroken? Was that what Captain Avery had refused to divulge the previous evening? “I didn’t realize he was suffering a broken heart. Captain Avery said he’d been morose since returning from the continent.”

“
See what I mean?” Cordie said. “Russell didn’t even tell her what he was getting her into.”

“
I-I don’t think I’m
in
anything,” Amelia protested.

“
Of course not, darling.” Lady Staveley patted Amelia’s hands. “Besides, you wouldn’t want to find yourself saddled with a serious man like Philip Moore. You seem much too lighthearted to endure such a fellow.”

Amelia was certain her cheeks were ablaze. “That’s not what I meant at all,” she sputtered. “I-I, that is, Captain Avery just wanted me to flirt with the major a bit, see if I could get him to smile.” Besides, Amelia wasn’t ready to be saddled with anyone at the moment, not after learning of Geoffrey’s duplicity. She might never want to be saddled with anyone.

“
And did he?” Lady Staveley’s hazel eyes bored into Amelia’s, breaking her from her reverie. “Smile, that is?”

He
had
smiled. Amelia hadn’t thought about that until this moment, but Major Moore had smiled when they were in the garden. “Is it truly that rare for him to smile?”

“
It didn’t used to be,” Cordie hastened to explain. “Well, he was always a bit more staid than any of my brothers, but then almost anyone would be.” She shook her head. “But Philip… Well, Philip was always the most noble of the group, yet he was lighthearted in those days.”

“
Until the broken heart?” The question flew out of Amelia’s mouth before she could stop it. Truly, none of this was her concern.

Cordie sighed and Lady Staveley squeezed Amelia’s hands. “My cousin Olivia, now the Duchess of Kelfield, was betrothed to Major Moore when he left for the continent.”

“
Childhood sweethearts,” Cordie added. “We all grew up together.”

“
But in his absence, Olivia met Kelfield and the two fell deeply in love.”

“
Philip didn’t take the news well.” Cordie frowned. “And then there was the war and his injury, and… Honestly, Amelia, I never thought to see him smile again. A real smile I mean, not the feigned one he forces to his face as though he’s trying to appease me, the one that falls away the instant he thinks I’m not looking.”

“
Perhaps he just needs time,” Amelia offered. After all, wasn’t that why she’d come to London? For a little space and time to heal.