The Consummate Hostess

by Ana Cristina

Lord Gavinson made for a very merry host, and his wife, Lady Marguerite, was the consummate hostess, stopping by every table to greet each guest personally.

When she reached the table where Isabelle, de Grave, Windham, and I were seated, she checked suddenly, the smile on her face faltering ever so slightly. I noticed her face pale as she caught sight of de Grave. For the first time, I saw de Grave look disconcerted, his usually cool demeanor shaken. He suddenly became concerned with the contents of his wine glass.

Isabelle took no notice of this and asked Lady Marguerite where she had purchased her beautiful gown. This was enough to restore her good humor and she began to speak with Isabelle quite animatedly about a “darling little shop in Paris.”

But Lord Windham had noticed. He bent his head to speak with de Grave in a hushed whisper. I sipped my wine and tried very hard to appear deaf.

“Is she invited, Vincent?”

“I’m not sure.”

“When did you last see her?”

“Not since last year.”

“Hmm…”

Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. The Consummate Hostess

    Ana Cristina's Buddy Icon Ana Cristina

    Posted 13 days ago

    Eckhouse, or THX , if you want to continue this and bring in the “game.” I’m curious to see what this game entails.
    I’m going to go see Forbidden Kingdom now, so have fun (but not too much fun) in my absence. ;-)

  2. The Consummate Hostess

    THX 0477's Buddy Icon THX 0477

    Posted 13 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Heck if I know what the ‘game’ is. I think I was just referring to the game of coy romance, but I guess there could be more, and you’ve certainly hinted at some intrigue or dark back story here.

  3. The Consummate Hostess

    Mycroft's Buddy Icon Mycroft

    Posted 12 days ago

    I’ve just read this whole series in one go, and I’m loving it so far. And I don’t usually go in for period drama, so that’s quite an achievement…

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