Regency Romance Collection From Christina Courtenay by Christina Courtenay

girl,’ he added in an aside to James, following this with a large booming laugh.
    James scowled and se nt Amelia an enquiring glance. She blushed and stammered. ‘Oh, I’m sure my talents are nothing to equal the ladies here, Captain.’
    ‘ Nonsense, I’m sure you reduced a few of my men to tears. Saw them myself.’ The Captain laughed again. ‘Did she tell you, my lord, that we used to call her the “Silver Nightingale”?’
    ‘ No she didn’t. And now if you will excuse us, we really must return to our box.’ James had an almost murderous look on his face, Amelia noted with a sinking feeling, and wondered why her talent for singing should have made him so angry.
    ‘Hope to see you soon again,’ the Captain called after them cheerfully.
    Amelia was virtually frog-marched back to their box and by the time they reached it s he was feeling very ill-used.
    ‘ Is it a crime to have acquaintances?’ she asked sarcastically.
    ‘ That depends on how well acquainted you are,’ James bit back. ‘Let us watch the rest of the opera, we will discuss this later.’
    The music had lost its enchantment for Amelia, however, and she counted the minut es until it was time to leave. She couldn’t understand what had got into James, but she was determined to find out as soon as they were back at the hotel.
     
    James sat silently fuming all through the second act and couldn’t wait to get back either. He wanted to know precisely what ‘talents’ had caused other men to give his wife a nickname. ‘Nightingale’ implied singing, but he would wager that was not her only skill. Besides, he wanted to know who all these other men were. His worries ate into him so that by the time they finally reached the hotel, he had worked himself into a towering rage.
    The moment they stepped into the foyer, he took his wife by the arm and virtually dragged her into a small side room, which happened to house an assortment of instruments. He ignored them and turned to confront her, but she yanked her arm free and spoke first.
    ‘ What on earth is the matter with you?’ she hissed furiously. ‘If I’m not allowed to speak to people in public other than yourself, you should have told me beforehand, not treat me like some common doxy you can drag around any way you please.’
    ‘ And what if that’s exactly what you are, madam?’ he shot back.
    ‘ How dare you!’ Her hand shot out to hit him on the cheek, but he caught it easily, infuriating her even further.
    ‘Not so fast, my dear. First, I would like to know who all these people are who didn’t know “where you had disappeared to” and second of all, I would like an explanation of your so called talents.’
    ‘ The people in question were my father’s military colleagues. I told you, we used to entertain the officers from a nearby army headquarters from time to time. Those were the people he gambled with too. Some of them were married and often brought their wives. As for my “talents”, I sing a little and play the pianoforte, that’s all. Occasionally I used to entertain my father’s friends.’
    ‘I bet you did.’
    ‘If you are going to be rude, I’m going to bed.’
    ‘ Your talent must be quite considerable if it earned you a nickname. Show me.’
    ‘What here? Now? Are you mad?’ Amelia was acutely conscious of all the other people in the hotel lobby and had no wish to make a spectacle of herself. Or more of one than they’d done already.
    ‘Why not? Everyone else seems to have heard you perform, why not your husband?’
    ‘ Whatever would the other guests say? It’s very late.’ Amelia glanced at the half-open door. She knew that her voice would carry far beyond this room if she gave it full rein.
    ‘ I don’t give a damn,’ James exploded. ‘Just sing!’
    Fury gave Amelia the courage to do as he asked. ‘Very well, but if we are thrown out of here, it will be your fault.’
    She sat down at a pianoforte that stood in the middle of the room and