any idea of how you look?â
âYes. Ghastly,â muttered Henrietta absently.
At the Captainâs toast to the forthcoming wedding that unpleasant emotion had once again swept through her.
âWhat is the matter with you, Henrietta? You have never even seen the Duke of Merebury!â she mused.
Seeing Henrietta look so pale and unhappy, Nanny decided to say no more on the subject of her performance after all, it was a once in a lifetime occurrence.
Henrietta went to Kittyâs cabin to return the scarlet gown and as she was returning she stopped at the rail.
The moonlight on the sea made it gleam like silver fish scales and the stars in the sky were like diamond pins.
Henrietta sighed.
It was so romantic, but she had no one to dream of.
Only a phantom, a face that flitted in and out of her consciousness and that she somehow connected now with the one man in the world she would probably never meet the Duke of Merebury.
âA dollar for your dreams,â whispered a voice.
It was Eddie.
âTheyâre not worth a dollar.â
Eddie threw back his head with a laugh.
âI canât believe that, Miss Reed! But you do seem to need cheering up and I think I have just the news for you. Believe it or not, Lady Butterclere has invited us to perform at Merebury Court the day after tomorrow. You will agree to play with us, wonât you?â
Stunned, Henrietta stared at the shining water.
Merebury Court! An opportunity to set eyes on the Duke himself. It was too tempting and yet and yet it was impossible.
Apart from that, she just simply could not perform in public again. The Boston Queen was one thing, England was quite another.
âIâm so sorry, Eddie I canât,â she murmured sadly and turned away.
Eddie caught her arm.
âPlease, Harrietta,â he pleaded. âYou made such a difference tonight on the piano.â
âBut surely your regular player will have caught the next ship after this one? Heâll be docking in Liverpool just a day after us. Plenty of time to join you at Merebury.â
âThatâs just the point, the Captain told me that soon after we left Boston, a big storm blew up and all sea traffic is suspended for the duration.
âLouie, my pianist, can never make it in time. So you see you gotta say yes !â
âItâs not possible you donât understand.â
âThen tell me.â
She hesitated. At least if she told him the truth he would realise how impossible it was for her to risk being recognised. Why, she had even met the Prince of Wales once with her parents!
She sat down on a bench and told her story.
At the end of it Eddie gave a whistle.
âWhat a tale!â
âIsnât it,â she agreed, rising. âSo you do see, donât you, that I canât join you at Merebury.â
âI see nothing of the sort!â cried Eddie, jumping up after her. âThe Duke wonât have met you, so that doesnât matter. And at the ball, you wonât look like yourself at all.
You hardly look like yourself now but weâll go one further.
âI have a friend whoâs a great make-up artist. He works at the Drury Lane theatre. Iâll wire him to come to Merebury. Heâll disguise you so well, your own father wouldnât recognise you.â
âEddie, I really canât,â began Henrietta, but Eddie caught her hands between his own and gazed into her eyes.
âYou cannot refuse Eddie,â he said. âIf you refuse me, Iâll go tell everyone on this ship who you really are.â
Henrietta was horrified.
âEddie, that would be a â
âA real low-down trick?â chuckled Eddie. âSure it would. But I want the Prince of Wales to hear my music at its best. And when it comes to my music, I am so ruthless. Surely you knew that all along?â
âYes, Eddie, I did.â
âThen youâll play?â
Henrietta, thinking of the
Nicky Singer
Candice Owen
Judith Tarr
Brandace Morrow
K. Sterling
Miss Gordon's Mistake
Heather Atkinson
Robert Barnard
Barbara Lazar
Mina Carter, J.William Mitchell