Somewhere I'll Find You (Capital Theatre #1)(14)

To Julia's relief, she saw nothing of Lord Savage the next day. The guests at the weekend party occupied themselves with various outdoor pursuits. It was a fine day; the rich blue sky was streaked with lacy white clouds. The ladies strolled about the manicured gardens, tried their hands at archery, or went driving in fine carriages to view local points of interest. The men went shooting in the woods, fished in the nearby stream, or gathered in groups to drink and talk.

Although Julia felt melancholy and restless, she did her best to carry on animated conversations with the other guests. It was easy to entertain Lady Brandon and her friends with tales of the theater. The women were fascinated by the details of a world that was so foreign to them. Any mention of Logan Scott, especially, was guaranteed to provoke a great deal of feminine interest.

“Mr. Scott plays the lover so well onstage,” one woman remarked in a sultry purr. “One can't help but wonder if he is equally amorous offstage. Can you enlighten us, Mrs. Wentworth?”

There were scandalized gasps at the outrageous question, and then the group of women all leaned forward imperceptibly to hear the reply. Julia smiled at the beautiful dark-haired woman, whom the hostess had earlier introduced as Lady Ashton. “I believe Mr. Scott is amorous toward a great many ladies…but he has a policy never to become involved with an actress, for reasons he has never explained.”

“I saw the two of you in Romeo and Juliet,” another woman exclaimed. “There seemed to be such genuine feeling between you! Wasn't some small part of it real?”

“Not really,” Julia admitted frankly. “Except for a moment every now and then, when the acting seems so real to me that I can let myself believe in the characters we're playing.”

“And for that moment, do you fall in love with your leading man?”

Julia laughed. “Only till the curtain falls.”

After teatime, everyone retired to change into elaborate dinner outfits. The women eventually emerged in gowns of thin crinkled silk or rib-boned gauze, the men in gleaming linen shirts, patterned waistcoats, and narrow trousers strapped under the insteps to keep them straight. Julia donned a gown of champagne-colored silk with a low-cut bodice sewn in tiny flat pleats. A narrow swath of delicate blond lace covered but didn't entirely conceal the shadowy vale between her br**sts. The short, puffed sleeves were made of gauze and trimmed with more blond lace.

Dinner was a spectacular array of roasts and game, puddings in fancy molds, flavored jellies, and innumerable dishes of vegetables in sauce. An army of servants moved in a dignified bustle to serve the two hundred guests seated at the two long tables in the center of the dining room. Near the end of the feast, meringue baskets filled with creams and pastries were brought out, as well as platters of berries and fruit.

In spite of the temptations set before her, Julia ate sparingly. She knew that as usual, Logan would be asked to entertain the guests after dinner, and she would be called upon to assist him. She was never able to perform well on a full stomach, which made her sluggish and sleepy. Tonight of all nights, she wanted her wits about her.

Julia caught glimpses of Lord Savage at the next table, as he conversed with the women to his right and left. Both ladies seemed to find his company enthralling. Frequently they reached up to rearrange their own dangling curls or toy with their jewelry, like fluttery birds preening themselves in hopes of gaining his admiration. Julia wondered if all women reacted to Savage in such a manner. Perhaps it was inevitable. Whatever his character, his wealth and good looks were indisputable. Moreover, his air of reserve would provoke any female to try to attract his attention. Julia was relieved that he didn't so much as glance in her direction. Apparently he had forgotten all about her, his interest diverted by other, more approachable women.

When the meal was concluded, the ladies retired for tea and gossip, leaving the men to enjoy a selection of cigars and glasses of rich port. Later they all rejoined in the large salon, where a multitude of chairs and settees had been arranged in groups.

Walking into the salon on Logan's arm, Julia was not surprised when Lady Brandon approached them with a look of anticipation on her round face. It wasn't every hostess who had the opportunity of providing her guests with the likes of Logan Scott as the after-dinner entertainment. “Mr. Scott,” Lady Brandon murmured, her ample cheeks flushed, “perhaps you would honor us with a recitation, or some characterization from a play?”

With an elegant flourish, Logan took the lady's plump hand and bowed over it. He had a way with women, no matter what their age, appearance, or circumstance, that made them swoon with delight. Boldly he stared into Lady Brandon's eyes until she must have felt as if she were drowning in the rich blue depths of his gaze. “It would be my great pleasure, madam—and hardly enough to recompense you for such magnificent hospitality. Is there anything in particular you would prefer?”

“Oh,” Lady Brandon breathed, her hand trembling visibly. Her rosebud lips parted in a helpless smile. “Oh, anything you choose would suffice, Mr. Scott. But…something romantic would be very nice!”

“Something romantic,” Logan repeated, smiling at her as if she were the most clever woman alive. “We'll do our best, madam.” He glanced at Julia and quirked his ruddy brows inquiringly. “Shall we undertake a scene from my new play, Mrs. Wentworth?”

Julia murmured her assent with a demure smile, knowing that he had been planning on it. Once or twice a season, Logan launched a play he had written, always a social satire loaded with wit and charm. If not a genius, Logan was a clever writer with a sure instinct for what the audience desired. His newest creation, My Lady Deception, was the story of a nobleman and a well-bred woman who, through a set of implausible but amusing circumstances, found themselves posing as their own servants; he as a footman, she as a housemaid. Naturally they met and fell in love, and their subsequent efforts to maintain their deceptions and stay true to each other produced many comical results. The play gently teased the aristocracy for its narrow views and suffocating social rules.