Ada & The Earl (The Woodhouse Series #1)

Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

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*Wollaton Hall/Nottingham*

I slept restlessly.

Clinton had the letter Louis had entrusted him to send to his family.

I could give him the benefit of the doubt and believe he forgot but he had assured me that he hadn't.

The conversation during dinner had been solely on the upcoming engagement party. I sat opposite Louis and he smiled and glanced at me every now and again, and I noticed that Clinton had been watching me, making me uncomfortable.

Greeting Louis's paternal family, including his lovable grandmother, made me miss home and the family unit I once had. After dinner, I sat with the ladies in the parlour as the men went for a walk around the estate. Christina did not leave my side, involving me in every conversation so I didn't feel left out and I was enlightened by how intellectual the conversations were.

Christina took to the grand piano, playing Chopin and we clapped along. The men eventually joined us but my uneasy feeling regarding Clinton did not leave. The family were all informed of the engagement and there was happiness all around but my smile was not one I was proud of at that moment.

A game of limericks followed, port and sherry drunk to the maximum as Victor smoked his pipe, the women laughing along as the innuendos were thrown into the air.

The family slowly retired to bed as did I.

But sleep did not come for me so I eventually pulled my robe on, grabbed a candelabra and went for a night walk around the manor.

The faint music of a piano came from the family living room and I followed the noise - someone else was awake.

As I entered the room, the flickering light of a candelabra was already alight, as a familiar body sat on the piano, playing a few keys.

"A man of many talents..." I teased, Louis turning to me quickly, and laughing at the fright I caused him. "What are you doing awake?" I came to him, joining him on the piano bench as he laughed.

"For some strange reason, sleep is not coming to me..." He replied. "What about you?"

"Same..." I watched his fingers trace the ivories. "Where did you learn to play?"

"My mother..." He replied. "She was a music teacher in France for many years and continued to teach music when she moved here. Music is a universal language..." He played a few notes and I smiled. "I don't play as much as I used to."

"You could've fooled me..." I replied, playing a few notes of Mozart's Sonata No. 11 and he raised his eyebrows.

"Ada Carne can play the piano?" He teased and I nodded. "For someone who grew up with a simple life, you are very..."

"Intellectually supreme?" I replied and he nodded, laughing. "I've not played in years..."

"Well..." He started to play a few notes and I recognised the song as he began to gently sing.

It was a love ballad, about being in love with someone and being afraid they would not love the real person as the courtship began from a deception.

It was a sting to my heart, a punch to my stomach as I sang gently with Louis.

As the ballad ended, we leaned in.

I was falling head over heels for a man who I was hiding my identity from. Would he feel this way about me if he knew who I was? An illegitimate Catholic bohemian? Someone who never debuted never went to finish school and was not a lady in any way.