Miss Featherton's Christmas Prince (The Marriage Game Book 9) by Ella Quinn Page A

appreciate my sacrifice. I must convince my mother to change some of her plans for being here.”
    Miss Hiller glanced at the door. “Now that that is settled, we had better look at the music.”
    In a few short moments, they had found several pieces they all knew. Miss Hiller left by the door to the corridor to find Miss Featherton. Damon hoped Miss Hiller’s plan would work. If not, he might have worse problems with his lady than he had originally thought.
    He was certain Throughgood would never fall in with Miss Featherton’s scheme. But another gentleman might very well see it as the perfect solution.
    Damnation! He had precisely fourteen days to change her mind.
     
    Meg glanced at the drawing room door as it opened. Amanda looked around for a moment, then focused on Meg and beckoned. When had her friend started wearing her eyeglasses in public? Perhaps now she would discover what else had been going on. She made her way to the door, following Amanda into the corridor.
    “Lord Hawksworth thought we might entertain ourselves with some music. Please join us. It will be so much fun!”
    “You were in the music room with him alone!” This was much worse than Meg had thought. Anyone could have found them, and Amanda would be compromised and have to marry the man.
    “No, Lord Throughgood is there as well, and the door was open. Lady Bellamny knew we were there. I would have asked you to join us immediately, but I—um, did not see you.” Amanda tugged on Meg’s hand. “Please say you will. You have a much better voice than I do. I shall accompany you.”
    Meg nodded. This might be her opportunity to approach Lord Throughgood. “Very well.”
    As they entered the room, Lord Hawksworth looked up and smiled. Her feet slowed as the full force of his charm hit her. No man had a right to be so handsome. Something should be wrong with him, but he even seemed to have a full set of white teeth. No wonder Amanda was smitten.
    “Excellent.” He set down the sheet of music he had been holding. “I am delighted you wished to join us, Miss Featherton.”
    Wished was not precisely the word she would have used. Forced to defend her friend would be more accurate. “Right, then,” she said, determined not to respond to his allure. “What do we have?”
    “Yes, thank you for joining us.” Throughgood jumped into the conversation. “There is a duet here that Miss Hiller thinks would be just the thing.”
    Lord Hawksworth handed Meg the sheet he had been holding. While she glanced over the music, he slid open the doors to the drawing room. Now that was an intriguing arrangement. Paneled as they were, they had appeared to be part of the wall.
    In the other room, Lady Bellamny rose and began motioning the others toward the music room. “Marvelous. The young people are going to sing for us.”
    When he returned, Meg handed him the words to “Barbara Allan,” an old folk song that most everyone should know. “What about this one?”
    “It will do. You begin and I shall join in on the second verse.”
    Amanda and Lord Throughgood took their places at the piano, and they waited until Lady Bellamny signaled for them to begin.
    Amanda played the introduction, then Meg began to sing.

    “It was in and about the Martinmas time,
When the green leaves were a falling,
That Sir John Graeme in the West Country
Fell in love with Barbara Allan.
He sent his man down through the town,
To the place where she was dwelling:
‘O haste and come to my master dear,
Gin ye be Barbara Allan.’ ”

    Lord Hawksworth joined her. His strong baritone harmonized easily with her contralto. It had been so long since Meg had sung a duet with anyone. Neither of her last two suitors had enjoyed singing, and she was of an age where it was no longer required of her.

    “O holy, holy rose she up,
To the place where he was lying,
And when she drew the curtain by,
‘Young man, I think you’re dying.’
‘O I’m sick, and very, very sick,
And