Emilia’s heart sank. There was no way she could go up there and perform in front of theton. First of all, she couldn’t play the pianoforte, which meant she would have to sing. Her singing had been reserved for her mother and the students at the boarding school, not for such a prestigious audience.
“Is Miss Sutherland here?” Lady Shorne’s eyes roamed over the guests until they landed on Emilia. “Ah, there she is. Come on up, dear.”
Anette frowned. “I can’t believe she would do something so underhanded,” she muttered. “I’m sorry.”
Emilia could see the compassionate look that Fredrick was giving her, but he couldn’t help her now. No one could. She would have to do this on her own.
She rose with deliberate slowness as she felt a tremor of fear, knowing that she had to do this or else she would not only embarrass herself but her friends.
As she made her way to the front of the room, she couldn’t ignore the self-satisfied grin adorning Lady Shorne’s lips. It wasevident that Lady Shorne had contrived this situation with the intention of watching her fail.
Lady Shorne put a hand out towards her. “What shall you entertain us with?”
In a soft voice, she replied, “I will sing.”
“Very good,” Lady Shorne said as she dropped her hand. “What shall you sing?”
Emilia hesitated. What could she sing? It wasn’t as if she could sing “God Save the King.” Although, she could think of one song that might work.
“I will sing “Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes,” Emilia said.
Lady Shorne nodded. “I shall accompany you on the pianoforte, assuming you have no objections.”
“I have none,” Emilia responded.
With every step that Lady Shorne took as she made her way to the pianoforte, Emilia’s heart seemed to sink deeper into a pit of dread. Lady Shorne took her seat and raised her fingers to the keys, then asked, “Are you ready?”
No.
But she didn’t dare admit that.
Emilia tipped her head in acknowledgement before she turned to face the audience. She took a deep breath as she listened to the music and waited for her turn to start singing.
As fear began to swell within her, her gaze fell upon Fredrick, and the genuine concern in his eyes strengthened her resolve. He was unmistakably anxious on her behalf. In that moment, a wave of calm enveloped her. She decided to sing for him, imagining the room empty and allowing his compassion to be her guiding light.
When the time was right, she parted her lips and let the song flow forth. Her voice started with a hint of hesitation but gained confidence with each passing word. With every note, she poured her heart and soul into the music, hoping that her performancewould be sufficient to captivate and impress the discerning audience of theton.
She sang the last word of the song and hoped that it had been enough. Thatshehad been enough.
As Lady Shorne’s last note resonated through the room, a wave of applause swept over the crowd.
Emilia smiled as Lady Shorne approached and stood beside her, patiently waiting for the applause to subside.
“Well done,” the lady offered her praise, but there was no warmth to her words. “You may return to your seat now.”
She dropped into a curtsy before she made her way back to her chair. As she took her seat, Fredrick turned towards her with an incredulous expression and said, “You can sing.”
Her lips twitched. “I can sing.”
Anette leaned closer to her and whispered, “You sing superbly. I had no idea you could sing so well.”
“I do not enjoy performing in front of others,” Emilia admitted. “I was terribly nervous.”
“You didn’t appear nervous,” Anette said as she reached into her reticule. “You have earned a biscuit.”
Emilia looked at her in surprise. “You brought a biscuit to the soiree?”
“Octavia convinced me to do so, especially since the performances can be long and rather boring,” Anette said, extending her a biscuit. “But not your performance. It was perfect, and I especially enjoyed the look of disbelief on Lady Shorne’s face when she realized you could sing.”