She would not admit, not to anyone, that Duncan’s absence had poked a needle of disappointment through her chest, threatening to deflate her mood for the rest of the evening.
It is just another amusement to him,she told herself.And I will not be his sport. Indeed, tonight, I have a hunt of my own to fulfil.A purpose far greater than gaining any stupid apology, that would likely be insincere anyway.
She thought of his note, turned to ash in the fireplace, and felt her confidence inflate again. She wore the net, had garnered the skills required to make the hunt a success—now, all she had to do was catch the husband.
In a Mayfair house filled to the brim with eligible bachelors, her chances had never been better. Indeed, if she could not strike at the heart of even one man present, in a crowded ballroom of the wealthiest and brightest gentlemen that society had to offer, then she would have no choice but to admit defeat.
If it comes to naught tonight,she promised herself silently,then, tomorrow, I shall send for a matchmaker.
The thought made her blood run cold; the perfect motivation for making the night a triumph, no matter what.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The gentlemen flocked to Valeria, the sheen of her resplendent velvet gown drawing them like moths to a lantern. In the refreshment room, they fell over themselves to fetch her something, offering to retrieve delicacies or a sweet treat, or to pour her a fresh drink though hers was already full.
She was polite, she wasjustwitty enough, she fluttered her eyelashes and made sure to stand at an angle where she could be best admired. She offered compliments, laughed when she was supposed to, made enquiries and said nothing of steam engines, agreeing to dances until her card was altogether overcrowded.
Is it all supposed to feel so… hollow?She had never felt more like a caricature of herself in her life, yet the gentlemen seemed to relish it.
“If you will excuse me,” she said to a nervous fellow who clearly needed to be put out of his misery. “I ought to take my cousin back into the ballroom.”
Valeria steered Beatrice toward the doors, the noise and excitement of the ballroom like a breath of fresh air after spending so long surrounded, barely able to take so much as a sip of her drink.
“I hope you did not actually do that for my benefit,” Beatrice said in a quiet voice. “I was rather enjoying watching you fend off those fellows. Quite the conversational warrioress.”
Valeria chuckled. “I confess, it was for my sanity. I am… unaccustomed to attention.”
“And that shall always shock and bewilder me,” Beatrice replied. “If you were a grumpy old toad, I might understand it. But you are not only beautiful; you havecharacter! Intellect! Wit! What is it about such things that scares society gentlemen, I wonder? Do you think it is some manner of jealousy or inferiority? The worry that they might not be as amusing or intelligent?”
Valeria paused, expelling a laughing sigh. “Please, I beg of you, not so many questions. I have had my fill for the time being. I am certainly in no condition to discuss the mysteries of the male mind.”
“Sorry.” Beatrice grinned, weaving her arm through her cousin’s. “At least you know you shall not be in want of anything to eat or drink tonight. If you but snap your fingers, you shall have a horde of panting gentlemen at your heels in an instant, wagging their tails.”
Valeria peered at her cousin. “And what of you? Have any gentlemen taken your interest this evening?”
“Heavens, no. I am not even looking,” Beatrice replied, waving a dismissive hand. “Tonight is about you. The gown insists upon it. Me, in my feeble muslin, can only be in your shadow, and I am perfectly happy to enjoy the shade.”
A warmth spread through Valeria’s chest as she gazed at her cousin, so full of vitality and humor and intelligence and wisdom beyond her years, plus a hearty dose of irreverence that no one had yet stamped out.
I hope that no one ever does… I hope, dearest Bea, that you are never in my position.The thought of Beatrice having to marry due to circumstance, and not because she had found someone who matched her perfectly, would have broken Valeria’s heart.
“I hope I am not interrupting, Miss Maxwell,” a kindly voice promptly interrupted.
Valeria turned to find Roger Grove standing at a polite distance, accompanied by a gentleman that, for the life of her, she could not place. Yet, there was a recognition of sorts, like sheshouldknow him.
The unknown companion was tall and well-attired, in a tailcoat of claret velvet that was just a hue or two lighter than Valeria’s gown. A sign, perhaps? She was not sure. But he had a pleasant face, his top lip hidden by a sleek mustache, his reasonably long, chestnut hair held back by a ribbon. Handsome by anyone’sstandards, though there was an aloof quality to the blue of his eyes and the upward tilt of a narrow chin.
“Not at all, Lord Campbell,” Valeria replied, remembering her manners and her lessons. “Indeed, my cousin and I were just lamenting the lack of distraction. I have a rather glaring space upon my dance card, you see, and nothing at all to fill the time.”
Beatrice gave her a playful jab in the ribs with her elbow. “Evidently, I make for very dull company,” she teased. “Although, I am surprised I am able to have a single moment alone with her, for if a set could be shared between gentlemen, I am certain she would be on that dance floor in an endless carousel. Dizzied.”
“You are resplendent tonight, Miss Maxwell,” Roger said with a nervous sort of smile. “It is a surprise to me, also, to hear that you have an empty spot upon your dance card. I had assumed I was too late.”
The man at his side cleared his throat.
“Ah, of course. My apologies.” Roger clapped a hand on his companion’s shoulder. “This is William Wilmslow, Baron of Tarporley. A good friend of mine, from Eton.”
Valeria curtseyed to the baron, placing him at last. What he lacked in station, he more than made up for with his vast fortune. It was not clear where the former baron, William’s father, had amassed such an enormous amount of wealth, but there were rumors of a gold mine and the tobacco trade. Eitherway, when William’s father had died, that immense fortune had passed to William in its entirety.
