Why did a girl, with such obvious romantic ideals, agree to an arranged marriage?
He simply couldn’t understand it. She was detailed, she was driven, and she romanticized the ton and the London Season. Wouldn’t she have preferred to attend these events on her own and fall in love with a man on her own?
“Perhaps she knows how foolish such ideals are,” he mumbled to himself, trudging over to his desk. He sank into his chair with a huff, tossing the list on the desk’s surface. He rested his neck on the back of the chair, his eyes wandering to the portrait across the room over the mantle.
The late Countess of Derby had been a beauty in her youth. With natural blond ringlets and a pair of ice-blue eyes that made her the envy of her time, she’d once held the heart of nearly every man in London. Or, at least that was what the late earl had said. When she’d married the earl, it had broken the hearts of many.
Austin had learned early on in life that marriage was simply a show for others. Even if such a thing like love existed, it was not enough for a marriage to work. His stepmother’s love for his father had only fizzled into underlying resentment when Austin came into this world. Even though she had accepted Austin like he was her own, she’d never forgiven her husband.
And his marriage would be no different. He didn’t intend to be unfaithful like this father had been. No, he didn’t want to be anything like his father. But that didn’t mean he would be happy. That didn’t mean he intended to nurture the relationship in any way. After the wedding, they would go their separate ways. A marriage in name only, like many others in London. He didn’t even care about having an heir.
But until then, he had to adhere to his betrothed’s foolish schedule. Austin picked up the list again and resisted the urge tosigh as he took in the next event. To his surprise, it was tomorrow. And a garden party. How different was that from a tea party?
With every second that went by, he was beginning to regret agreeing to any of this. Perhaps, if he played his cards right, he could make Miss Lavender regret it too.
***
The time for the garden party could not come quickly enough. Lavender was up from dawn, all but bouncing off the walls in her excitement. Not because of the event itself. She’d attended a garden party before and had found it dreadfully dull. There was no dancing and she had no interest in the games the ladies could play when they were not gossiping with each other.
But this party was different. The Countess of Lively would be in attendance. And Lavender would have an earl on her arm.
He wasn’t the best option, she thought to herself when time finally came to prepare for the afternoon event. He was shabby, uncouth, irritable, and had such little social etiquette that it was a wonder he had been given the title in the first place. But he was an earl in the end. Attending the party on the arm of a titled gentleman was the first big step in executing her plan. She wouldn’t let what happened yesterday affect today.
So she chose her gown carefully. A lovely primrose-colored gown with lace lining the neckline and the hems of her puffy sleeves. Her matching bonnet was settled over her perfectly styled hair. Her gloves and fan were simple enough to complement her attire without overshadowing it.
She’d detailed how Lord Derby was to dress for the event as well but she had little confidence that he would do it. It wasn’t enough to lessen her excitement, though. She would simply make the best of what she was given. After all the time she’d spent preparing for this, she had no intention of letting this chance slip through her fingers.
For her father and his name, Lavender would see it through to the end.
She decided to take a carriage to Lord Derby’s townhouse rather than ask him to come to her. A last minute alteration to her plan, but she didn’t want to risk anything going wrong.
Thankfully, his townhouse wasn’t far from hers. The carriage pulled up to a run-down house with a broken iron gate barring it from the street. Men came and went through the open front door, whom she assumed were there to work on the debilitated house. The paint was crumbling, the small garden overrun with weeds. The steps that led to the front porch were broken and the front door desperately needed to be replaced.
Lavender said nothing as she approached, silently drinking everything in. She spotted a man giving orders by the porch and waited for him to notice her. When he did, he quickly hurried over to her, bowing.
“Pardon the confusion,” he said breathlessly. “You must be Miss Lavender. I am the butler of this house.”
“Good day,” Lavender greeted, smoothly stepping to the side as two men carted plywood into the house.
The butler looked visibly distressed by her sudden presence, which amused her a bit. “Please follow me, miss. I will inform Lord Derby of your arrival.”
“Thank you,” she murmured as she followed behind him, trying not to stare at the broken windowsill as she went by.
Inside the townhouse was no better. The foyer hummed with activity as men trudged back and forth, apparently under the watchful eye of the anxious butler. The carpet he brought her across was worn and frayed at the edges, barely hiding chips in the hardwood floor. A staircase greeted her on the other end of the foyer and Lavender breathed a sigh of relief when the butler took her past the creaking steps and to a nondescript door around the corner.
The butler gave her a hasty bow once inside. “Please make yourself comfortable, miss. Lord Derby will be with you shortly.”
“Yes, thank you. Wait a moment.”
The butler paused in expectation. Lavender pointed to the fading, peeling wallpaper of blue flowers. “Do you know what Lord Derby intends to do with the walls?”
The butler looked confused. “He has not said, miss. But the wallpaper is in desperate need of replacing.”
“I agree. But perhaps you could find the same type?” Lavender smiled at him. “A simple suggestion, that’s all.”
“A-ah, yes, miss. I shall see to it. Please, excuse me.”
Lavender gave him a small smile as she watched him leave, then turned to face the room.
