Her plan to seduce Lord Brandon was one born out of necessity. Extreme necessity. He was exactly the type of man her father would approve of—respectable, wealthy, and established. A match with him would end her father's endless criticism and secure his future. It was not the romance she wanted so desperately, but it was the lack of choices that had influenced her decision.
The afternoon was dragging longer than she had expected. It felt almost impossible to get Lord Brandon alone. Finally, he stepped away from the throng, retreating to the garden terrace with a glass of wine in hand.
"Lady Lavinia...hello."
The sound of a sudden voice pierced through her concentration, and she jerked so hard, her heart almost leaped into her throat. Turning swiftly, she found herself face-to-face with none other than Edwina. She had barely taken a step toward the terrace when she’d appeared, materializing in her path as if summoned by Lavinia's resolve. Dressed in a gown that shimmered with an almost excessive brilliance, Edwina wore that cunning smile on her face that always made Lavinia uncomfortable.
It had been a while since she had encountered Edwina in such close proximity, and Lavinia had no idea how to feel about it. A part of her wanted to run, to escape the suffocating presence of the girl who had tormented her for so many years. But another part—an unfamiliar, more determined part—told her to stand her ground, to not let Edwina's sharp tongue unsettle her this time.
"Lady Edwina," Lavinia answered plainly. "Is there something I can help you with?"
Lavinia's gaze flickered toward the terrace again, but there was no sign of Lord Brandon. She fought to keep her attention on Edwina, though every nerve in her body was attuned to the crowd, hoping for an opportunity to make her move.
"Oh, I don't need your help," Edwina said, crossing her arms with that familiar, superior air. "I was just wondering how you were doing. This is your... fifth year as a debutante, isn't it? And still no sign of a suitor."
Lavinia's breath caught, but she quickly masked the hurt that flickered within her. "No, it's not my fifth."
Edwina titled her head sideways. "Then what? Fourth?" she questioned, a faint edge of mockery in her voice. "It must be quite difficult to be this infamous. The mamas cannot stop talking about you."
Lavinia felt her pulse quicken. She had always known that she was—often times—the talk of theton, especially when theyneeded an example to show their daughters what their future was going to be if they did not find suitors. But hearing it from Edwina made it all the more real. A part of her wanted to deny it, to tell Edwina it didn't matter, but something more curious pulled at her.
"What are they saying?" Lavinia asked, her voice steady despite the tightening in her chest. "About me, I mean."
Edwina's smile turned sharper, more calculating, as if Lavinia had just stepped into a trap. "Oh, you know...the usual. They wonder why you're still here, why no suitor has yet taken you off your father's hands. They gossip about how you seem content to remain in the shadows, avoiding the limelight. It must be exhausting, Lavinia, living in the shadows while the rest of us move on with our lives."
For a moment, they both remained silent, the air between them charged. Edwina stood with a quiet, satisfied air, her gaze fixed on Lavinia as though she were an object to be studied, dissected for weaknesses. It was obvious that Edwina still derived pleasure in watching Lavinia squirm, savoring every second of her discomfort like an animal toying with its prey. The smugness radiated off her in waves, and Lavinia hated that Edwina still had the ability to render her speechless.
"You do know that your papa cannot do all the work for you, right?" Edwina asked, her tone dripping with condescension. She raised an eyebrow as if the thought were some great revelation. "Because I see him, tirelessly trying to make connections for you, introducing you to every eligible bachelorin the room and parading you like some...prize. But even he can't force a man to propose, Lavinia."
"I don't see how that concerns you, Edwina," Lavinia managed to say. "Perhaps you should concentrate on the things that do concern you and leave me out of your thoughts."
Edwina's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a smile that was anything but friendly. "Very well, Lavinia," Edwina said. "I do believe I have better things to do than waste my time on you."
She studied Lavinia for a moment, waiting for a response but when she didn't get any, she rolled her eyes and with a dismissive flick of her hand and a final glance, she turned on her heel.
For a split second, the walls Lavinia had built around her crumbled, and the vulnerability she had tried so hard to conceal slipped through. She clenched her fists at her sides, forcing herself to breathe, to push the thoughts that Edwina had conjured back into the recesses of her mind.
Suddenly, Lavinia wasn't certain of her plan any longer. She had been so sure of her plan before, so convinced that if she could just get close to Lord Brandon, if she could seduce him, everything would fall into place. But now, standing in the aftermath of Edwina's cruel remarks, Lavinia couldn't ignore the truth she had tried to bury.
She wasn't confident enough to carry out her plan.
The idea of throwing herself at Lord Brandon, of being bold and daring in a way that felt foreign to her, was terrifying. She had tried to convince herself otherwise, telling herself that with enough willpower, with enough resolve, she could become the lady who would catch Lord Brandon's eye. But she wasn't that lady. She wasn't someone who could just walk up to him, bat her lashes, and steal his attention. The thought of being that bold terrified her—she wasn't even sure where to begin, or if she had it in her to go through with it. She could already picture the rejection, the embarrassment, the sense of failure that would wash over her if she was exposed as a fraud.
No, she wasn't confident enough. And yet, the more she thought about it, the more desperate she felt. Her father was counting on her. She had no other option. She couldn't let this chance slip through her fingers.
If seduction wasn't going to work, then what?
What was left to her? She could hear her father's voice in the back of her head, reminding her that time was running out. She couldn't stay a wallflower forever. Her future, her family's name, it was all hanging in the balance.
As Lavinia stood in the corner, her mind spinning with desperate thoughts, she barely noticed the figure approaching her until she heard the familiar voice of her brother, David.
"Lavinia," he called her gently. "Papa wants you to stop standing in the corner and come mingle. You know he doesn't like it when you hide away."
Lavinia blinked, her attention snapping back to the present. "Oh, all right," was all she managed to say in response.
Her gaze wandered back toward Lord Brandon. He was just as distant and untouchable as he had always been. So close, yet so far. Her eyes darted to David, who was approaching their father, and then back to Lord Brandon. Then a small gasp escaped her lips. An idea was starting to form in her mind.
It didn't take Lavinia long to formulate the plan in her head. It was simple, at least in theory, and desperation made the details seem almost foolproof. She had recalled what Alice had said about trapping a man in a marriage. It had been an offhand comment at first, a piece of advice offered in the midst of their idle chatter. But now, those words echoed in her mind. It was the surest and fastest route to securing a match.
