Of course, he also needed to have a vast appreciation of her own hobbies and interests and she feared that there was a scarcity of men who wanted a lady possessed of a functioning brain.
In any case, her trip to London would not be wasted. She would get to see the buildings she so wanted to, and if she were to meet a man who suited her well and one that her heart could peacefully join in holy matrimony, then all the better.
* * *
Oliver smiled indulgently as he listened to his sister prattle on about the intricacies of the Season. The experience was vastly different for ladies, as it was a veritable race to who could snatch the best catch of them all. In fact, he had heard of females resorting to foul schemes to get what they wanted.
“You cannot believe the things these ladies would resort to,” his sister had confided to him after her first Season. “Sometimes, I feel that they would resort to everything short of murder to marry someone they might not even like after a few more years!”
Men, too, often prowled the ballrooms for a biddable wife, preferably one with a generous dowry to aid their flagging fortunes. He had seen his fair share of those kinds of men sniffing after his sister’s skirts—or rather, her large dowry.
Beneath the veneer of respectability, there was a chilling aspect to the London Season, in his opinion.
Fortunately, Suzanna would be there to guide Claire through the quagmire of all of that, although the thought of her with another man did not sit well with him. Perhaps, it was because he had seen her grow up since she was a little girl and in his mind, there was not a man in all of England who deserved her heart and her lifelong devotion.
“I have requested Madame Woolworth to bring the best fabrics,” his sister said, breaking into his reverie. “Sometimes, even the plainest design will be rendered breathtaking if you use the right kind of cloth.”
He watched as Claire pressed her fingers to her temple. “I fear that this is all a bit too much to take in at the moment.”
“My dear, these are but the bare necessities!”
As the girls discussed the “bare necessities” for the Season, he excused himself to retreat to the library and Claire nodded at him. Ranhold House was as much his home as it was hers and she knew that, like herself, the library was one of the Duke’s favorite haunts in their country home.
He walked down the aisles, his hands trailing the spines of books that lined the shelves, noting that a great deal of books on the subject of architecture were missing. He smiled slightly at that.
Claire, he knew, was quite fond of the subject and frequently talked about it. He had guessed at her true intentions for going to London and he had every intention of guiding her to all the architectural marvels her little heart longed to see.
As for Trixie, it would be an effort to keep her out of mischief but the younger Rowley girl had the kindest heart of anyone he knew. Her rambunctious spirit might not sit well with the domineering dowagers of thetonbut Oliver always felt that it was the best aspect of her character.
He came upon the large table flanked by several upholstered chairs that a previous viscount had appointed for hours of longer study. He noted the large, leather folio that lay on the worn but polished surface, stamped discreetly with the initialsCAR.
Claire Annalise Rowley, he realized. It was Claire’s sketchbook.
He had seen that sketchbook many times and knew that she kept it close to her heart. He remembered asking to see it once, only to be gently but firmly rebuffed.
“I am not ready to show it yet,” she had told him then.
“Then I shall wait until you are ready,” he had told her. “I look forward to the wonders you will create.”
He had respected her decision then and although he wanted very much to peek into her world, he respected her privacy well enough to steer clear of searching through her private sketchbook.
He continued down the library, searching, until he finally came across the book he had been looking for. He smiled to himself and tucked it under his arm as he ventured back to the drawing room, where he found that Trixie had already joined Claire and his sister in discussing the upcoming Season.
“I never thought that there would be so many kinds of gowns and that one would need to wearallof them in just a few months!” the young girl breathed. “Why, London must be drowning in fabric and jewels!”
“Quite so,” Lady Suzanna agreed. “The ladies are forever competing as to who has the best baubles and the most fashionable gowns, that their husbands are forever complaining that their wives and daughters will push them to debt!”
“I do not want to push Father to debt,” Claire muttered worriedly. “And if I were a man, I would indeed be worried if I married a young lady who intended to drain my coffers to finance her wardrobe.”
“Between us ladies, I fear that the menactuallytake pride in dressing their womenfolk so,” Lady Suzanna shook her head. “If their families were dressed shabbily, it would not look well.” She turned to Claire with a smile. “Which is why you must not be so miserly with your coming out, my dear, or our dearest Trixie will have a much harder time by the time she makes her curtsey.”
The younger Rowley sat in rapt attention as she listened to the two ladies deliberate over which articles of clothing they would have Madame Woolworth make for them posthaste and which ones they would purchase in London. In truth, the sheer amount of clothing that was required of a young lady coming out was quite astonishing.
“I still feel as if itisall a bit too much,” Claire muttered, her hand drifting to her temple as she considered it all. “Maybe weshouldwait for Father to come home, as I am not comfortable with making all these purchases without his permission.”
“You do not need to worry about all that,” Oliver assured her. “As I said previously, the Viscount and I have already discussed this and I have already given him the estimate of the costs that Suzanna had accrued for her first Season.”
“All this for one season?” Trixie breathed in wonderment. “No wonder they are all in a rush to marry well. Launching a lady could very well bankrupt an entire family!”
