Duncan appeared in the door that led into the sitting room. “Come in, come in,” he said, beckoning Thomas forward. “You’re a little early, but we’ll sit and have tea before dinner starts.”
Thomas frowned. “I’m early? You told me the party started at five o’clock.”
“Yes, but I lied,” Duncan said. “It begins at six.”
Thomas stared. “Why did you lie about that?”
“Because I wantedmyfriends to get here earlier than Mother’s so that we would have a chance to socialize,” Duncan said. “Now, Henry is already in the sitting room. Come on.”
“Is—” Thomas hesitated. Dare he ask?
“Yes, she’s in there,” Thomas said. “She’s got her lady’s maid with her as a chaperone, too, so you needn’t feel uncomfortable about it. Go on.”
No matter what Duncan said, Thomas’s discomfort was at the forefront of his mind. He wished his friend hadn’t manipulated him into making an early arrival. He wouldn’t have done it if he had been given the choice.
He walked into the sitting room.
And there she was.
She was even more beautiful than he remembered, wispy and pale with thick, dark hair and eyes so blue they almost looked as if they were lit from within. She glanced over at him as he walked in, then looked away quickly.
“Lord Woodsford,” Duncan said. “You remember my cousin, Lady Valeria.”
“It’s lovely to see you again, My Lady,” Thomas said.
“It’s good to see you too,” Lady Valeria said stiffly, still not looking at him.
Henry was lounging in an armchair by the fire, and unlike Lady Valeria, he did make eye contact with Thomas. “Glad you’re here, Thomas,” he said. “The young lady’s going to need someone to show her that life around here can be enjoyable, and that’s where you and I come in. Certainly Duncan is far too dull to be relied upon to entertain anybody.”
Duncan laughed. “You mustn’t take him seriously,” he said, for Lady Valeria looked rather shocked at what Henry had said. “Lord Harlston likes to tease his friends, but he’s still a good one to have. And he’s quite right to say that he and Lord Woodsford will be good people for you to know. They’re my two closest friends.”
Lady Valeria nodded and sat down, but she said nothing.
Another woman now stepped up to a tea cart and began to pour. Thomas guessed that this must be Lady Valeria’s lady’s maid.
Duncan went to her side and stopped her. “There’s no need for you to do that, Charlotte,” he said. “You’re here as Valeria’s lady’s maid, not to serve drinks. Why don’t you take a seat beside her, and I’ll get everyone some tea?”
Charlotte looked rather taken aback at that, but she simply said, “Yes, My Lord,” and sat down beside Lady Valeria.
Duncan began to prepare the drinks. “Henry,” he said, “Why don’t you finish that story you were telling us before Thomas arrived?”
“Oh, yes,” Henry said. “Well, my elder brother—you know, the Duke of Wessex—he doesn’t play a very active role in my life. But he visited me just last week and asked me to take him out for drinks, and you simply would not believe the attention we got! Ladies followed him around as if they had never seen a Duke before. It was actually rather disgraceful.” He shook his head and laughed. “I wouldn’t like to be him.”
“You must get nearly as much attention,” Duncan said. “You’re a Marquess, after all.”
“Oh, that isn’t nearly the same,” Henry said with a charming smile. “I mean, yes, I suppose Iama Marquess, but that’s a much more common thing to be than aDuke.”
“I would think,” Lady Valeria spoke up quietly, “that most ladies would be highly interested in winning the favor of a Marquess.”
Everyone turned to look at her. It had not been apparent whether or not she was even listening to the conversation, so determinedly had she been averting her eyes. But now it was clear that not only had she been paying attention, she intended to participate.
And as her words registered, Thomas felt his heart turn over.
I hear what she’s saying. She’s saying that a title matters to a lady. She’s saying that’s something that would matter toher.
He thought he understood, suddenly, why Lady Valeria had never given him the time of day.
She was the daughter of a Viscount, and he was only a Baron. Of course he wasn’t what she wanted. Of course she would expect more for herself. Thomas had been foolish to think he had ever had a chance.
