Chapter Seven
A fter her walk with Val and Con, Ariadne spent the rest of her day at the milliner’s shop. Once again, she was appalled at the number of hats and bonnets which were selected, thinking how many hungry children could be fed with the money being spent to make her look fashionable. While there, Mama had also selected numerous pairs of gloves for her daughter.
“A lady simply can never have enough pairs of gloves,” Mama declared.
She was glad all the shopping for that was done, but Mama had said they would also be purchasing slippers. Ariadne could only guess at the number of pairs she would need to be suitably dressed for her come-out. At least that wouldn’t happen for a few days. For now, she was looking forward to seeing Aunt Charlotte again at tea today.
Entering the drawing room, she found her parents and Val already present.
“Did you enjoy spending time with Con at White’s?” she asked her brother.
“I did. We also saw Lord Aldridge while we were there.”
Ariadne’s heart skipped a beat hearing his name. She didn’t understand why.
And was afraid to think on it.
“I asked Aldridge to tea again today, Mama,” Val added, smiling at his mother. “He got on so well with Con. I knew you would not mind.”
Mama smiled indulgently at her son, and Ariadne shook her head. Her brother was Mama’s obvious favorite, and Val could do no wrong in her eyes. If she didn’t love Val so much, she would resent him. It didn’t seem fair that he was so cherished simply because he was a man, while she and her sisters barely received any attention at all from their parents because they were women.
“If you wish for Lord Aldridge to come to tea, we are happy to host him,” Mama said airily.
Parsons appeared. “Lady Marley, Viscount Dyer, and Lord Aldridge are here, Your Graces.”
“Do show them in,” the duke said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
Ariadne knew Papa and his sister had been quite close as children. She assumed they saw one another regularly during the Season each year.
The trio entered the drawing room, and they all stood to greet them. Her eyes went straight to her aunt, who looked the same to Ariadne.
“Charlotte!” cried Papa. “It is ever so good to see you.”
Greetings were exchanged, and her aunt looked closely at Ariadne. “You have grown into a lovely young lady, Niece. It is too bad you have inherited your papa’s hair color, though.”
Again, a mention of her hair. She had known red hair was unusual. None of their servants nor anyone in their village had red in their hair, but she didn’t know it would be such a detriment as she was introduced into Polite Society. She was certainly more than the shade of her hair, yet Ariadne worried now that her copper hair was all others would see instead of who she truly was.
“Ariadne will still attract a good husband,” Mama assured her sister-in-law. “Why, she is fair of face and has a lovely figure.”
Aunt Charlotte pursed her lips. “True. It is unfortunate, though, that she cannot wear a wig.”
“Is red truly that unfashionable, aunt?” she asked, thinking of her siblings and the varying shades of red hair they all possessed. “All of us have varying shades of it.”
“You are the children of a duke,” her aunt said. “In the end, that is what will matter.”
She felt unsure, worried now about her come-out in a way she hadn’t before. All she had focused on was meeting new people and the fun she would have, participating in all the social events. Ariadne had not thought she would be judged harshly merely because of the color of her hair.
“Have a seat,” Papa said. “Come sit with me, Charlotte.”
Two teacarts were rolled into the drawing room, and Mama and Aunt Charlotte both poured since there were so many of them. Ariadne sat next to Con, with Lord Aldridge on her left and Val on Con’s right. Papa and Aunt Charlotte dominated the conversation, and she was beginning to think she would not be fond of her aunt.
“She is a bit much,” Con said quietly of his mother. “When the two of them are together, they seem to forget about everyone else.”
Aunt Charlotte did ask a few questions of Lord Aldridge, including asking him if he were considering finding a wife this Season.
“Yes, my lady,” the marquess said, causing a chill to run through Ariadne. “Since the previous marquess had no children of his own, I feel it is my duty to take a wife as soon as I can and provide an heir.”
“A wise choice, my lord,” Aunt Charlotte declared.
Her father and aunt dominated conversation for the rest of tea, and Ariadne wished she could spend more time talking with her cousin and Lord Aldridge. She glanced to Val, who knew how to effortlessly change the direction of any situation.
“Papa? If you don’t mind, I think we younger people are going to stretch our legs.”
“Go ahead,” the duke said before looking to his sister. “You will stay for dinner, Charlotte?”
“Of course, Millbrooke.”
Val rose and bent to kiss Aunt Charlotte’s cheek. “We will see you later then,” he promised.
They escaped the drawing room, and she stopped a passing maid, asking for her to retrieve the blue velvet spencer and a bonnet for their walk.
“We do not have to go walking, Sis,” Val told her as the maid scurried away. “If we like, we can go hide in the library.”
“No, a walk sounds good to me,” she replied, looking at their guests. “That is, if Lord Aldridge and Cousin Con care to do so.”
“After listening to Mama go on and on, I am more than happy to be outdoors,” Con said. “Aldridge?”
“I enjoy walking,” the marquess said.
They went to the foyer, where the men received their hats and walking canes and Tally helped Ariadne into her spencer. She tied the ribbons of her bonnet, and they were off.
Her brother and cousin were deep in conversation by then, so she fell back. Lord Aldridge offered her his arm, and she slipped her hand through the crook of it. He felt warm and smelled of a wonderful cologne that reminded her of being deep in the woods.
“Your cousin is very nice,” the marquess said.
“I think so, too. I have only met him once before today, but I truly like him.”
“Your families are not close? It seems His Grace and Lady Marley certainly are.”
“I have heard Papa say they were thick as thieves growing up, along with their cousin, my uncle George. He is deceased now. The adults all see one another each year when they came to town for the Season. We cousins were only brought together once. It has been at least ten years ago or more, for Uncle George was alive then.”
She chuckled. “That was when we all discovered why we have such unusual names.”
He looked intrigued. “How so?”
“Apparently, Papa and Aunt Charlotte were fascinated by Roman and Byzantine history. They brought Uncle George into it, and they would pretend to be various emperors and empresses during play. They all decided when they had children, they would name their offspring after these people in history whom they adored.”
Lord Aldridge nodded thoughtfully. “I confess I had never heard the name Ariadne before. I assume Val and Con are diminutive forms of rather fancier names.”
“Yes. Val is Valentinian, while Con is actually Constantine. My twin sisters are Cornelia, who goes by Lia, while Thermantia is known as Tia.”
He laughed. “That last one is a mouthful. No wonder she prefers Lady Tia.”
“My other cousins also have nicknames. Con’s sisters Lucilla and Livia Drusilla are called Lucy and Dru. Uncle George’s daughters have done what I have and kept their given names of Verina and Justina, while his eldest, Hadrian, is now known as Tray since he is the Earl of Traywick.”
“Did I count ten cousins in all?” Lord Aldridge asked.
“Yes, there are ten of us. I am hoping as more of us turn older, we will be in town each year for the Season and get to know one another better. Papa always claimed it was too far for us to visit family or for them to visit us. He despises time spent in a carriage and is forever lamenting about England’s muddy, slow roads. Con’s family lives in the west, in Somerset. Uncle George lived in the Lake District in the northwest of England, but he came to Millvale, the ducal estate, summers, while his parents were in town. That is why he knew Papa and Aunt Chalotte so well.”
“I wonder what it would be like to be from such a large family,” mused the marquess.
“Do you truly have no one since your mother passed on?”
“I suppose there is her family. The ones who tossed her aside when they learned she was expecting a child out of wedlock. Because of their cruelty, I would never wish to meet any of them, much less claim them as kin. And my birth father wed three times, outliving each wife. They had no children of their own. It is only me.”
“Would you want a large family because you have been so alone, my lord?”
He grew thoughtful. “I have yet to contemplate it, but I must say I am a bit envious of your large family, my lady. I can only wonder about having so many brothers and sisters, much less all those cousins.”
She smiled. “I highly recommend having a large family. “I was so happy to have Val and my sisters while I was growing up. I believe we will remain close, no matter whom we choose as spouses or where we might live in the future. For me, that is what the Season will be like in the years to come. Time to see my family and all my nieces and nephews and dote on them. The four of us made a pact long ago. We decided we would never leave our children in the country for months and months. We will bring them to town with us at the start of each Season. If later they wish to go home for some of the summer, they can do so, but I think it is a terrible idea to separate families.”
“Are you close to your parents?” he asked.
Ariadne sighed. “I would like to tell you otherwise, but no, they are merely my parents. I do not feel for them what I feel for my siblings. I love Val and the twins. Mama and Papa? I am respectful to them, but I feel no true bond with them. They both adore Val, naturally, because he is the heir. Val is good-natured and does not act spoiled in the slightest, but even he realizes the favoritism shown him.”
“Because he is the heir,” Lord Aldridge said flatly.
“Yes. He is who is important. Girls are to be married off and in my parents’ case, most likely forgotten.” She grinned. “I can imagine two decades from now entering a ballroom and speaking to my mother—and her not having a clue who I am.”
“What of her grandchildren? Would she not be interested in them?”
Shrugging, Ariadne said, “Possibly if I birth any boys. Mama is a bit selfish. Her world revolves around her friends and clothes.”
The marquess halted in his tracks. His gaze bored into her, as if he could see down to her very soul. “You want a different life, don’t you, my lady?”
“I do,” she said quietly. “I want to see my children daily. Talk and play with them. I want my husband to do the same. I also want to do more than simply bear children and wear pretty gowns. I want to make a difference. How, I am not certain of yet, but I will discover what I am meant to do—and do it rather well.”
Lord Aldridge smiled at her, causing Ariadne’s belly to flood with butterflies flapping their wings. He had a very nice smile, one which drew a person in, ready to share confidences.
“I have every confidence you will find your chosen path, Lady Ariadne,” he told her.
They gazed at one another, neither moving, until Val called, “We should head home. It looks as if a storm is brewing.”
Reluctantly, she turned her gaze to the heavens, seeing the darkening clouds.
The four of them walked briskly back to the square. As they reached the ducal townhouse, a footman came dashing toward Lord Aldridge.
“My lord, a messenger just arrived from Aldridge Manor. Your steward has died suddenly, and you are requested to return to the country at once.”