Chapter Eight
I t had taken Josephine several days, and nights, to finally find the courage within her to return to the Lyon’s Den. A note sent to Cassandra’s from Mrs. Dove-Lyon had advised Josephine if she didn’t show up tonight, then any obligation the widow had to find Josephine a suitable husband would be void. Nor would Cassandra see any sort of a refund of the monies she had turned over. Josephine couldn’t let Cassandra be out such a large sum with nothing to show for it, and so she conceded defeat.
But that didn’t mean she had to go out onto the balcony to see the men who wagered their fortunes on silly bets with disastrous outcomes. She prayed her brother had recovered from whatever they had put in his drink. She may be ostracized from the only family she had left but that didn’t mean she held any ill will toward Simon.
So here she sat with another losing hand of cards. There was no sense in denying her curiosity was going to get the best of her. She couldn’t help herself from wondering if Gyles would be below. She had been afraid to look let alone let her heart become fractured all over again.
She wasn’t the same girl she had been back in her younger days although she still had those same insecurities. She would never be good enough for a marquis, not after her past life. She wasn’t proud of what she had done but she couldn’t change what had happened. She could only try to move forward and hope Mrs. Dove-Lyon would at least find a man for her that she could find a small amount of affection for. She wouldn’t ask for more than that.
She folded her hand and excused herself from the table, thinking she would see what the buffet table had to offer. She never got that far. Mrs. Dove-Lyon entered the card room and made her way directly to Josephine and took her elbow moving her toward the one place she didn’t want to go. The balcony!
“You try my patience, Mrs. Bouchard,” she scolded like Josephine was barely out of the school room.
“Have I offended you, Mrs. Dove-Lyon?” Josephine asked quietly wondering what she had done to anger the woman. It was hard to guess what the lady was feeling seeing as Josephine couldn’t see the woman behind her heavy black veil.
“Of course, you have,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon proclaimed wagging her finger at Josephine. “You are here to be seen , my dear, not to cower away in the lady’s salon like a frightened kitten. I make my matches after observing the men to see who is interested in which of the women who appear on the woman’s balcony. It’s an important part of choosing the right man.”
“But—”
“There are no buts , Mrs. Bouchard,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon interrupted as she steered Josephine out onto the balcony. She waved her hand to a nearby servant who produced a chair and set it near the railing. “If you don’t want to stand, here is a chair for you to sit but I expect you to be out here for the majority of the time you are here. Is that clear?”
Josephine gulped. “Yes, my lady.”
“Good. Now enjoy the view. There are several prospective gentlemen here tonight and I want to ensure I pick only the best for you. You will be back amongst the best of the ton in no time.”
The lady left as abruptly as she had arrived, leaving Josephine to take in a deep breath of air before she turned her attention to the men below. She was completely on display since she was the only woman out here. Was this possibly another ploy of the Widow of Whitehall? Josephine didn’t know but she felt like she was being sold to the highest bidder, even though she hardly considered herself a prize given her past. How would she ever get through the night?
Josephine lifted her fingertips up to the mask concealing her face. It was still in place. At the very least she had a small measure of comfort that anyone below wouldn’t be able to recognize her… that is, if they even remembered Simon had a sister. She had done her best to hide her whereabouts not wishing to cause her brother further embarrassment. She had heard the rumors he had been looking for her over the years, but she had no desire to try to reconcile their differences. Given Mrs. Dove-Lyon was attempting to bring Josephine back into Society, her relationship with her brother might also change for the better. But that might be asking too much.
She scanned the room below her. Several gentlemen gazed up at her before returning to their cards or conversations. And then she saw him and everything within her changed. A lock of his tawny-colored hair fell rakishly over his forehead and her hand itched to brush those locks back into place. Long fingers held onto a crystal glass until they raised the cup to his full sensual lips. What would it feel like to have him kiss her like he did in her dreams? If Mrs. Dove-Lyon had her way, Josephine would never know for she’d be married to some other man.
When his brown eyes met hers, she watched those same lips she had dreamed creep up into a wicked grin. He nodded his head and Josephine did the same before she tore her gaze away. Her heart racing, she reached out for the chair to slide down into the seat that had been provided for her. She barely made it there before her knees began to buckle .
Cassandra came out onto the balcony and another chair was provided for her. She sat down next to Josephine while she, too, took in the scene below.
“Your prospects have improved tonight. I see at least one duke, several marquises, and any number of earls here for Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s choosing,” Cassandra purred before she leaned forward to scan the men again. “I do hope she doesn’t pair you with the Earl of Blackthorn.”
Josephine shook her head. “I have no idea who the widow has plans to pair me up with, only that I’ve been told I’m to sit out here so I’m on public display. I feel like a chicken in a henhouse with a number of foxes prowling outside, waiting to come and pounce on me.”
Cassandra laughed. “My dear friend, there will be no pouncing here, and you know it. I can only stay here with you for a little while. The balcony is off limits this evening to any of the other ladies. You must have made a real impression on Mrs. Dove-Lyon.”
“Right,” Josephine murmured drawing out the word before she recalled what her friend had said earlier. “Since I’m not really knowledgeable these days on who’s who within Society, should I ask you exactly who is the Earl of Blackthorn?”
“Utterly divine, my dear, and someone I’ve had my eyes on for a while now.”
“I wasn’t aware you were looking for another lover, Cassie.” Josephine was surprised. From other things her friend had said, she’d thought that Cassandra wasn’t looking for a husband for herself after all.
Cassandra shook her head. “Not as a lover, Josie. I can’t return back to Society if I take a lover and then all my hard work to see we are once more acceptable will be for naught. Now let me see… I’m certain he’s here,” she commented as she again scanned the room. “Ah… there he is, standing at the bar with one of his friends who just happens to be your marquis. ”
“He’s not my marquis.”
“If you say so, my dear.”
Josephine finally got the courage to once again look in the direction of Gyles. There were two men standing next to him so she wasn’t sure which one her friend was interested in. “Which one is he?”
“The one with the black hair who looks as if the very devil is upsetting him. I’ve heard he has a way with the ladies, if you take my meaning,” Cassandra answered looking as if she wanted the man in her bed with or without the arrangement of marriage.
“He looks like he’s in a foul mood. Why are you interested in someone who portrays such an unsettling disposition?” Josephine asked as she continued to watch the men.
“It’s all about perception. I suppose it keeps the riffraff away along with anyone he doesn’t wish to have a conversation with. Under that gruff exterior, I hear Lucius is a very upstanding gentleman. Besides, haven’t you heard that a rake makes the best husband?”
“Who is the other gentleman with them?” she asked instead of answering Cassandra’s question.
“That is Asher Tyler, Earl of Rowley. They attended Oxford with the Marquis of Saxton, Moriah’s husband. They’ve been friends ever since.”
They continued to sit there in silence but Josephine swore she could feel Gyles’s eyes on her the entire time she stayed on the balcony. After an hour had passed, a servant brought a note and handed the parchment to Josephine. She cracked the seal belonging to Mrs. Dove-Lyon and read her note.
“She’s made her selection for me,” Josephine said with a heavy heart as the unknown lay before her. “She will be sending a gown and mask to your townhouse, and I am to attend a masquerade at Vauxhall Gardens next week. She’ll send further instructions.”
“Then we, or more importantly you, no longer need to stay here on display and can leave if you’re ready to go,” Cassandra said nodding as she came to a stand, causing Josephine to do the same.
“Yes… there’s no point in lingering here anymore,” Josephine replied but before she left the balcony, she stole one more look at Gyles who smiled in her direction.
With a gentle nod of her head, she left the balcony, not allowing herself to glance back at the man who had always owned her heart. Her future was about to begin and there was no longer any point in looking at her past.