Chapter Three
Verina felt refreshed after her brief nap.
Sarie, the maid Tia had assigned to her cousins, was young but seemed dependable.
She told Verina that her older sister was Lady Merriman’s lady’s maid, and that she hoped she, too, could be a lady’s maid someday.
Verina did not say anything, waiting to get a better idea of the girl’s skills with hair and clothing, but Mama had told her that she might have her own lady’s maid when the Season started next spring.
If Sarie proved to be reliable, Verina hoped she might talk Tia into allowing Sarie to move to their household.
Sarie told her that she could wear the same dress she had changed into for tea, explaining that Lord and Lady Merrifield kept a casual table in the country and that they did not dress in evening wear to dine.
“But a duke and duchess are coming to dinner this evening,” Verina said. “I wish to wear a better gown because of that.”
“Of course, my lady,” the maid said, going to the wardrobe and pulling one out. “How about this one, Lady Verina? This shade of blue would bring out your own blue eyes.”
Since it was a favorite of hers, one which she thought would help her make a good impression with the duke and duchess, she agreed. “Yes, that gown will do nicely.”
The servant dressed her and then took down Verina’s hair. “I have an idea of what to do with your hair. You do have lovely locks, my lady.”
She sat at the dressing table in the room, watching in the mirror as Sarie unpinned her hair and brushed it until it shone. Then, she artfully twisted pieces and pinned them in a style Verina had never seen, but she was pleased with the results.
“See, my lady? Simple but elegant. It suits you.”
“Thank you, Sarie. I like it quite a bit.”
“If you don’t need anything else, I’ll head across the hall to Lady Justina and help her get ready.”
“I will come with you,” Verina said, wanting to see how the maid would arrange her sister’s hair.
Justina chose to wear the same gown she had changed into for tea, brushing aside Verina’s concerns about them dining with a duke and duchess.
“Val and Eden are a duke and duchess. Hugo’s friends are people, just as we are, Verina.”
Sometimes, she wished she could be more like her sister.
More carefree and not as concerned with her future.
Yet Verina knew in her heart that she wanted to wed and have children more than anything in the world.
She hoped she would find her future husband during her first Season.
While she did not care whether he possessed a title or not, she did want him to be respectful of her.
She also wished he would become friends with the men in her family.
Family meant a great deal to her, and her husband would be seeing quite a bit of hers when they came to town each Season.
She only hoped the man she chose to wed would agree to bring their children to town, as Ariadne had suggested.
Ariadne had been the first of the ten cousins to wed, and she and Julian had decided they would always bring their children to town.
They had already started doing so with Penelope, their firstborn.
Ariadne said she had hated being abandoned by her parents when they went to town each year for months of the Season, and she was unwilling to make her own children suffer in that manner.
Moreover, all the cousins liked one another, and Ariadne said it would be fun for them to bring all the children in the family to town so that the new generation of cousins could grow up familiar with one another, strengthening the bonds of family.
This past Season, in addition to Penelope, Lucy and Judson had brought Elizabeth and Val and Eden had brought William to town.
Of course, all three babes were still quite young, but it was a practice those three couples intended to keep up.
Dru had given birth to Beau this past July, but she and Perry had already decided he would join his other cousins in the nursery come next Season.
Lia, who was due to give birth next month, had also written to all the cousins and promised she and Rupert would definitely bring along their little one.
She assumed Tia and Hugo would go along with this plan, Tia and Lia being twins and so close.
They now lived on opposite sides of England, so coming to the Season would be very important to them in order to see one another.
Ariadne had shared that while she and Julian would attend a handful of events each Season, she would reserve most of their time to spend with the family which came to town.
Now that Con had wed Rowena, Verina assumed the pair would do the same once they had children of their own. Con and Val had been the closest of friends since boyhood, so whatever Val did, Con would surely agree to.
Verina decided to create a list of qualities she would seek in a husband.
At the top of that list would be a man who cherished family.
If he did so, he would treat her well and do the same with their children.
Everything else would be secondary. It would be nice if he were handsome, and she did like to laugh, so a sense of humor would be important.
Beyond that, she determined to be open to the gentlemen she would meet at the many events held during the Season.
And prayed she would make the right match.
Sarie finished dressing Justina’s hair. Her sister’s eyes opened wide.
“Oh, I do like this. I look older, don’t I, Verina?”
“You do. And very beautiful,” she said. “Thank you, Sarie. That will be all.”
“Just ring when you need help undressing this evening, my ladies. I’ll be here quick as I can.”
After Sarie left, Verina said, “I am thinking Sarie would be a perfect lady’s maid for me.”
Justina gasped. “You cannot go about stealing Tia’s servants,” she chided.
“I will not say anything just yet. I want to see how Sarie does over the course of our stay here. Something tells me that Tia would not mind. She has mentioned being pleased with her own lady’s maid, which is Sarie’s sister. Sarie told me she also has aspirations of becoming a lady’s maid.”
Her sister nodded slowly. “Yes, I can see how that would work out. But you would have to talk with Mama about it, too.”
“Remember, Mama is to come with Tray for Christmas. By then, I will know if I want to hire Sarie or not. If I do, she might even return with us to Traywick Manor. Or Tia could bring Sarie with her to town next spring. I just wanted to get your opinion. Let us go downstairs to the drawing room. I am excited to meet the duke and duchess.”
When they entered, she saw Tray and Hugo were already there. They joined them. Hugo was telling a story. He had a deep voice and a very deliberate way of speaking, pausing every now and then. His story had them laughing, though, as Tia joined them.
“Oh, look at the two of you,” she exclaimed. “I see Sarie has been hard at work. She is very clever with hair. I quite like how fashionable my cousins look this evening.”
“Mama has told me that Verina is to have a lady’s maid once we go to town for the Season,” Tray said.
“It will be your first time . . . at the Season. Is that correct?” Hugo asked Tray.
Her brother nodded. “I am done with my university studies. I suppose I could have gone to past Seasons, but I was eager to get home to Traywick Manor each summer. Now that I have reached my majority, all decisions are in my hands. It is one of the reasons I am returning to town to meet with my banker, my financial adviser, and my solicitor. While I have been involved in the estate from the time I was young, I do feel the burden of being the earl more heavily now than before.”
Hugo turned to her, smiling. “And you . . . will make your come-out.”
“Yes, I will be old enough to do so. Justina is also coming to town with us. It would be wrong for the three of us to leave her alone in Cumberland.”
Justina sniffed. “I would be perfectly fine, you know. It would give me plenty of time to draw and paint. But it will be nice to see family and visit some of the museums in town.”
The butler entered and announced, “His Grace, the Duke of Reddington.”
For a moment, Verina was disappointed as a man entered the drawing room. She had been looking forward to meeting the duchess. Still, she put a smile on her face, ready to meet Hugo’s good friend.
As he drew near, she thought him lean as a whippet and about six feet in height.
He reached their circle, and she was taken with his cornflower blue eyes and mane of blond hair.
She had heard of dimples before but never seen one until now.
He had one in his chin, and Verina had the strongest urge to reach out and touch it.
“Good evening,” he said, greeting their group.
“It is good of you to come, Matthew,” Hugo said. “May I introduce Lady Verina Fulton and Lady Justina Fulton, cousins of Tia, as well as Lord Traywick, their brother? His Grace, the Duke of Reddington.”
The duke took Verina’s hand. Bowing, he brushed his lips across her knuckles, causing a tremor to run through her.
Sarie had said evening gloves were not necessary, and so his touch was even more intimate than a usual introduction.
She thought all her cousins and their husbands quite nice-looking, but this duke looked as if he had stepped from a fairytale.
“It is good to meet you, Lady Verina.”
“Likewise, Your Grace.”
The duke greeted her siblings, and then Tia asked, “What of the duchess? I am disappointed she did not accompany you this evening.”
“It was a hectic day. We actually wound up with an unexpected guest, and she is attending to her this evening.”
“You could have sent a note and canceled,” Tia said. “Or we could have made room for your guests at our table.”
“No, the duchess encouraged me to come without her. I enjoy my visits to Merrifield, more so now that my friend has wed a lively conversationalist,” Reddington complimented.