Chapter Seventeen
Four months later . . .
It was the eve of the Season, and Verina sat in Val and Eden’s drawing room.
Con and Rowena were also there. She liked Con’s new wife quite a bit.
Rowena was due to give birth in late August. She and Con would spend about a month in town, visiting with family, and then they would travel home to Somerset to await the birth of their firstborn.
If Con had his way, they wouldn’t have come to town at all, but Rowena had been eager to meet the others in Con’s large family.
Verina was glad they had come. She enjoyed Rowena’s company and had fun partnering with her at cards.
It seemed to be well known that Rowena was now the best cardplayer in the family.
“At least I am good at card play,” Rowena had said. “Especially since I am atrocious at dancing.”
Con was an elegant dancer, and it surprised Verina that he had been attracted to a woman who was not graceful on the dance floor.
Then again, all she had to do was look at the pair and see the love between them.
Rowena was beautiful and smart, and Con told everyone who would listen what a fortunate man he was in having won his wife’s heart.
Tia and Hugo would not be attending the Season.
Her babe was due at the beginning of June, and Hugo would not risk them traveling the bumpy roads to London while Tia was so large and feeling uncomfortable.
Lia and Rupert had come to town, bringing Celia and their five-month-old twins with them, and Verina found the pair absolutely adorable.
When Con and Rowena left town, Lia’s family would, too, but they would travel on to Merrifield so that Tia might meet Edward and Mary, and Lia could be with her twin when she gave birth.
Ariadne and Julian entered the room, Julian carrying Penelope.
Verina had learned that Julian had set the standard for the men in the family.
Ariadne had been the first of the ten cousins to wed, and Julian, a former dock worker who had surprisingly gained a title, was most open in his affection for his daughter.
Julian carried Penelope about and spent hours in the nursery with her.
The other men, as they had become fathers, took their cues from Julian, being as affectionate and loving with their babes as they were with their wives.
“Greetings to all,” Ariadne said, coming to take a seat next to Verina. “Are you ready for your first ball tomorrow night?”
“I believe so. I am excited. A bit nervous.”
“Tell me of your gown,” her cousin insisted, and Verina did so, answering questions about it from Ariadne and Rowena.
While she did so, Dru and Perry arrived, bringing Beau with them, and Lucy and Judson also stopped by, Elizabeth in tow.
Soon, the men were on the floor, playing with all the children.
“This was how George was with you children,” Mama said to her, wiping away a tear. “Always playing with you or singing to you.”
“I recall how Papa, Lucius, and I would play with tin soldiers, lining them up for battle,” Tray enthused. “When I have boys, I will do the same.”
“You should play soldiers with boys and girls,” Justina said saucily. “Men are not the only one with brains. Why, I believe if the king allowed a woman to be prime minister and another minister of war, they would find a way to defeat Bonaparte and bring peace to Europe.”
Verina only wished she could remember her own papa. While Tray had been ten when the carriage accident took their father, she had been five and only had shadowy memories of Papa. Poor Justina had been four and had confided that she had no memories of Papa at all.
Lucy asked her a question, and Verina turned her attention to her cousin. It was so good to be in the midst of her large family. She knew she would busy seeing family, as well as attending ton affairs, over the next few months.
But what most excited her was seeing the Duke of Reddington tomorrow night.
Teacarts were rolled in, and Eden and Aunt Alice poured out for everyone. Aunt Charlotte came and took a seat beside Verina.
“I hear you and Justina had a nice, long visit with Tia at Merrifield.”
“Yes. We spent about two months in Norfolk while Mama was in town caring for Mrs. Walters, one of her cousins. Mama joined us, however, and spent the last few weeks at Merrifield.”
Aunt Charlotte asked Verina all kinds of questions, from details regarding Hugo’s estate to the number of gowns Madame Laurent had made up for her.
Aunt Charlotte was the most intimidating figure in the family.
Con had often said—out of his mother’s earshot—that Aunt Charlotte would have preferred being born a man so that she might have been the duke, instead of her brother.
Ariadne tapped her spoon against her porcelain teacup. “May I have your attention?” She paused as the group grew quiet. “Thank you. Julian and I have happy news to share with you all. Come October, Penelope is going to be a big sister.”
Aunt Alice broke out in tears, hugging her daughter. Val kissed his sister’s cheek, while Julian began accepting handshakes from the men.
“Congratulations,” Eden told her sister-in-law. “You were the first cousin to wed. The first to have a child. And now you will be the first to have a second one.”
“Unless you count Lia,” Judson said. “She had two at the same time.”
Eden laughed. “You are right. I am simply delighted that Ariadne has paved the way for us all. Not only was she the first to wed, but she wed for love. Isn’t it marvelous how all the cousins since then have followed in her footsteps?”
“And Verina will be next,” Tray proclaimed. “That is, if I let any gentlemen within ten paces of her.”
Everyone laughed, and she found herself blushing from all the attention.
“Do you wish to wed for love?” Dru asked her. “It is not always the case. Sometimes, a marriage occurs for other reasons, but the couple comes to love one another.”
Her gaze met Justina’s. Fortunately, her sister did not say anything.
Verina had not confided in Mama or Tray, much less any of her cousins, about her budding feelings for the Duke of Reddington.
And if her family found out, she could imagine the unmerciful teasing, followed by matchmaking, where her cousins tried to constantly throw her and the duke together.
“I am keeping an open mind,” she said, realizing everyone had fallen silent, listening for her reply.
“Let me say this,” Dru said. “I would not look for love. Let it find you. Frankly, I was not enamored with the Season—much less marriage—but once Perry came into my life? Everything changed.”
“For the better, I hope,” her husband said, lacing his fingers through hers.
“Well, we have a large family with many strong social connections,” Val said. “Any gentleman who shows an interest in Verina will certainly face our scrutiny.”
“I believe the Duchess of Reddington will take our Verina under her wing,” Mama said. “She seemed most fond of you. And it never hurts to have a duchess helping launch you into Polite Society.”
“Her Grace is most fond of Verina,” Justina said.
“Reddington isn’t wed, is he?” Judson asked. “We have met him. A fine fellow.”
Verina felt her cheeks warm and took a sip of tea, hoping to hide the blush.
Aunt Charlotte asked, “Have you met this Reddington, Verina?”
She lowered the teacup and set it back onto the saucer. “Yes, several times, Aunt. He is good friends with Hugo. Tray also has a fondness for His Grace.”
Her brother said, “Reddington is a wonderful sort. We spent many hours together when I went to Merrifield several months ago.”
Tray began talking about things the duke did on his estate, and the men in the family jumped into the conversation, comparing notes on what each did in a similar fashion. The women began talking of fashion and babes and new recipes for their cooks to try.
Then Ariadne asked, “Would you care to take a turn around the room, Verina? I find if I sit for too long, I become uncomfortable. At least my head is not in a chamber pot every few minutes this time around.”
She rose and linked arms with her cousin, and they began a slow stroll about the drawing room.
“You are interested in this duke,” Ariadne observed.
“Yes,” she admitted. “He is unlike anyone I have ever known.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Hesitating a moment, she finally said, “I believe I might be. I tell myself that he is the first man, outside of our family, that I have really come to know. He is great friends with Hugo and spends quite a bit of time at Merrifield. Hugo and Tia look upon Reddington and his mother as family.”
“Does your heart speed up when he enters a room? Do you find yourself thinking about him at odd times—or all the time? Do you dream of kissing him?”
“Yes. All those things.” Then lowering her voice, she said, “We have kissed. Twice.”
Ariadne beamed at her. “Oh, that is a very good sign, Verina. Kissing you once might mean he was merely curious about you. But doing so twice definitely shows interest on his part.”
By now, they were on the far side of the room. Ariadne paused and looked out the window.
“We cannot be overheard. Speak freely, Verina.”
“He kissed me once, and then he told me he wouldn’t again until I asked him to do so.”
Her cousin chuckled. “I already like him. And since you told me you have kissed twice, I assume you finally did so.”
“Yes. It was a long time between those two occasions. And he said something quite odd. I have not been able to figure out the meaning. He said that he wished he could kiss me for hours, but he did not believe I was ready for the kind of kisses he wished to give me.”
“I see.”
“What do you see?” she beseeched. “Please, tell me. I haven’t any idea what he was talking about. I have fretted over it for months. There have been times when I thought I could not breathe if I did not see him again.”
Ariadne smiled. “It does sound as if you are in love. Tell me the kind of man Reddington is.”
“A very good one. He is a most dutiful son, looking after his mother more than most men. He lost his father when he was young, so he came into his title as a boy. He does not trust easily because he believes people like him for being a duke, not for who he really is.”
“But you do not care that he is a duke, do you?”
“Not really. I admire him quite a bit.”
Verina did not want to give away the duke’s secrets. Not that he had pledged her to silence, but she knew even Hugo and Tia did not know of his good deeds, so she would not be the one to share them with others.
“What do you admire most about him?”
“His character. He is a man of honor. He seeks to help those in need, using his title and wealth to do so.” She did not think that gave away too much, especially if Ariadne learned how the duke had helped Hugo with his stammer.
“He is also very kind. And he plays the pianoforte better than anyone I have ever met. He is jovial and loves to sing. He is most pleasant to be around.”
“It sounds as if you are friends with him.”
“Yes, I believe we are. I feel I know him almost as well as I do myself, and yet there are times when I am not certain I know anything about him at all.”
Ariadne squeezed Verina’s hand. “Ah, the mystery of men. Even now, after being wed to Julian, having had his child, and carrying another one of his, there are still times when he does or says something—and I wonder if I truly know the man I married.” Her cousin smiled at her.
“I would not worry, Verina. It sounds as if the two of you have much in common, as well as a foundation of friendship. Will he be at the Season?”
She nodded. “He told me he would be my most fervent suitor.”
“Aha! Then you have the answer for yourself. It seems Reddington plans to pursue you. And make you his duchess.”
Her heart sped up at the thought. “How will I truly know if I am in love with him, Ariadne?”
Her cousin pondered the question. “I think it is different for all of us. For me, I could not imagine my life without Julian in it. Even now, when something happens and we are apart, the first thing I think of is that I must tell Julian what happened. I want to share everything with him, from little things to large.”
“And what about the kissing he wants us to do?”
Ariadne chuckled. “Your duke knows you are inexperienced. He does not want to go too far or too fast with you. But I will tell you this. If he said it to you, then a need for you is growing inside him. He desires you—and that is only going to grow stronger. I look forward to meeting Reddington tomorrow night. You will stand with the family as gentlemen come for an introduction to you. They will ask to see your dance programme. I suggest having your duke take the supper dance. That way, you not only get to dance with him, you also will be able to spend the supper hour in his company.”
“That is a little frightening. What if I run out of things to say to him?”
“You won’t. I promise you that. Usually, the family has a table or two in the supper room. Tell Reddington that I have requested that you and your supper partner dine with Julian and me. I promise to save a seat for the two of you at our table.”
“Oh, would you, Ariadne? That would be wonderful.”
“Come, let us rejoin the others. We shall keep this between us, your feelings for the duke and his for you. Of course, I will tell Julian to make him aware, but he will not tell another soul.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
Ariadne smoothed Verina’s hair. “You are going to enjoy tomorrow night more than you think possible.”
Verina did—until everything went terribly wrong.