Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
“Ionly mean to say – the polite thing to do would have been to ignore it. Ignore them both – who cares what cruel little Estelle and her mother think?” Nora Wightman huffed in annoyance as she folded her arms.
“It was not polite of them to look down on you for your interests. God knows a few of those would help them seem less like the bland ladies they are,” she stated.
Jane Fenwell sighed, looking sadder than she had been moments earlier. “It does not matter what they said. I mean – it is not as though they were wrong –”
“They were,” Penelope Waverly insisted in her usual headstrong manner. “Ridiculously so, in fact. Who cares if you prefer to be indoors with your room full of books than mingling with an air of pretense like most of these brainless –”
“Penelope,” Jane and Nora chastised, both of them sporting the same exasperated but fond expression.
Around them, music and laughter filled the air as people mingled and chattered the night away, some of them pairing off towards the dance floor.
A ball was certainly not the right place for Penelope to air her…
less than savory opinions about certain members of society, and Nora only hoped that her friend would realize this and choose to let go of her aggression.
Penelope folded her arms and rolled her eyes.
“You both are beginning to sound like my mother. Look, Estelle and her vulture mother do not matter. I believe we came here to find Nora another match after the last one disappointed her greatly. Perhaps we should focus on that?”
Nora and Jane exchanged a look, then both of them moved, assuming a place by Penelope’s side, intertwining their arms with theirs.
“You are absolutely right. Our Jane is lovely and perfect – even with the countless facts she has rattling in her wonderful mind.” Nora nodded.
Jane blushed and mumbled something about how it was pointless to flatter her, and they giggled. But their joy was short-lived as conversations around them began to swell.
“– that her? I thought she would be prettier in person. It’s no wonder –”
“She does not seem to be disappointed. Perhaps it was her fault indeed.”
“She is no doubt here tonight in search of another poor man to make her victim. It has not been too long since things ended with the last one.”
“I’m surprised she can show her face so boldly. After such a shameful –”
“Why should the shame be hers to bear alone?” Penelope spoke up then, silencing the whispers buzzing around them. “I do hope you are being just as critical of the man responsible for this, just as you have chosen to persecute her.”
Nora shook her head, feeling the excitement that had been welling up within her wilt at the whispers that reached her ears.
“Pay them no mind, Penelope. It is not worth it.”
She nudged her friends to the other side of the room, Jane following along easily, whereas Penelope resisted slightly so she could engage in an argument.
“Such uncouth behavior displayed so publicly,” Penelope tutted in disgust.
“I do not care,” Nora stated firmly, her words serving as encouragement to herself as well. “Their words are merely a reflection of their thoughts, and it doesn’t matter what they think. Very soon, this whole charade will be behind me.”
It was not surprising that people were talking, honestly. It was rare for engagements to break so suddenly as hers did, after weeks of courtship no less. But she would not let it slow her down.
Other suitors had expressed interest in her, many of whom had sent her gifts and flowers upon hearing the end of the engagement. That alone said she still had their interest.
This was bound to be her last season. She would make absolutely sure to have secured a proposal.
“There are quite a lot of better options for you to choose,” Penelope nodded, glancing around the ballroom. “But you should err on the side of caution. Do not let any man take advantage of your kind heart, not again.”
“And find someone who is smarter too. Not… one that tries harder to hide his transgressions but rather knows better than to attempt to fool the one he claims to love,” Jane advised softly.
“If he’s a man, she’ll likely have some trouble with that. They’re as thick as they come, believing somehow to be pioneers of ancient wisdom,” Penelope snorted, walking around her friends to a table laden with appetizers and drinks a few feet away.
Nora laughed, feeling much more confident than she had been moments ago.
It would be just fine. She only needed to focus on herself moving forward, on her wants and desires, and on finding a man who would respect all of those and yearn to give her the world.
She spotted a handsome face among the crowd, surrounded by ladies of the season and their mamas, and beckoned her friends closer.
“Lord Mortimer would make a fine choice, don’t you think?”
Penelope stared at him for a moment, then she nodded.
“He does have a decent record, though his sisters can be quite snobby. If he falls for you completely, he’ll pay them no mind whatsoever.”
“He does have kind eyes,” Jane added.
Nora nodded, taking in the baron’s handsome features for a moment longer before her gaze shifted to another man, this one even more handsome than the last.
“Oh! Look! It’s Lord Wemble! I say, he manages to look so immensely dreamy each time I lay my eyes on him,” she sighed.
“And he’s just returned from university. So, you know he does have some brains.” Penelope nodded in approval.
“I heard he volunteers in the soup kitchens in winter to help feed the poor,” Jane pointed out gently.
“Oh, a philanthropist. Or a poser. Either way, it means his image is good, and he wouldn’t want that jeopardized so easily,” Penelope added sagely.
Just then, the viscount they were talking about glanced in their direction, his eyes resting on Nora’s face for a second longer before he nodded at them.
With a blush, Nora curtsied demurely, and her friends did the same, both of them giggling excitedly by her side.
“That certainly gets things started for you, does it not?” Penelope teased with a grin.
Nora moved to pinch her friend, both of them giggling. Suddenly, Jane reached for her hand, tugging slightly to catch her attention.
“Just a moment, Jane – I must punish this insolent girl.” Nora grinned, her eyes still on Penelope’s playful expression.
“No – just – look!” Jane urged in a hushed whisper.
Nora finally shifted her attention in time to notice that the room had fallen silent. She straightened her posture, glancing around the ballroom as people stepped aside for a newcomer to pass through.
As he made his way through, whispers began to spread around the room, all in astonishment and wonder. It took a moment, but then Nora got a good look at who had walked in – Godric, Duke of Ironwell.
A hush fell over the room as those in attendance became keenly aware of the duke’s presence. Even the string quartet struggled to keep their focus away from him, some of them missing a few notes before catching themselves and continuing to play flawlessly.
Couples who had been dancing stumbled to a stop, their gazes following the duke as he walked past the dance floor, whispers rising furiously around him. He moved with grace and poise, clearly unfazed by the remarks about him, but regardless, tongues continued to wag.
“Is that –”
“As I live and breathe! It really is him!”
“How odd to find him at such a public gathering! I believed he preferred to spend his time privately.”
“Chin up, ladies. Shoulders back, exude confidence! Good. Perhaps the tides have turned in our favor tonight.”
At the last remark from an eager mother, Penelope snorted and rolled her eyes, but Nora understood the excitement surrounding the duke’s arrival.
Women milled around him, clamoring for his interest as they bat their eyes and rolled their shoulders back in an effort to draw subtle attention to their bosoms. The men looked like they could not decide whether to be cross about the swift theft of admiration from the women or feel inferior in his presence.
His presence was certainly a surprise as he had not been seen in London for years, opting for a quieter life at his estate on the outskirts of the city. It was clear from his absence from public events and social functions that he did not particularly care for them .
So… why was he here? Why now?
He spared a single glance in the direction of Nora and her friends, and she felt as though she had been struck by lightning when their eyes met.
What… what an incredibly infuriating man.
“You ladies look as though you’ve seen a ghost. Or a prey to sink your claws into.” A voice suddenly said.
Jane jumped, startled, while Penelope whirled around with a glare, addressing the man who approached them.
“Perhaps if you were a tad more interesting, more women would want to sink their claws into you. However, your bad manners leave much to be desired.”
The man gasped, pressing his hands over his heart in mock hurt.
“You wound me, my lady. I’ll have you know that I am desired by an innumerable number of lovely ladies, many of whom are simply devastated by the thought of my departure. Though from the usual animosity in your tone, I must assume that you shall miss me as well.”
Penelope’s glare grew fiercer. “Hardly. If you were not my dear friend’s brother, I would have wished that you were trampled to death during your travels.”
“All I hear is that you will be thinking of me while I am gone.”
Nora sighed, grabbed hold of his arm, and dragged him towards her as she scolded him lightly,
“Do not fight with my friends after frightening them, brother. Surely this cannot be how you wish to be remembered in your absence – as a bother.”
Her older brother, Cecil Wightman, grinned down at her, sparing a glance at her companions.