Chapter 9 #2
“Then my daughter can tell you all about him while you two dance.” Mr. McCord turned back to his daughter. “Brooke, this is Mr. Rivers. He owns a couple of businesses in London. They’re small businesses, but they’re doing very well.”
“Yes, they are,” Mr. Rivers agreed. “I’ve made enough to acquire another one.”
Mr. McCord seemed especially delighted to hear that, and Marie couldn’t blame him.
If Mr. Rivers was able to take ownership of more businesses, then he must be doing very well for himself.
A lady would benefit financially with such a husband.
She was glad the Duke of Carlisle wasn’t there to hear this conversation.
While he might not be excited to see her with an untitled gentleman, the fact that he was connected so well within the business community might make His Grace consider pairing her with this gentleman.
“They are ready for the next dance.” Mr. McCord encouraged Brooke to go with Mr. Rivers.
Marie caught the flicker of disappointment on Mr. Rivers’ face as he offered his arm toward Brooke. “It would be my pleasure if you’d share the next dance with me.”
Marie didn’t understand what that flicker of disappointment meant until Mr. Rivers looked back at her as he led Brooke away.
Marie felt terrible. She would never want to take away a promising suitor from someone nice and quiet like Brooke.
Now Marie wished she hadn’t come over here to talk to her. This wasn’t fair.
Marie hurried to another side of the room. She chose a spot where the couples dancing wouldn’t see her. Perhaps Mr. Rivers might find Brooke fun to talk to if Marie wasn’t nearby to distract him.
The music started, and the couples danced.
Marie brushed a dark strand of hair from her face and tucked it up into the hairstyle Miss Parson had spent an hour creating.
Marie couldn’t believe it could take so long to style someone’s hair, and given all of the floral pins she’d added, Marie didn’t think the lady’s maid would ever be done.
Marie approached the table and selected a cup of punch.
The drink was a mixture of fruit and wine.
It was good. She took another sip. She wasn’t sure if she should sit or just wait here for a few minutes.
None of the bachelors seemed to be congregating in this area.
This area, it seemed, was dedicated mostly to those already married.
“I don’t care how much he thinks he’s better than me. He’s not.”
Marie turned her attention to the table and saw the host of the evening’s ball, Mr. Christopher Robinson, pouring himself a drink. He had been the one to make the remark, and he had made it to Lord Edon.
The only reason she knew about those two was due to all of the gossip her real father had shared with her in confidence.
Some stories even made it into the Tittletattle, in comics, and a couple of books that catered to the mentally inferior, as Lord Cadwalader liked to put it.
Lord Edon was the subject of most of the tales, though Mr. Christopher Robinson was featured every so often.
The two, however, were known to be the best of friends and practically did everything together.
Lord Edon gave a shrug. “Who cares what Lord Roderick thinks? You could have the best music and refreshments, and he’d still find fault with this ball.”
“I don’t care what he just said about the music,” Mr. Robinson said. “What bothers me is how he treats me like a child. I have been married now for nine years. Nine years! That amount of time ought to count for something.”
Lord Edon shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you except that you can’t let him know it bothers you. Doing so only gives him the advantage.”
“If I could get away from him, I might be able to do that. But no matter where I go, he’s there.
He’s at White’s. He’s at our dinner parties.
It’s just my luck that our wives are such close friends.
” He grimaced. “I wish I could make him leave the ball, but if I do, my wife will keep me up all night. And she won’t keep me up to do anything fun.
She’ll just ramble on and on about how I need to try to get along with him because, as she says, he’s an amiable gentleman once you give him a chance.
” He scoffed in indignation. “Why would I want to give him a chance? He never gives me one.”
Marie took another sip of her drink. So far, the two gentlemen had not noticed her.
She was surprised that she could blend into the background so easily right now when she seemed to attract attention everywhere else.
Was it because the two were married, and therefore, Tove didn’t have to make them notice her?
“Someone has to be the first one to extend the olive branch,” Lord Edon told his friend. “If it’s you, the wives will see it, and if they see it, that will make you the more respectable one.”
“Being respectable is boring. How can I expect my wife to be passionate about me if I’m boring? She thrives off of scandalous behavior.”
“There is a time and a place for scandal. Lord Roderick’s dinner party isn’t it. You know very well that the crude comments you made during the card game are why he’s complaining about your ball tonight.”
“Everyone at the dinner party has children. I don’t understand why anyone was shocked by the things I read in that book.”
“That book isn’t suitable for ladies.” Lord Edon paused. “And if it’s not suitable for a lady, it’s not suitable for Lord Roderick. He offends more easily than even your cousin, and I thought your cousin was a prude.”
“I know. It surprises me, too.”
Mr. Robinson let out a weary sigh. “I wish I’d never met him. Life would be a lot easier if he weren’t in it.”
“But he is in it, so you have to deal with him.”
Mr. Robinson shook his head, the irritation in his face so apparent that Marie could feel his frustration.
It was no wonder that Lord Edon had brought him over to the side of the room to talk to him.
If he didn’t, Mr. Robinson could very well draw undue attention to himself, and that would ruin his ball.
Before they noticed that she had been listening to them, Marie finished the punch and hurried to the area where most of the people were mingling. She scanned the sea of faces in the room.
Brooke was still dancing. This time, she was with a different gentleman. Marie hoped that this one had asked her without her father’s prompting, but she worried this wasn’t the case by the stiff smile on Brooke’s face.
Marie saw that Diane and Maxine were dancing as well. They seemed to be having a more enjoyable time since they were talking and laughing with their partners.
Marie kept scanning the room. It didn’t occur to her who she was looking for until she made it a point to walk over to a section of the room where she often hid in her other life.
This was the spot in the ballroom where her real father had brought Edward over to meet her.
Yes, this wasn’t the same ball, but for some reason, she thought Edward might be over here.
Heat crept up her face. What was she doing?
She wasn’t betrothed to him in this life.
The Duke of Carlisle approached her. “Marie,” he chided in what she figured was supposed to be a playful tone, “you haven’t danced with half of the gentlemen on your card yet.
They’re getting anxious to be with you.” He chuckled and led her around a couple of people.
“I know they say that making a gentleman wait only creates more anticipation, but if you do this for too long, you risk losing his interest. You’ve dallied about long enough.
It’s time to get back to why I brought you here this evening. ”
“Yes, Father,” she relented then spent the rest of the evening working through her dance card.