Chapter 2
Miss Mia Parker giggled at the young man’s obvious embarrassment. Mr. Thompson, the host’s son, couldn’t seem to get the words out of his mouth. She knew he wanted to ask her to dance, but she was tired of waiting for the shy young man to stop stuttering and actually ask her.
She’d had endless conversations with her sister, Lady Fletcher, and family friend, Lady Devon, about proper behavior and decorum at a ball.
Ladies didn’t gossip, or act too bold, or offer an opinion on anything other than the weather, which Mia thought was ridiculous.
She had opinions on lots of topics and had rarely held her tongue when she had something to say growing up.
Tonight was different. She would try her hardest to conform to Society’s idea of the ideal young woman.
She didn’t want to seem too brash at her first ball.
So she waited for the young man to speak.
After another excruciating minute of stammering and then silence, she held out her dance card to Mr. Thompson. “Sir, do you have any particular preference for a dance?”
He looked relieved and wrote his name down for a country reel.
“Thank you, Mr. Thompson. I’m looking forward to our dance,” Mia said.
The young man bowed and scurried away without another word.
“That was well done, dearest,” Lady Fletcher said. “Sometimes young men can become tongue-tied, just like young women, when meeting new people.”
Mia glanced at her eldest sister, who was standing next to her husband, Baron Fletcher.
They’d married nearly two years ago, and the Parker sisters’ quality of life had taken a turn for the better.
The baron never made her feel unwanted and had done everything within his power to support her desire for a Season.
Her sister had been the one to caution against extravagant spending on her wardrobe, especially after the expense of all the renovations to their London home and Dandridge Manor.
She remembered their conversation as if it were yesterday.
“Dearest, we must be frugal,” Audrey had said when they visited the modiste a few weeks before the Season began.
“But there are so many beautiful colors to choose from. How can I choose only a few?”
“I understand how tempting all this is, but we must not take undue advantage of Fletcher’s generosity.
He doesn’t like to say no to you, but I will say it for him.
The renovation costs have added up to more than he expected.
We’ve put the renovations at Dandridge on hold for a bit, but let’s not be reckless with his funds. ”
“Of course, you’re right. Forgive me. I would never want to take advantage of his generosity. He’s done so much for us already.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. The colors are beautiful, but let’s limit our selections to three ball gowns to start with.”
“Thank you for that. It’s most generous.”
“Let’s go pick some patterns, shall we?”
Mia nodded. “Yes. That would be delightful.”
She was well aware that her sister didn’t like to be away from her nine-month-old son, William, for too long and made sure not to linger overlong picking a pattern she liked for her ballgowns.
She’d been thrilled when they returned to London in March after spending most of the winter at Dandridge Manor.
Their country home was nice but boring, in her opinion, although learning to ride had been the highlight.
She wanted to have fun, and London was the place for that, not a manor house near Reading.
“Do you think we’ll be invited to any balls? Do we even know anyone?”
“As a matter of fact, we’ve received our first invitation—to the Thompson ball.”
“We have? How thrilling! Will one of my gowns be ready in time?”
“We’ll tell the modiste. There’s plenty of time—the ball is in three weeks.”
She’d been beyond thrilled to hear they’d been invited to her first ball, and true to her word, the modiste had finished her first gown in time.
Her musing was interrupted when she noticed Lady Devon walking toward her with two gentlemen in tow. Lady Devon was an excellent judge of character, and Mia knew anyone she brought for an introduction would be of the best character.
“Good evening, Lord Fletcher. May I introduce to you Lord Webb and Mr. Cook?” Lady Devon said.
Fletcher inclined his head. “Good evening to you both. Gentlemen, this is Lady Fletcher and Miss Parker.”
“Good evening,” both gentlemen said to the ladies, bowing.
“Good evening,” Lady Fletcher said with a curtsey.
Mia followed suit with her own greeting and curtsey.
“Miss Parker, may I have the honor of a dance?” Lord Webb asked.
“Of course, my lord,” Mia said, holding out her dance card.
He scribbled his name down for the first waltz of the night.
“May I?” Mr. Cook asked.
“Mia nodded, and Mr. Cook wrote his name in the only space left. “I look forward to our dance, Miss Parker.”
“As do I, Mr. Cook,” she said.
Both gentlemen bowed and left to find their next dance partner as the musicians began to play.
“See, my dear, I told you your dance card would be filled this evening,” Lady Devon said.
Before Mia had a chance to respond, her partner for the next dance appeared. “I believe this is our dance, Miss Parker,” Mr. Thompson said.
“I believe it is.” Mia placed her fingertips on his sleeve, and they walked to the dance floor for a country reel. The reel was her favorite dance—so lively and fun.
Audrey watched her younger sister as she was led away. “I think she’ll do well this Season, don’t you, my dear?”
Fletcher nodded. “Yes, if we can keep her exuberance at bay. I could see quite a few of the matrons frowning at how loudly she was laughing earlier.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Lady Devon said.
“Some of those women would take issue if she breathed too deeply. As long as Miss Parker doesn’t make any serious missteps, there won’t be any scandal.
No one who’s been in her company can deny that she has a magnetic quality that draws people in.
Her enthusiasm is contagious to all who meet her. ”
“Hmmm…serious missteps are what I’m afraid of,” Fletcher said. “We want her to be exposed to only the best of the ton, not to unscrupulous gentlemen.”
“Lord Fletcher, you may be right on that account. I would advise that one of you keep her in your sight at all times. She’s young, and young people sometimes do foolish things. We wouldn’t want her to be caught in a compromising position and have her Season end in tears,” Lady Devon said.
“We’ll be careful,” Audrey said. “Thank you, Lady Devon. I so appreciate your sound advice, especially since I never participated in a full Season myself. The few activities I attended did not really constitute a Season.”
“My dear, for the limited engagements you attended, you were a bright star. No one could deny your elegance and poise at the musical evening. Your voice captivated everyone.”
Audrey smiled at the compliment. “You’re too kind, Lady Devon.”
The older woman waved that away. “I only speak the truth, my dear. Oh, I almost forgot. I’ve heard from Lady Clifford,” Lady Devon said. “She and Sir Samuel will be arriving in London soon.”
“How is she getting on at the Faulkner estate? It was quite a shock when Mr. Clifford’s brother died,” Lord Fletcher said. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to her much at the funeral.”
“It was a terrible shock indeed, but from her letters, she and Sir Samuel are settling in as best they can. Sir Samuel’s brother’s accident was quite tragic. He was so young.”
“I’m so looking forward to seeing them again,” Audrey said. “I dearly miss my friend.”
“I miss my daughter as well, my dear, and I’m anxious to see my grandchildren again.”
“Would you ladies care for a glass of lemonade?” Fletcher asked.
“Yes, thank you, Fletcher,” Lady Devon said. “It’s quite stuffy in here.”
Audrey shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
He nodded and walked off to the refreshment table.
When the music ended, Mr. Thompson brought Mia back to her sister before bowing and leaving to find his next partner.
“That was thrilling,” Mia exclaimed. “Mr. Thompson is a surprisingly good dancer.”
“That’s why it’s always in your best interests to keep an open mind about those who approach you,” Lady Devon said. “People can surprise you sometimes.”
“So true. I’m parched, though.”
“Fletcher went for some lemonade. He’ll return in a moment,” Audrey said.
“I’ll go meet him,” Mia said, scurrying away before Audrey could catch her arm.
Lady Devon rolled her eyes. “You’d better follow her, my dear. Just to be safe, you understand?”
“Of course. Please excuse me,” Audrey said as she scanned the crowd to catch a glimpse of her sister. “Which way did she go?” she murmured.
Both Audrey and Lady Devon looked around, but there was no sign of Mia. She’d seemingly been swallowed up by the crowd.
Fletcher returned a moment later, and Audrey whispered, “Did you see Mia?”
“Didn’t she come back to you after the dance?” he asked.
“Yes. I told her you were getting lemonades, and she said she’d meet you.”
Fletcher handed the two glasses to Lady Devon. “Come, let’s go find her before mischief does,” he said to Audrey.
“Go on. I’ll wait here in case she returns,” Lady Devon said, taking a sip of the lemonade.
Fletcher and Audrey made a circuit around the ballroom looking for Mia. They didn’t rush, but as the minutes passed with no sign of her, Audrey began to panic. “I don’t like this. Where could she be?”
“I don’t know, but she couldn’t have gone far. Let’s go look on the terrace. It’s quite stuffy in here. Perhaps she’s gone outside for a breath of fresh air.”
They walked through the French doors onto the darkened terrace.
At first, they didn’t see anyone, but then they heard Mia’s distinctive giggle.
Fletcher strode to the far end and found Mia and a gentleman he didn’t know standing very close to each other in the shadows.
The gentleman was caressing her cheek and whispering in her ear.
“There you are, my dear,” Fletcher said in a clear, loud voice.
The gentleman looked up with panic in his eyes before stepping back and quietly slipping away through the library doors without a backward glance at Mia.
“Well, I never!” she said, stamping her foot. “He didn’t even say goodbye.”
“Mia, what are you doing out here? You were told to stay in the ballroom,” Fletcher admonished.
“No need to get angry, Fletcher. I went to find you, but it was such a crush in the ballroom, and I was getting overheated after dancing the reel…” she said with a pout.
“Dearest, the rules are in place to keep you safe,” Audrey said. “If anyone else had come across you alone out here with that gentleman, it would have caused a scandal, and you would have been forced to wed. Do you understand?”
“Wed? I don’t want to wed anyone. I want to have fun,” she said, looking between her sister and Fletcher.
“Then you should not put yourself in compromising positions,” Fletcher said. “Come now, you were lucky this time. Let’s head back inside, but Mia, make no mistake, I shall not warn you again. Do not wander off, or your Season will end, and we’ll leave London immediately. Do I make myself clear?”
Mia swallowed hard, realizing how close she’d come to a disaster of her own making. She didn’t even know that gentleman’s name. “Yes. I’m sorry, Fletcher. I promise it won’t happen again.”
It was one of the few times she’d ever seen Fletcher so stern, and she didn’t want to see that again.
Her brother-in-law was a man of few words sometimes, but she had no doubt he’d meant every one of them when he threatened to end her Season if she stepped out of line a second time.
Without the Season, she had no doubt Fletcher would move the family back to Dandridge Manor in a heartbeat. That was the last thing she wanted.
Mia dutifully followed her sister and brother-in-law back inside.
She hadn’t lied and really had gone out on the terrace for some fresh air, but then the gentleman approached her from the library doors, and she was swayed by his handsome face and perfect smile.
She was merely trying to have a bit of fun and thought she’d be enjoying her first kiss.
Instead, she’d nearly ended her Season at her first event.
Her sister had talked to her endlessly about proper behavior during the Season, about not being alone with a gentleman, but to Mia, they’d been merely words to keep her in line.
Now that she’d been caught up in the very circumstances her sister had warned her about, she realized the consequences of being caught like that and should have paid more attention to her sister’s words.
She wasn’t ready to leave London or to wed anyone and vowed she wouldn’t make that mistake again. Once inside the ballroom, she plastered a wide smile on her face as her next partner came to claim his dance.
Audrey returned to Lady Devon’s side.
“All is well?” Lady Devon asked
“Yes,” Audrey said without any further elaboration.