Chapter 14
Preparations
-two and a half years later-
Life continued on, as it always does. Clara quickly recovered from Mr. Merritt’s advances, and with him behind bars, had happily finished her time in London.
After her dear friend Alice's heroic act on her behalf, the older debutante quickly became one of the most popular women in Town.
By the end of the Season, she had three marriage proposals.
Alice chose the widower viscount, Lord Palmer, and instantly became a loving mother to his two young daughters.
The next two trips to Town were similar to the first, though without the unfortunate appearance of a scoundrel cousin.
When Parliament was not in session, Clara spent about half her time at Rosecrest and the other half at Maxwell Manor.
She enjoyed her time at both estates. She had come to love her friends in Faversham and Harleston, and though she missed her parents while she was away, she thoroughly enjoyed acting as lady of the house when she stayed with Luke.
And she liked being with Luke. In fact, she considered him her best friend at this point.
There were many things about her that only Luke understood.
He could decipher her mood, sometimes even before she could, and he always knew exactly how to cheer her up.
There was not a single secret Clara did not feel comfortable telling him, and though he did not do it often, Luke had opened up parts of his heart to her as well.
It was nearly Christmas, which meant there were only a few short weeks until Clara would finally come out to society.
After hearing Luke usually ate a sad Christmas dinner alone, the Merritts had decided to host Christmas at Maxwell Manor and show him their traditions—although Clara wasn’t sure he would enjoy the festivities as much as the Merritts did.
On Christmas Eve, the family would host a large festival for all of Faversham, or Harleston, in this case.
The rich and the poor, the old and the young, all piled into the ballroom, ready for a night of food, lively music, and dancing.
At Christmas, all were equals, and all were welcome.
There would be mistletoe, holly branches, and a large Christmas fire.
After plum pudding and gingerbread came Clara’s favorite part.
Lord Merritt would hush the crowd and tell the story of the birth of the Christ Child.
Her Papa’s deep, soothing voice always made Clara feel like a little girl again, tucked up in her small nursery bed.
Actual Christmas day was a small event, usually just the four of them, though with Luke this year, it would be five. They exchanged gifts, had simple meals, and recovered from the excitement of the evening prior.
Then twelve days later, to end their Christmastide, there was another big celebration.
This one with extended family and close friends.
All would wear jovial masks and highly decorative costumes.
A large Christmas cake would be presented, a pea and bean hidden deep within.
Whoever received the slices with the foreign objects would be announced King and Queen, and would lead off the dancing.
The night would end with each guest carrying the Christmas garlands out into the yard where they would burn in a large bonfire.
If any leaves were left unsinged, it symbolized bad luck in the following year, and Walters, the butler, was a superstitious man.
Rosecrest was searched top to bottom for greenery before the servants were allowed to retire for the evening.
Hopefully Luke’s butler would not be as irrational.
The Merritts arrived in Harleston just two days before Christmas Eve.
Clara and Mother immediately dived into party planning.
There was a lot to be done, and not much time to do it.
Clara had several hours of embroidery left to finish on Luke’s gift.
Technically, it was quite inappropriate for her to be giving a gift to a man who was not her blood relation, but Luke was practically family at this point.
It would be more strange not to, given the circumstances.
So Clara and Mother sat in the drawing room.
Lady Merritt looked through a shopping list for the Christmas Eve feast, while Clara bent over her embroidery.
Mother was focused on her parchment, but after a few minutes of silence, Clara could no longer handle the quiet.
“I wish you were coming to London with us,” she said, poking her needle in and out.
Mother looked up from her list. “I am sorry,” she answered sympathetically. “And I wish I could, but …” She let the sentence trail off, changing the topic. “What are you most looking forward to this Season?”
Clara rolled her eyes. Mother never discussed her aversion to Town. So rather than fighting the redirect, she answered the question. “I am excited to meet new types of men.” She blushed. “I feel I have come to understand women fairly well. I am excited to learn more of the other sex.”
Mother shrugged. “They are not very interesting.”
Clara chuckled, though she could not tell if her mother was being sarcastic or not.
“Oh please, I am sure you enjoyed getting to know your many suitors!” They had not discussed Mother’s London Season in much detail, but Clara had no doubt she had been a sought-after match.
Her father had been a wealthy marquess, and Lady Merritt had many accomplishments.
Mama put down her list, officially turning her attention to the sudden conversation. “I may have pulled the interest of several gentlemen,” she admitted, “but as soon as I met your father, I didn’t care about the rest of them.”
“Why?” Clara asked, finding the idea strange. “What made him so special?”
The countess stood from her position, crossing over to Clara’s sofa and placing herself on the cushion beside her daughter.
“You will find, Clara, that there are many good men out there—some more so than others—but you have to find the one that compliments you best.” She turned her lips upward in her slightly mischievous way.
“Your father and I work well together, because I enjoy the center of attention, and he enjoys putting me there.” She laughed at her own joke.
“Oh, it is not as simple as that, but some personality traits pair better than others. John, for example, must find someone who enjoys his sense of humor.” Both women rolled their eyes.
“What about me?” Clara questioned. “What traits would you pick for my husband?” The thought made her heart flutter.
“Hmmm …” Mother had the mischievous look again.
“You and I are similar, so I imagine your husband will be similar to Papa. Strong. Intelligent. Not the most social person …” Her eyes were shining now, as if they knew a secret her daughter did not.
“But most importantly, kind. Yes, I imagine your husband will have a tender heart and you will be the one to protect it.”
Clara nodded. It seemed a reasonable explanation, except for one part. “I agree with your assessment, save the social aspect. I do not think I could marry someone who did not enjoy outings as much as I do.” She did not want a husband who would complain every time they had to leave the house.
“Perhaps,” Mama answered, standing to return to her task. “I guess we shall soon see.” The countess looked down at the incomplete embroidery resting in her daughter’s lap, her eyes glistening once more, but she did not say anything as she walked back to her list.
“It is going to be a rough season of politics, I am afraid,” Lord Merritt said woefully as the men sat for drinks after dinner. The women had already retired to the drawing room. “It is rumored Prince George shall soon rule as regent.”
“Won’t that be better for the country?” John questioned.
Poor King George III had many physical and mental health issues.
At first, his actions were just strange, but now he had turned to unwarranted violence, even on those he loved.
He was not fit to rule the country, and it made sense to pass the duty on to his son.
“In some ways, yes,” the earl continued, “but when there is not an undeniable way of doing something, people will take sides, and they will not do so quietly.”
“What day do you intend to leave for London?” Luke asked. Parliament usually opened at the end of January.
“Around the tenth,” Lord Merritt answered, “I will ensure Violet is all settled at home, and go from there. Will you be traveling with us, or meeting us there?”
Luke had been thinking about this particular London Season for years.
Clara would finally be open to suitors. If he wished to pursue her—he did, of course—he could not do so while living in her home.
It would be beyond scandalous. But he did not have anywhere else to stay, nor the means to buy a London home at this point in time.
Then there was the sheer torture of watching men fight over her, and he had no doubt they would.
Already, he had heard her name whispered throughout all of the ton.
She was a sought after match, and Luke was not the only one waiting for her to become available.
He was a baron, but she deserved a prince!
He wasn’t sure even he could morally root for his success in courting her. She deserved far better.
“I will not be attending this Season,” Luke decided.
“Are you quite sure?” the earl asked, giving him an inquisitive look.
Luke nodded.
“If I could find other living accommodations?” Lord Merritt knew what was keeping Luke away, though the puzzled look on John’s face showed he had not fully followed the conversation.
“I will think on it,” Luke replied simply.
While it was a decision he wanted to make on his own, there was a key factor that kept him from doing so.
The same factor he had long been avoiding, for he did not want to know the answer.
But the time had come; he had to know if Clara saw him as a potential match.
He would have to admit, at least in part, his feelings for her.
Yes, Luke would lay his heart on the altar, and only Clara would decide if it came back unscathed.