Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Alice felt decidedly shaken as she stepped out of the carriage onto the tree-lined Mayfair avenue her aunt lived on.
She had never travelled well. None of her siblings had ever wanted to sit next to her when they journeyed as children for fear she would cast up her accounts over them.
Judging by the indignant yowls from the carrying container by Alice’s feet, Duchess shared her low opinion of carriage travel.
“I am sorry,” she murmured to her pet as she stared up at her aunt’s imposing four-storey townhouse.
It was the perfect base for her to partake in the London Season.
She had visited once or twice years ago, but always with the rest of her family.
In fact, this was the first time she had travelled anywhere by herself.
She straightened her spine and pulled herself up to her full, rather unimpressive, height.
She needed to do this for her siblings, and she would.
She possessed good family connections, a decent dowry and, though her looks were not fashionable - her hair being too dark, her stature too small, and her skin too tanned from rarely remembering to wear a hat when she was out riding - they were pleasing enough.
Still, as two elegantly dressed ladies glided past and gave her a dismissive glance, Alice’s confidence wavered.
She got the impression that she had been immediately recognised as a country girl playing at being a lady of the Ton.
Well, she would be changing that soon enough.
She would make an appointment with a modiste as soon as possible and have some new clothes made.
Charlotte and Margaret would love to go with her, she knew.
They were desperate to see the new designs from Paris, and she felt a pang that they were not there, even though they would drive to distraction within five minutes of being in the dressmaker’s shop.
No, it was far better that she did this by herself.
That way she could have as much control over the situation as possible and not be overwhelmed by her siblings all attempting to assist her.
She needed to do this her way or she simply would not be able to go through with it. She had spent her life vowing that she would never ever put herself in this situation and it was going to take all of her willpower not to back out of it.
She reached down and felt for the list in her reticule. She suspected she had it memorised by now. The twenty most eligible bachelors who would likely be interested in marrying a woman of her rank currently in London for the Season. Surely one of them would be a suitable husband.
The very next day, Alice found herself doubting the sense of her resolve as she peered around the pillar she was half hidden behind. Her heart hammered inside her chest. She watched the fellow attendees of the ball, wishing she felt as confident as they all appeared to be in this place.
Aunt Jane had chosen a relatively modest affair to ease her into society, yet the glittering chandeliers, the swirl of colourful gowns, and the press of elegant strangers felt utterly overwhelming, not to mention rather grander than she was used to.
And she had planned to spend more than just one night in London before making her debut into society.
But Aunt Jane was a force to be reckoned with and Alice had put herself in her aunt’s hands.
Alice knew next to nothing about London society and she valued her aunt’s advice.
If anyone was going to get her married by the end of the season, it was Aunt Jane.
Aunt Jane explained the hosts were very keen to improve their situation in society, and had been thrilled when Lady Jane, a marchioness no less, had agreed to attend at rather the last moment.
The room had been newly decorated for the Season, its previous decor having been declared out of fashion now.
Certainly, everything looked very new and shiny.
In fact, the glare from the chandeliers was quite blinding when Alice made the mistake of looking directly at them.
Her own gown felt painfully outdated among the frothy confections around her.
She smoothed the silk nervously. As she had already missed the start of the season and she and her aunt had decided not to waste any more opportunities, she was wearing one of only two ballgowns she owned, neither of which was as fashionable as her aunt would have liked.
In fact, Aunt Jane had given a little sigh when she had seen them, and declared the one Alice currently wore as the 'better of the pair'.
Alice was booked into the modiste the following morning with a promise that her order would be prioritised, thanks to her aunt's position, years of custom, and skills of persuasion.
The dancing had not started yet, but her card was filling up nicely thanks to her aunt's introductions.
Aunt Jane currently sat with some of the other matrons on the other side of the hall.
She glanced over at her niece every now and again to check on her, and Alice knew she only had a limited time before Jane came over to encourage her to mingle.
Five more minutes, she promised herself. Then it would be almost time for the dancing to begin and she would have to find her partner. She hoped she could recognise him again...
Alice felt a tap on her shoulder and jumped. She spun around and scowled at Anthony, leaning against her pillar with casual elegance like he did not have a care in the world, which he probably did not.
He looked entirely at ease in his black evening clothes and was by far the most handsome man in the room. She was sure he knew this was the case.
"Did you have to startle me?" Alice snapped.
"If the wind changes, your face will be stuck like that," Anthony quipped, the corner of his mouth twitching. His gaze moved slowly over her, taking in the outdated gown and the flush in her cheeks.
"Stop staring at me. You are being peculiar."
"It is a pleasant change to see you out of your riding habit."
"Leave me alone, I am busy," hissed Alice.
“So I see,” he said, taking a sip of champagne.
“Give me some of that,” Alice said, stealing the glass from his hands.
He watched her drink, an amused smile playing on his lips.
“What are you doing hiding back here?” Alice hissed. “Have you not got a game of vingt-et-un to go and lose your estate at?”
“Have you forgotten I am supposed to be watching out for you?”
“I appreciate your concern,” said Alice, sarcastically, “But my aunt is just over there. I am certain my virtue can be maintained until the first dance.”
“I would rather not take any chances and, anyway, you have chosen a rather good vantage point.”
“For you to observe your next conquest?”
Something flickered across Anthony’s face.
Alice ignored it. She had seen for herself on numerous occasions how women gravitated towards her brother’s best friend.
Their behaviour had led to her resolve not to choose a husband based on looks alone, they could turn out to be as awful as Anthony - flirting with anything in a dress and out drinking and gambling most nights.
If it was not for the steadying influence of her brother, he would be turning into his late father even faster than he was.
Actually, that was not fair. As much as she disliked Anthony, she had to admit he was very different from his father.
He may tease her, but he was never actually unkind and she was never afraid of him, like she had felt about his father.
“Has it not occurred to you,” Anthony drawled, “that now I am settled on my estate, I might have decided I am ready to take a wife? If you recall, I did say I was planning to come to London for a time.”
“I suppose that is not completely unbelievable,” replied Alice. “Perhaps old age is creeping up on you, and you cannot handle your drink as well as you once did.”
“I’m four and twenty,” said Anthony, laughing.
“You look older,” shot back Alice. “Maybe the thought of having someone to care for you in your dotage is becoming more appealing, but I sincerely doubt it somehow. You are destined to be an eternal bachelor.”
“That would certainly be kinder. I could not bear to break the hearts of at least half the single women of the Ton by marrying.”
Alice rolled her eyes. “Of course, the alternative is that you came to town for a prolonged period of parties as you have become bored of running your estate.”
He checked his cuff links absentmindedly, “Yes... that is another option.”
“Well, whatever you are doing here, please leave me alone.”
“I promised your brother I would look after you.”
“My aunt is doing a very good job of that, thank you.”
Alice tensed as Anthony lifted his hand and gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She batted him away. “My hair is fine,” she snapped.
“Are you nervous?” Anthony asked.
“Not at all,” Alice replied.
“Glad to hear it. So, what exactly is your plan to snare a husband?”
“I do not have a plan.”
Anthony laughed. “You forget how well I know you. It is not possible that you would leave your family home to come to London, which I happen to know you hate, to find yourself a husband without having a plan in place.”
Alice was silent.
“I am right, you do have a plan!” he said, triumphantly.
“Shush!” Alice said, anxiously checking around them in case anyone had overheard. “Fine, I do.” She sighed resignedly before continuing, “I have got a list…”
“... of eligible bachelors?” asked Anthony, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
“Yes,” Alice admitted, feeling increasingly foolish as her cheeks began working their way from pale pink to bright red.
“And you plan to work your way through this list?”
“I plan to use my list as a basis to find a husband.”
“Very practical. Has anyone been crossed off yet?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact.”
“Are you going to share who?”
“That is none of your business.”
“Well, as your brother cannot be here…”
“I do not require help from you or Henry. I am more than capable of finding a husband by myself.”
“I have no doubt.”
Her aunt appeared at the edge of the crowd and gave her an encouraging nod. Alice straightened her shoulders.
“In fact, I believe it is time for me to get back to it.”
She handed him his now empty glass and marched as confidently as she could into the fray.
Anthony watched her go, his jaw rigid.
For the next hour, Alice danced with one eligible gentleman after another from her list. Sir Harold Weatherby, a pleasant baronet with a comfortable estate, proved an adequate partner, though his conversation centred almost entirely on his hounds.
Lord Charles Hadley was handsome and witty, yet his wandering eyes made her skin crawl.
Each time she returned to the edge of the floor, she felt Anthony’s gaze upon her - steady, intense, and unsettling.
During the supper break, Aunt Jane found her. “You are doing splendidly, my dear. Sir Harold seems quite taken.”
Alice managed a smile, but her stomach fluttered with nerves.
She was painfully aware of how countrified she appeared beside the polished London debutantes.
Her conversation felt stilted, her steps hesitant.
How was she ever to attract a husband who could save her family when she felt so utterly out of place?
Anthony stood with a group of gentlemen, yet his attention remained fixed on Alice. He watched her dance with what seemed like every male under forty in the Ton, his grip tight on his drink.
He eyed Alice critically, trying to imagine the impression he would have if this was his first time seeing her.
There was no doubt that she was very pretty, but it was the kind of pretty that crept up on you, it might not strike you immediately when she entered a room.
She did not have the poise or the height to stand out from the crowd as a beauty.
Her dress made her look younger than her eighteen years and it was not as sophisticated or fashionable as those of the other women here.
She was clearly a country mouse not used to the town.
She did not quite fit in with the others.
But there was something captivating about her: she was so sweet and unsullied by all the usual coming out politics.
And it clearly was not just him who thought so, judging by how swiftly her dance card filled up.
But he was deluding himself. As innocent as she may look, Alice was here for exactly the same reasons as all the other women: to find herself a husband, ideally a wealthy and handsome one. She might not be natural in this world, but she was doing her best to fit in.
She seemed to know most of the steps to the dances, he acknowledged, but she was hesitant and stiff and her smile seemed forced.
She did not appear to be making much conversation.
Did she like any of the men she danced with?
Was she hoping for attraction in her quest or merely a suitable bank balance?
Anthony hated seeing Alice - his Alice - out there, being ogled by all those undeserving eyes. Sized up to see if she would make a good broodmare.
He could tell she was nervous and it took everything in him not to remove her from her current partner’s arms, escort her to his carriage and have his driver take her back to Fairfax Hall where she belonged.
He was brooding, he knew, and it was impolite of him not to be dancing when there were ladies without partners, but all he could think about was Alice and how to get her out of that stranger’s arms and into his own, despite his own resolution.