Page 4 of Five Ways to Bed a Duke

That is quite interesting. It seems the new Duke is not used to being addressed by his title.

“Miss Burlow, I didn’t expect that you would grace us with your presence this Season. I always thought you would be hitchedto some rich gentleman by now, considering your popularity among the ton.”

“Going by your logic, Your Grace, your popularity among the ton should have made you a married man by now,” Catherine retorted hotly.

She chanced a glance at her friend, only to see her mouth slightly agape in shock. Scratch her first evaluation—it seemedshewas the hothead.

Catherine was quite levelheaded, but she had never been able to keep her calm in the face of a perceived insult, and something about the arrogant smirk on the Duke’s face ignited within her the urge to slap it off his face. But no matter how she felt about the man, she had been rude, and if there was something she had learned about high society, it was that you do not reply to a duke rudely, no matter the provocation.

She started to apologize, but he waved his hand dismissively.

“I guess I deserved that,” he said with a rueful smile. “Why are you two ladies standing here? You should be in some gentlemen’s arms, dancing.”

“As if,” Emmy snorted. “Catherine might have better luck, but the gentlemen seem to be avoiding me for some unknown reason.”

Catherine turned sharply to her friend in shock. Emmy was too beautiful to be without a dance partner. She was outraged on her behalf, but a close look at her friend revealed the reason for her lack of a dance partner. Catherine had been so carried away by the excitement of seeing her friend again that she had not taken note of her appearance.

Her dress, while still clean and the white that was recommended for debutantes, was high-necked with full, puffed sleeves. It was still in good condition. The problem was that it had gone out of fashion for at least two Seasons, and it was clearly too tight for her, as she had grown into a young lady. While that might be inconsequential to Emmy, many gentlemen were shallow enough to gauge the worth of a lady by the quality of her clothing.

The ton, unfortunately, espoused the notion that every member should update their wardrobe every Season. So many promising young ladies had been relegated to the fringes of the ballroom or left firmly on the shelves, collecting dust, simply because of their choice of clothing.

Catherine agreed that it was definitely ridiculous, but she didn’t make the rules, and she was definitely not going to watch her friend suffer because of some ridiculous code of ethics the ton seemed to adhere to.

It was unfortunate that her friend was oblivious to all this. But those were the consequences of not having a guiding influence of an older woman in her life. It seemed to have fallen uponCatherine to take on that mantle. She might be friends with Emmy, but she was five years older than her.

She might not have secured a husband despite being out in Society for three years, but she had received firsthand knowledge about how to navigate the ton and the marriage mart. She was going to bring all that knowledge to bear on chaperoning Emmy during this Season.

Chapter Two

“Oh, Cathy, I feel so lost!” Emmy cried, looking around the room. “How do you do it? There are so many people here. However could I hope to speak to anyone, much less find a husband?”

Catherine laughed, understanding her friend’s worry. She had more or less felt the same at her debut but had adjusted quickly.

“It is not as bad as it seems, Emmy.”

“It is,” Emmy insisted, looking around the room once again. “This is almost all of England.”

“It is not.” Catherine shook her head. “You just have to enjoy yourself. It’s not something you force.”

“Oh, Cathy, how can I be as relaxed as you?” Emmy asked, pouting. Then, seeing some cake slices on the table, she squealed. “Let’s get some.”

Looking at the cheerful mien of her sweet friend, Catherine thought about how best to tell her of the necessary wardrobe and etiquette changes that she would have to make to increase her chances in the marriage mart.

While Emmy was a cheerful and sweet person, what so many people did not know was that she had a sensitive nature and did not take criticism well. So it would be quite a challenge to inform her of the changes she needed to make without hurting her feelings.

Catherine knew that the Duke, despite his numerous flaws, loved his little sister deeply, and this was evident by the sacrifices he had made to make sure she lived in utmost comfort in every sense.

Unfortunately, there was only so much a bachelor could do for a young girl like Emmy.

While Emmy tried to appear content so as not to worry her older brother, she was secretly battling a sense of inadequacy. In one of her rare vulnerable moments, she revealed to Catherine that she believed that her mother must have left because she was not good enough, and thus she donned an overly cheerful personality just to keep her brother happy, so he would never leave her like her parents did.

Catherine thought it was quite terrible for a vibrant young lady like Emmy to have such a deep fear of abandonment. But then fate was quite cruel that way.

“Miss Burlow,” Lord Livingston’s familiar voice called, causing her to look up.

She had been so distracted that she had not heard or seen him approach.

“I believe this is our dance,” he said, extending his hand, palm open, a charming smile on his face.

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