Page 16 of The Earl's Bluestocking Bride
Amelia curtsied to her too. “Lady Esther.”
If her mother had drilled one thing into her, it was manners.
Lady Esther dipped her head in return. “Miss Hart.”
“It looks like tonight will be a crush,” Mrs. Hart said cheerfully. “Plenty of eligible gentlemen for our daughters to meet.”
Lady Bowling looked around as if seeking escape. “Indeed.”
Mrs. Hart’s face lit up. “I say, I do believe that is the Marquess of Overton. Lady Bowling, would you do us the honor of an introduction?”
Amelia cast her eyes downward so as not to give away her shock at her mother’s audacity. She was impressed, in a way. Her mother knew what she wanted and didn’t intend to let any obstacles prevent her from achieving her goal. It was just a shame that her desires and Amelia’s did not fully align.
“Of course.” Lady Bowling curled her upper lip as if she’d smelled something foul. She led them through the crowd and to the side of the ballroom, where a handsome figure of a man with dark hair and an aristocratic nose was surveying the throng.
Amelia glanced at Lady Esther and found the other woman looking back. Lady Esther grimaced and moved her neck from side to side. Perhaps the headdress was heavy. Amelia wondered if it was Lady Bowling’s choice to displayher daughter in such a way, just as Mrs. Hart had been the one to select her unflattering and frilly gown.
“My lord.” Lady Bowling swept into a dramatic curtsy as they reached the marquess.
The Harts and Lady Esther rushed to follow suit.
Lady Bowling rose. “You look very well tonight. Do you recall my daughter, Lady Esther?”
The marquess nodded and tipped his head toward Lady Esther. “You are as eye-catching as ever, Lady Esther.”
Lady Esther giggled but didn’t seem able to summon a verbal response.
Lady Bowling waved at Mrs. Hart and Amelia. “Have you met Mrs. Hart and Miss Hart?”
“I have not.” The marquess gave a shallow bow. He caught Amelia’s eyes as he rose. “Charmed.”
Amelia’s lips twitched. She did not think he was charmed at all. He had a slightly hunted expression that made her think of a fox that knew the hounds were on its tail. Of course, she kept that observation to herself.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, offering him a small smile.
“A very great pleasure,” Mrs. Hart added enthusiastically. “Do you intend to dance tonight, my lord?”
“Er, yes.” The marquess shifted from one foot to the other. “I would be honored if Lady Esther and Miss Hart would each grace me with a dance. Provided that their cards aren’t already full….” He sounded so hopeful that Amelia almost laughed.
Lady Esther rapidly proffered her card, giggling again. The marquess jotted his name beside one of her dances and then did the same for Amelia.
“You must excuse me now,” he said, staring somewhere behind them. “I see… someone I must speak with.”
Neither mother seemed concerned as he beat a hastyretreat. They had accomplished their goal of securing dances for their daughters.
“Is that Lord Downing?” Mrs. Hart asked, subtly jerking her chin toward a man farther along the wall.
“I believe it is,” Lady Bowling confirmed. “Shall we?”
Amelia didn’t escape the clutches of her mother and Lady Bowling until her first dance with the aforementioned Lord Downing. She attempted to make small talk, but it was clear within the first thirty seconds of their dance that she bored him terribly.
Her next dance was with the Marquess of Overton, who at the very least seemed more inclined to carry on a conversation with her, even if it centered around how dreadful the weather had been.
Unfortunately, any joy she might feel as a result of this small win was overshadowed by the pain in her feet. The marquess was an atrocious dancer. However, he had been relatively pleasant to her, so she liked him more than Lord Downing.
On the side of the room, her mother kept widening her eyes and nodding meaningfully. Amelia wasn’t quite sure what she was trying to convey, but there was little she could do to prolong their interaction considering her next dance was promised to the Earl of Winn.
Indeed, Overton quickly melted into the crowd and the earl materialized before her. He was a short man with graying hair, and his hand was clammy as it wrapped around hers. They began to dance a quadrille.
