Page 1 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
CHAPTER 1
London
November 1822
“I am determinedto marry this season,” Lady Katherine Drake declared, then continued too quietly for her sister-in-law to hear, “whether I truly want to or not.”
She’d been thinking on the matter for weeks now and decided that it had been inconsiderate of her not to wed last year. Her brother, the Earl of Longley, and his wife, Amelia, had sacrificed so much to give her the opportunity to find a suitable husband, and yet she’d dithered and dallied until the season had ended with her still unmarried.
Yes, they’d told her not to accept the first offer that came her way and to be selective in her choice, but they’d still expected her to choosesomeone.
She owed it to them to do better.
Amelia glanced up from her small writing desk in the corner of the room and arched one of her dark eyebrows. “You should only marry if you meet a man that you want to spend the rest of your life with.”
Kate huffed and looked past Amelia to the window. The sun shone through, warming the space and brightening the gilt frames of the portraits on one wall. It wasn’t that she didn’t agree with Amelia. She knew she was in a privileged position—her brother had married a fortune so she wouldn’t have to—but guilt ate away at her because she hadn’t done right by him in return.
Andrew had risked it all to finance a season for her, and she’d wasted it. She wouldn’t do so again.
Kate returned her attention to the sketchbook on her lap and frowned at the dress design she’d been working on. Something was missing. The design was pretty, but it had no individuality. Perhaps it needed more beading? No, that wasn’t it. Ah, detailing at the bottom of the bust. Smiling, Kate added a small but intricate design that she hoped the modiste would be able to mimic. Perfect.
“Kate.”
She turned to Amelia, who’d risen from her chair and was padding across the drawing room toward her. “Yes, Amelia?”
Amelia sank onto the striped chaise beside her and started to reach for her hand before looking at her own and realizing they were ink stained. She grimaced and laced them together instead.“I’m serious. Andrew and I just want you to be happy. If you don’t find the right man this season, then don’t marry. You’re important to us, and we’d hate for you to be miserable.”
Kate’s heart squeezed. Her sister-in-law wasn’t exactly the best at talking about her feelings, so the fact that she was trying to do so for Kate’s sake meant a lot. That said, Amelia and Andrew were also important to Kate, and she didn’t intend to bankrupt them in her search for a suitable husband.
“You married someone you were uncertain about,” she pointed out. “It ended well for you.”
Amelia rolled her eyes. “I also negotiated for something I really wanted, so I knew that however my marriage turned out, I would at least have one thing that could bring me joy.”
Kate dropped her head in acknowledgement. There was no denying Amelia’s point. While she was sure she didn’t know all of the details of their courtship, she’d heard about the deal Amelia had struck with her brother. One that had ended with them blissfully in love and with an adorable son who was just now napping in the nursery.
Was it too much to hope that a man Kate could genuinely care for might materialize from the ether this season?
Perhaps the gentleman she’d been waiting for had been traveling abroad on the continent or exploring the Indian subcontinent. Surely there were plenty of dashing second sons or perhaps highly ranked military personnel whom she hadn’t already met.
“Kate?” Amelia prompted.
Kate shook herself. “My apologies. I was woolgathering.”
“No apology necessary.” Amelia’s piercing blue gaze searched hers. “Promise me that you will only wed if you really wish to.”
Kate murmured something that wasn’t really an agreement but wasn’t a denial either. Eager to change the subject, she showed Amelia her sketchbook. “What do you think of these?”
Amelia took the book from her and flipped through the pages, studying each design with care. Kate smiled to herself. She knew that her sister-in-law had no interest in fashion, but she’d always encouraged Kate to pursue her interest in art, however it manifested, so she was never dismissive even when she didn’t share Kate’s enthusiasm.
Amelia paused on the most recent design. “What colors did you have in mind for this?”
“Perhaps a pale shade of green paired with yellow accents.” With her light auburn hair and fair skin, green generallysuited her well, and this season, she could get away with wearing slightly more daring color combinations than she had previously. A debutante in her first season was often restricted to insipid colors—ones that did nothing for Kate’s complexion.
“My ladies.”
They glanced up to find the housekeeper, Mrs. Smythe, hovering in the doorway.
“Luncheon is served in the family room.”
