Page 2 of In Search of a Husband
“Would you like to go home? You can take my carriage. In fact, why don’t we both leave? I don’t mind.” She set down her tea and wiggled closer to the edge of the settee as if to stand.
Panic drummed in Kate’s ears. “No, no.” She cleared her throat. “No, there is no need.”
Charlotte peered up at her with large blue eyes. Waiting. “Kate?”
She felt the eyes of the other guests shift toward her, and suddenly she wished to be anywhere other than standing before the duchess, about to be lectured to as if she was a spoiled child. Instead, she smiled and straightened her shoulders, refusing to allow anyone to make her feel smaller.
“Miss Bancroft?” Lady Cranbourne inquired from beside her collection of beloved orchids.
The plump older woman wore her hair in a mess of silver and blonde curls, adorned by a plume headdress of ostrich feathers and pearl cordons.
Kate turned, thankful for the interruption.
“How is your brother?”
“Which one, Lady Cranbourne?” She smiled, resting her hands on her knees, attempting to stay still. It felt as if she were floating. “I have two.”
“The one who isn’t married,” Lady Cranbournetsked, reaching for her sherry from the elaborate tulipwood table as if exasperated. A polite chuckle rippled around the drawing room.
“Oh, last I heard he was in Greece having one adventure or another of some sort.”
“When will he return to London? It is time for him to find a bride.”
“And my mother well knows it,” Kate said with a laugh. “Which is precisely why I would hazard to guess he is in Greece at the moment with no immediate plans to leave.”
“Men,” Miss Aarons mumbled at the card table. The petite womanpushed the wire-rimmed spectacles up her long Romanesque nose and pressed her thin lips into a frown. “All the good eligible ones always seem preoccupied with anything other than finding a bride. Meanwhile, finding a husband is only what we women must do.”
“Which is our mistake, ladies.” Kate glanced toward the mantel, smiling as the clock ticked closer to her rendezvous.
The other women stared back, puzzled.
“It’s not as if we can’t enjoy ourselves while we seek a husband. We all know we must search for one. How can we ever believe in love if we cannot believe in ourselves?”
“That is rather optimistic of you, Miss Bancroft.”
Charlotte stood, slowly padding over to her friend. She hooked her arm through Kate’s elbow and glanced up at her, flashing a kind smile. “I think that was rather well said and inspiring.”
“Why, thank you.”
“Not everyone is allowed a love match,” Miss Aarons continued to mumble at the card table.
“Love match or no,” Kate said, “I don’t see how that matters. You are still your own person whether in or out of love.”
Charlotte steered her closer to the mantel. “No need to draw everyone’s ire against you,” she whispered.
“It is good advice.”
Charlotte nodded. “It is until you find yourself about to be married. Then you will discover there are many other questions to ask.”
Kate shrugged, desperate to slip out of the room. Desperate to slip into the marquess’s arms and kiss him until she didn’t care about the judgment of others.
“I have a question for you.”
“I don’t believe I have an answer,” Kate said, laughing softly. She already knew what was going to be asked. And she refused to listen.
“I heard you went for a ride with the Marquess of Brookhouse the other day.”
“Oh?”
