Page 7 of A Lady Never Tells
He shook his head. “She wanted an adventure more than anything, but it was a price she wasn’t sure she could pay. What would happen if she never saw her parents ever again? Would they forget about her?”
“They wouldn’t,” Sarah said emphatically. “They love her.”
“They do,” he said. “The dragon offered to take them with her too, but her parents refused. They told her that if it was an adventure, she needed she should go. They wanted her to be happy, and if she should return one day, they would happily welcome her home.”
Sarah nodded. “So she went with the dragon.”
“Perhaps,” he said. “We will learn more tomorrow when I tell you what happens next.”
His niece pouted. “I want more now.”
“No,” he said firmly. “You must sleep, and I have to leave.” He still had to dress for the ball. He tapped her chin. “I promise we will finish this story.”
“All right,” she said. “I cannot wait to hear about their adventure.”
Maxwell smiled softly. “Good night, sprite,” he told her. Then he left her alone with the nanny for the evening. He prayed that the ball would go well. This need for a wife was trying, and he wanted it done as fast as possible.
Three
The carriage rolled to a stop before the Moreland townhouse. Maxwell grimaced as he saw the line of carriages outside the window of his carriage. Everyone in the ton seemed to have been invited to this debut ball. What was so special about the young lady it was being thrown for? He should have asked Crawford when the marquess had suggested he attend this ball. His friend had better show to the ball. He’d promised that he would bring the Earl of Lyonsdale with him and they would assist Maxwell in weeding out this year’s crops of marriageable misses.
He sighed. It was time to exit the carriage, but all he wanted to do was return home. It was imperative he attended this ball; he reminded himself. Maxwell needed a wife, and Sarah needed a mother. As much as he hated this, he had to do it. He could do it, and if he kept telling himself that, he might even convince himself of it, too.
Slowly, he pushed open the door of the carriage. He didn’t want to wait for a footman to do it for him. Now that he’d decided to stick to his original plan, he didn’t see any reason to wait. The sooner he was inside, the quicker he could peruse the young ladies in attendance. One of them had to be suitable, and one surely would meet his requirements…
Maxwell stepped out of his carriage and strolled up the stairs to the entrance of the townhouse. A butler greeted him and motioned for him to follow some other guests to the location of the ballroom. He was early enough that he would still be announced, but too late to have to endure the receiving line. He hadn’t really wanted to meet the hostess for the evening. She wasn’t a lady he would consider marrying, anyway. The debutante was the one he had come to peruse, and he wanted to do that at a distance. If she interested him, he’d ask to be introduced, but not a moment sooner than that.
He reached a footman and handed him his card. Not long after the footman called out his introduction, “The Duke of Carrington.”
After his name was called, he descended the stairs into the ballroom. Everyone turned to watch him make his entrance. He should have foreseen that. They would all clamor to be near him now. He never attended balls. That didn’t stop anyone from inviting him to their entertainments. The society matrons would probably wonder why he had accepted this invite. What was it about this debut ball that had interested him? Some would conclude correctly that he was in the market for a wife and then he would be swarmed. Hell, he would be anyway, but their avarice intentions would be unavoidable.
Maxwell turned left of the stairs and in the opposite direction of the dance floor. He had no wish to dance. At least not yet… Maybe he would later if he found a young lady he wished to be acquainted with more. He hoped that there would be a card room. It would give him some place to hide from the marriage minded mothers in the room. They would stick to their younger charges and push them toward a potential duke with as much force as possible. They would all be eager to catch his attention. It was irritating, but his title could be quite the albatross at times. That made it impossible for him to know if a woman wanted him or if she hoped he would make her his duchess.
“You made it,” Lyonsdale said from behind him. He turned toward the earl and grinned. His brown hair was a bit unruly and his blue eyes nearly sparkled with mischief. “Crawford didn’t think you would actually come tonight.”
“Why?” Maxwell grimaced. “He knows why I’m here.”
“You’re brave for attending this ball.” Lyonsdale shrugged. “This is the start of your downfall. You do realize that, right?”
“What is it about this ball that requires bravery?” It didn’t seem any worse than balls he had attended in the past. “And yes, I do know what this all means. It is a necessary evil.” He’d brave the pits of hell itself for Sarah, and a ton ball was damned close to it.
“You don’t recall what happened to the Earl of Moreland, do you?” Lyonsdale lifted a brow. “This shouldn’t surprise me. You pay little mind to gossip.”
“Because it is all a bit of nonsense.” He shrugged. Maxwell hated gossip. He thought only the worst sort of individuals partook in it. “Why should I care about what happened to the Earl of Moreland?”
Lyonsdale chuckled. “You will. Especially if you become interested in his sister. This is her debut ball.”
Maxwell frowned. “All right, tell me. I suppose I should be aware of what everyone is discussing. Especially if I cross paths with the man.”
“You really are out of touch.” Lyonsdale shook his head. “The earl died in well over a year ago.”
Hell. He really should pay more attention to things. That was an important detail he should have been aware of. “Right. I suppose his death was shocking then.”
“That’s one way of putting it…” Lyonsdale glanced around him and then leaned in closer. “He had an affair with his wife’s friend, and then the woman’s husband killed him. It was all accidental I’ve heard, but still shocking, as you guessed.”
Maxwell shook his head and repressed a groan. What a mess. “I suppose they’re all waiting for the sister to do something equally shocking. Is that why this is such a crush tonight?”
Lyonsdale nodded. “The scandal has touched them both. They’re not outright snubbed, but the ton doesn’t look favorably on them either.”
