Page 2 of A Lady's Stardust Passion
“Yes, I only wish that I could use the money I have now to start my travels.”
“Well, I do not know how much that is, but surely it would be enough to begin? This is your townhouse, from your father, and Aunt Sarah and Uncle Hamish are just here as your family. They love you and care for you. They would understand if you wished to do something else.”
Jane knew it was not enough money, and she knew it was a dangerous thing to not marry, but she couldn’t help the draw of the wild and the uncertain world out there beyond her home.
“I have not told them of my plans, not in so many words. And I’ve not yet any idea how exactly to go about such things.”
“Well, you should think on it, but please say you will not leave before the end of the Season. I need you desperately to be by my side.” Margaret pulled at a curl at the side of her cheek.
“You know, perhaps you might enjoy being in love with someone. It might not be so very bad.” Margaret colored. “You know that my wish is to find someone I could truly care for, not just a wealthy, established man whom my parents approved of. Someone I love so very passionately.”
“And you shall find it, my friend, for who could not adore you?” Jane asked her friend.
Margaret blushed again, and the tea arrived. Jane poured a cup for them both. She did not tell Margaret that she occasionally dreamed of a man. He did not have a distinctive face, but his eyes were sharp and heated when he looked at her. The dreams made her squirm, heat lifting over her skin. When the man would reach for her, she would ache to be touched, but then she would awaken to a cold, dark room. She would then chastise herself and return to sleep.
“I suppose it is a blessing that I have been given so much so that I have the time to choose someone properly, if I choose someone at all. I do not have to choose in the next few weeks. I can take a little time.”
But she understood her aunt’s and uncle’s argument about marriage, at least to a certain point. With status and a husband, she would not have to fear people trying to take advantage of her, and all the properties and wealth would come to her and her husband.
If only my husband is not the one trying to take advantage.
She looked around the well-furnished room. Her father had died only eighteen months ago, and one of her deepest, darkest secrets was that when he died, she had felt a sense of relief. Their shared grief had become too much for the both of them. He had become angry, strict, and they'd lost the closeness they'd once shared.
But his lasting gift had been her inheritance: a massive sum of money as well as the townhouse. Jane felt unworthy of it, but she was grateful for the freedom that it gave her. Yet societal pressure remained, as did the subtle or not-so-subtle hints from her Aunt Sarah.
“Yes, exactly,” Margaret said, lifting the tea to her lips.
Before they could continue, her aunt, the Lady Sarah Barnet, rushed into the room, holding an invitation in her hand. “Good afternoon, Margaret, dear,” she said kindly, tapping the letter and coming to sit next to the two of them.
“I'm sure you too have received this invitation, but I wanted to let you know, Jane, that the Duke and Duchess of Worwood have invited us to their daughter Lady Emily's debut ball this season.” Her aunt’s green eyes glittered with happiness. She waved the letter in the air and smiled.
“This is one of the most important events of the season for a duke and duchess to invite us to their gathering. We will certainly meet the cream of the crop this year, Jane. It is in a few days.”
Jane tried her best to smile back at her aunt. “We will have a wonderful time, I'm sure, Aunt Sarah.”
“Yes, I'm sure we will.” She leaned back in her chair with a chuckle. Her aunt, at fifty years of age, was still beautiful and vibrant, her light brown curls graying only slightly, her figure trim. She and her Uncle Hamish had never had any children of their own, and they had been the perfect replacement parents for Jane for a number of years.
“There will certainly be very many eligible young men,” her Aunt Sarah said, standing up again. “Just remember that, Jane.” She pointed at her, and Jane nodded and smiled again.
She glanced at Margaret, who sent her an encouraging look, but now was not the time to tell her aunt that she had no interest in seeking a marriage of convenience. Everyone in the ton already knew about how much she’d inherited, and so she wasn’t certain the men who would approach her would even be interested in her at all.
“Thank you, Lady Barnet. I know that Jane and I will enjoy it immensely. Especially all those handsome bachelors.” Margaret winked at her, and her Aunt Sarah laughed with delight.
“Perfect. I will make sure you have a proper dress, Jane.” She started to back away, waving her hands. “Now I don’t wish to interrupt your tea. Enjoy yourselves, girls, for in a few days, we will have quite the party to go to!”
As soon as her aunt closed the door, Jane groaned, and Margaret laughed. This certainly was going to be a long, long season.
Chapter 2
Nathaniel Worthington, the Marquess of Balwood, was not having a very good day. He wasn’t sure how long it had been that he’d been sitting there in his father’s study, his elbows on the table, hands folded, staring down at a pile of bills that were yet unpaid. It could have been a lifetime or could have been a few seconds, but what did that matter? The situation was still the same.
We are lost.
He let out a long breath and scrubbed a hand over his face as he leaned back in the chair. He felt like he hadn’t slept in days, at least not since his father, the Duke of Worwood, had fallen ill. His whole family was surprised at his sudden loss of good health, but once the truth came out about the debts, it all made sense.
“My dear,” his mother Marcia said, knocking first before she entered the study, with more envelopes in her hand.
He looked up at her drawn face, and he wondered if he too had the same dark circles under his hazel eyes. “More?” he asked, his stomach twisting with dread.
