Page 3 of The Duke of Seduction
“You aren’t going to say anything about this, are you?”
She half turned to see he’d pivoted and was watching her warily. “No. I don’t like gossip.”
“Be careful to look before you leave—just make sure no one is outside.” He nodded helpfully with a placid but encouraging smile.
Blast.Her heart picked up speed as she went to the door. She unlocked and opened it slowly and only the barest fraction, just wide enough to peer outside and check to see if anyone was hanging about.
Satisfied that there was no one present, she slid through the crack and snapped the door shut behind her without a backward glance. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hands over her waist as she hurried to the ballroom. Just before she got there, she turned and looked back at the library, recalling that she’d left the book on the settee. She didn’t dare go back to replace it on the shelf. Well, there was no help for it. Lord Evenrude would know someone had read his book about Cornish rock formations.
Spinning back around, she ran square into another person, a young woman she didn’t know.
Lavinia kept them both from falling. “Oh my goodness, I beg your pardon!”
“It’s quite all right. I’m afraid I stole up behind you. I thought you were someone else.” The young woman was perhaps a couple of years younger than Lavinia with bright red-gold hair and sharp blue-green eyes. “I’m Frances Snowden.”
“How do you do? I’m Lady Lavinia Gillingham.”
“Pleased to meet you. This is only my second ball, so I don’t know very many people.”
“Indeed?” Lavinia linked her arm through the other woman’s. “Well, come along, Miss Snowden, and I’ll introduce you to my friend, Miss Colton. We were just saying earlier that we need a third.”
“A third?”
They moved into the ballroom, and Lavinia squinted as she steered them toward Sarah, who stood alone in the corner. Lavinia winced. When she’d left for the library, Sarah had been in the company of her mother.
“We used to be a trio,” Lavinia said. “Until our friend Diana married a duke in December. We’ve missed having a third person in our group.” They’d arrived at Sarah’s side, and Lavinia withdrew her arm from Miss Snowden’s. “With a third, there’s less likelihood of anyone being alone.” She gave Sarah an apologetic look. “I wouldn’t have gone if I’d known your mother was going to abandon you.”
“Well, you were gone a long time,” Sarah said with a touch of curiosity in her gaze.
“Allow me to present Miss Frances Snowden,” Lavinia said, gesturing toward their new addition. “It’s her first Season, so, naturally, she needs us.”
Sarah’s blue eyes sparkled as she grinned. “Splendid! Do we know her sponsor?”
Lavinia looked to Miss Snowden, who answered. “That would be my sister, Her Grace, the Duchess of Clare.”
Lavinia exchanged a look with Sarah before wincing toward Miss Snowden. “Perhaps you’ll prefer different friends. We, er, we tend to hug the wall.”
“On purpose?” Miss Snowden asked.
“Somewhat,” Lavinia said. “It’s our fourth Season, and we aren’t—well, we aren’t related to an Untouchable, if you understand my meaning.”
Miss Snowden nodded knowingly. “My brother-in-law. The Duke of Desire.” She leaned toward them, lowering her voice. “Did you know my sister and her friends came up with those names in the beginning? They regret it a bit since it seems to have run amok. Now there’s a Duke of Every Single Thing. Or so it seems. Take this Duke of Seduction fellow. I don’t suppose either of you know who he is?”
Sarah shook her head. “We don’t. What do you know of him, Miss Snowden?”
“First, you must call me Fanny, and I’m afraid I couldn’t possibly find different friends. I’ve already decided to like you both, so you’re stuck with me. As to the Duke of Seduction, I probably know as much as you. He writes those gorgeous poems in theMorning Chronicle, and so far, two of the four women he’s written about have avoided spinsterhood and either been married or betrothed.”
“I believe the number will be three,” Sarah said. “My mother informed me this evening that Miss Lennox is on the verge of becoming betrothed as well.”
“Well, three of four, then,” Fanny said with a grin. “Lucky them.”
“Provided they are happy.” Lavinia shuddered. “There’s nothing worse than having to marry when you don’t wish to.”
“It seems you two have avoided such a fate,” Fanny said. “Has it been difficult?”
Lavinia gave her a grim look. “Progressively so. I’m afraid we both need to obtain husbands this Season or find ourselves pushed into unions we may not have chosen.”
“Surely your parents wouldn’t make you marry someone you didn’t want to.” Fanny held up her hand. “Forget I said that. I know nothing of how the Marriage Mart is supposed to work. I am only here by the grace of my sister, and there is no pressure for me to wed, save what I expect.”
