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Authors: Karen Hawkins
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Lily said, “I am very grateful for your help, your grace, but what if Huntley isn’t the one for me?”
“He will be, if you’ll let him.” The duchess sipped her tea. “He’s a lovely man.”
“Oh yes,” Lady Charlotte added, her soft blue-gray eyes shining with enthusiasm. “So distinguished.”
“Very handsome, too,” the duchess added. “One of the handsomest earls I’ve yet to meet.” The two pugs in her lap were now wide-awake and staring intently at her tea cake. “In addition, I’ve been grooming Huntley for you.”
“We both have.” Lady Charlotte licked butter off her fingers, looking like a plump fairy. “He’s looking forward to meeting you.”
Lily wondered if the pigs on Lady Charlotte’s home farm had seen what was coming their way. She tried to look appreciative, though it took quite a bit of effort. “It was quite kind of you to mention me.”
“It was my pleasure,” the duchess assured her. “Huntley’s been a bit of a recluse since his wife died, but—”
“Wife? Pardon me, but . . . he’s a widower?”
“Oh yes. He was quite attached to his first wife and refused to enter company for several years after her death.”
“But now he’s back in society.” Lady Charlotte dipped a spoon into a jar of marmalade and spread it over her tea cake. “But you needn’t fear that he developeda new interest in that time, for he hasn’t. We asked him.”
“You asked him?”
“Of course.” The duchess set down her teacup. “How else would we discover his situation? He was a bit reluctant at first to discuss his private life, but Charlotte quite won him over.”
“Yes, first I told him that it was obvious that he was once again joining the ranks of the eligible, and I would hate to waste his time introducing him to every female the duchess and I know. We know quite a few, too.”
“Many.” The duchess chuckled. “You should have seen his face! But it did the trick, for he revealed what he was looking for in the way of a wife. And what he told us made us very hopeful for you, my dear!”
Lily looked down at her teacup. A wealthy, handsome earl looking for a wife . . . what more could she ask for? Yet in her mind’s eye arose a vision of a large man, his shock of black hair framing brilliant green eyes, his dark, accented voice rumbling through her.
But that was not to be. Lily pushed the memory aside and met the gaze of her expectant hostesses. Steeling her heart, she swallowed her misgivings and firmly faced her future. “That’s lovely. I look forward to meeting the earl. I’m sure we’ll suit very well.”
The duchess and Lady Charlotte beamed and began to discuss the various events they’d planned for the coming few weeks.
Six
From the Diary of the Duchess of Roxburghe The stage is set, the players cast. All that’s left is to open the curtain. . . .
“Have all of the guests arrived?” The duchess was resplendent in blue silk with cream rosettes, her red wig adorned with an emerald pin that matched her necklace and earrings.
Standing in the wide doorway leading to the ballroom, Charlotte looked at MacDougal.
He bowed. “Everyone on the list is here except Lord Huntley. He hasna’ arrived yet, yer grace.”
Margaret frowned. “I ran into him in the hallway after dinner and I specifically asked him to arrive early so that I could introduce him to Miss Balfour.” She hesitated. “I wonder if I was a bit too forward when I did so.”
“You think he took offense?”
“I hope not.” The duchess was silent a moment as she regarded her other guests, who were talkingand laughing and watching the dancing, which had just begun. Finally she sighed. “I thought I detected a hint—just a hint —of stubbornness in his lordship’s demeanor when I spoke to him about Lily.”
Charlotte sighed. “Oh dear.”
“He was polite, but no more. Perhaps he’s sending us a not-so-subtle message, which is that he will not be
“He will be, if you’ll let him.” The duchess sipped her tea. “He’s a lovely man.”
“Oh yes,” Lady Charlotte added, her soft blue-gray eyes shining with enthusiasm. “So distinguished.”
“Very handsome, too,” the duchess added. “One of the handsomest earls I’ve yet to meet.” The two pugs in her lap were now wide-awake and staring intently at her tea cake. “In addition, I’ve been grooming Huntley for you.”
“We both have.” Lady Charlotte licked butter off her fingers, looking like a plump fairy. “He’s looking forward to meeting you.”
Lily wondered if the pigs on Lady Charlotte’s home farm had seen what was coming their way. She tried to look appreciative, though it took quite a bit of effort. “It was quite kind of you to mention me.”
“It was my pleasure,” the duchess assured her. “Huntley’s been a bit of a recluse since his wife died, but—”
“Wife? Pardon me, but . . . he’s a widower?”
“Oh yes. He was quite attached to his first wife and refused to enter company for several years after her death.”
“But now he’s back in society.” Lady Charlotte dipped a spoon into a jar of marmalade and spread it over her tea cake. “But you needn’t fear that he developeda new interest in that time, for he hasn’t. We asked him.”
“You asked him?”
“Of course.” The duchess set down her teacup. “How else would we discover his situation? He was a bit reluctant at first to discuss his private life, but Charlotte quite won him over.”
“Yes, first I told him that it was obvious that he was once again joining the ranks of the eligible, and I would hate to waste his time introducing him to every female the duchess and I know. We know quite a few, too.”
“Many.” The duchess chuckled. “You should have seen his face! But it did the trick, for he revealed what he was looking for in the way of a wife. And what he told us made us very hopeful for you, my dear!”
Lily looked down at her teacup. A wealthy, handsome earl looking for a wife . . . what more could she ask for? Yet in her mind’s eye arose a vision of a large man, his shock of black hair framing brilliant green eyes, his dark, accented voice rumbling through her.
But that was not to be. Lily pushed the memory aside and met the gaze of her expectant hostesses. Steeling her heart, she swallowed her misgivings and firmly faced her future. “That’s lovely. I look forward to meeting the earl. I’m sure we’ll suit very well.”
The duchess and Lady Charlotte beamed and began to discuss the various events they’d planned for the coming few weeks.
Six
From the Diary of the Duchess of Roxburghe The stage is set, the players cast. All that’s left is to open the curtain. . . .
“Have all of the guests arrived?” The duchess was resplendent in blue silk with cream rosettes, her red wig adorned with an emerald pin that matched her necklace and earrings.
Standing in the wide doorway leading to the ballroom, Charlotte looked at MacDougal.
He bowed. “Everyone on the list is here except Lord Huntley. He hasna’ arrived yet, yer grace.”
Margaret frowned. “I ran into him in the hallway after dinner and I specifically asked him to arrive early so that I could introduce him to Miss Balfour.” She hesitated. “I wonder if I was a bit too forward when I did so.”
“You think he took offense?”
“I hope not.” The duchess was silent a moment as she regarded her other guests, who were talkingand laughing and watching the dancing, which had just begun. Finally she sighed. “I thought I detected a hint—just a hint —of stubbornness in his lordship’s demeanor when I spoke to him about Lily.”
Charlotte sighed. “Oh dear.”
“He was polite, but no more. Perhaps he’s sending us a not-so-subtle message, which is that he will not be
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