Chapter Two
Three evenings later, Piers was ready to sit down in his chair to do some reading in the den when the butler showed up. “Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson wish to speak with you,” he said.
Surprised, Piers shut the book he was reading on the Egyptian hieroglyphs. Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson were here? Why would they come by so late in the day? In fact, why would they come at all? They hadn’t shown up at his townhouse before. He didn’t even realize they knew where he lived.
“Should I tell them to come back another time?” the butler asked.
“No,” Piers replied and set the book down on the table next to him. “Bring them in.”
If he didn’t welcome them into his home this evening, they might never pay him a visit again. This was progress. Definite progress. He was no longer just someone they saw at White’s. Now he was someone they felt worthy to visit.
And that pleased him immensely since he had enjoyed their company much more than the other gentlemen’s company when he was at White’s. In fact, if he could choose his friends, he’d pick them because they knew how to enjoy life.
The butler left the room, and Piers stood up. He took a deep breath to steady the beating of his heart. He doubted any other person would get so excited about the prospect of having guests in his own home, but given how no one ever came to visit, he had a reason to feel the way he did.
Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson came into the den.
Mr. Robinson took one look at the bookshelves lining the walls of the den and whistled. “You have a library in here.”
“Yes, I love to read,” Piers said. “It’s my favorite pastime.” Then, in case they thought he was pathetic, he hurried to amend, “One of my favorite pastimes. I don’t just sit around and read books all day.”
Lord Edon turned to him. “Good. That means you’ll go to Mr. Jasper’s ball with us.”
“Mr. Jasper has a ball this evening?” Why was Piers just now finding out about it?
“Yes, and we want you to come along with us,” Lord Edon replied. “Our wives are in the carriage.”
“Oh.” Piers glanced at his clothes. He wasn’t the least bit ready for a ball.
“We know your future wife might not be there,” Lord Edon began. “Or maybe she will be, and you’ll have to sneak off to get a moment alone with her. But either way, you owe it to yourself to get out there and have a good time.”
Mr. Robinson nodded. “We’ll wait while you get ready for it.”
Piers glanced from one gentleman to the other. They both seemed excited about taking him to the ball. This was the kind of thing friends did. They went to social events together. Piers had never been invited by friends to go to a ball. In fact, no one had invited him to anything.
“All right,” Piers replied. “I’ll change at once. Help yourself to some brandy while I’m gone.”
Then, without another word, he hurried to his bedchamber. Perhaps his luck really was starting to turn around. Maybe tonight was the beginning of good things for the rest of his life.
***
Stacey was waiting in her drawing room. Tonight was another ball. Though Lady Eloise wouldn’t be there for this one, the other ladies would be. She wasn’t sure if that would make the evening more bearable or not. She’d still have to be careful about what she said and did in case someone reported something bad about her to Lady Eloise.
Unable to sit still, Stacey went to the window and looked out at the townhouses across the street. Were the people living in them happy? Whenever she saw them coming or going, they smiled and waved at others. They seemed like they were truly happy. But for all anyone knew, she seemed that way, too. Maybe, beneath it all, they were as miserable as she was.
The only time she found any kind of contentment was when she got a chance to talk with Iris. And she hadn’t been able to do that for the past two months. It was hard to sneak away when her father arranged everything for her.
“I will not let you get by with another Season of not picking a husband.”
Stiffening, Stacey glanced over at her father as he strode into the room. He wasn’t in a good mood. Which meant this evening was going to be difficult to get through.
Directing his gaze to her, he said, “Your cousin is now engaged. She’s in her first Season. Her first Season! I don’t know why you can’t, especially since you’re a member of an elite lady’s group. There is absolutely no reason why you’re in your third Season. After this year, there will be no hope for you. You must get a husband. I will not have the shame of a daughter who can’t find a husband living under my roof. Do I make myself clear?”
Stacey swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. “I’ll find someone. I promise.”
“You’d better,” he snapped. “Now, come. We don’t want to be late for Mr. Jasper’s ball.”
She picked up the hem of her gown and hurried to follow him as he left the room. Unfortunately, she was able to catch up to him in time to hear him mutter, “I can’t understand what’s wrong with that girl,” under his breath. Her steps slowed, but then she hurried back up so he wouldn’t have to wait for her when he reached the front door.
She knew she had disappointed him. There was no reason why she shouldn’t already be married with a child on the way. She had no excuse for it. If only she could convince herself love wasn’t important. But whenever she saw her mother, arguments for a love match screamed in her ears.
It was bad enough she was the Duke of Cathorn’s daughter. She didn’t want to be married to someone like him, too. Unfortunately, she was scared every gentleman was secretly like him. All of them came across as confident. They all seemed like they knew exactly what they wanted and pursued it. While she knew those weren’t bad traits, they could be used in negative ways.
In the carriage on their way to Mr. Jasper’s townhouse, she sat as far from her father as possible. Since her father was a large gentleman, this meant that she was pretty much pinned up against the window. She had to breathe in and out in a slow rhythm so that she didn’t panic. Counting people and carriages as they went down the street eased some of her nerves, too.
She hated tight spaces, especially when she was confined in them with her father. Thankfully, her father chose to remain silent during the carriage ride.
By the time they reached Mr. Jasper’s, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her father got out of the carriage first, and she followed. Since he expected it, she accepted his arm and let him escort her up the steps.
She forced a smile and greeted people on the way into the ballroom, acting as if everything was perfect in her life. Now, if she could just find a gentleman who was nothing like her father… Was it possible that such a gentleman was even at this ball?
Her father scanned the people in the ballroom. “I don’t see Lady Eloise or the Duke of Silverton.” His eyebrows furrowed. “That will make it more difficult to pick gentlemen for you to dance with this evening.”
She searched the crowded room and found Miss Wilmington and Miss Webb, who were giggling in the corner of the room. “Some of the members of Ladies of Grace are here,” she told her father.
With a nod, her father said, “Good. I want you to stay with them until I secure some dances for you.”
Indicating she would obey him, she hurried away from him. Already, she felt herself relaxing. Neither Miss Wilmington nor Miss Webb saw her as she approached since they had their backs turned to her.
“Do you really think what Lady Youngtown did at the park is going to ruin Lady Eloise’s reputation?” Miss Webb asked.
“My father ordered me to leave her group,” Miss Wilmington replied. “He said that there’s no way she can redeem herself after this. Not when Lady Cadwalader and her friends are laughing about the incident.”
“But I thought the Ton didn’t concern themselves with the Tittletattle.”
Miss Wilmington shrugged. “Maybe not, but enough prominent people are supporting Lady Youngtown. Lady Eloise might be able to stand up against the Tittletattle, but she’s no match for the Ton.”
“It serves her right,” Miss Webb replied. “I’m tired of her royal highness acting as if her word is law. It’s about time she was exposed for who she really is.”
“Yes. I’m sure the Duchess of Lambeth and Lady Erandon will love it when this is all over London.”
Stacey bit her lower lip. Should she let them know she was right behind them? She glanced at her father, who was already talking to Miss Wilmington’s father, Lord Parris. She had to let the two ladies know she was there. She couldn’t leave Miss Wilmington and Miss Webb until he came for her.
She took a deep breath then called out, “Miss Wilmington! Miss Webb!”
The two ladies turned to her.
“Lady Stacey, what a pleasure it is to see you,” Miss Wilmington greeted, her smile seeming insincere.
She forced a smile in return. “It’s a pleasure to see you, too. I just arrived here with my father.”
Miss Wilmington giggled. “Did you hear about the article in the Tittletattle about Lady Eloise?”
“Yes, I did,” Stacey replied.
“Then your father knows?”
“Oh, well, no. He hasn’t read it yet.”
“My father is furious,” Miss Wilmington said. “He’s demanding that I leave Ladies of Grace at once. If you’re smart, you’ll leave, too.” She glanced at Miss Webb. “And you would be wise to do so as well. Lady Eloise is about to be socially ruined. Her upcoming marriage to Mr. Bachman isn’t going to help matters any, either. My father was already uneasy about my membership in the group when he found out she was going to marry a pathetic nobody like Mr. Bachman. This just makes everything worse.”
“If Lady Eloise is wise, she’ll stay home tonight,” Miss Webb said.
“I only hope she doesn’t make the rest of us look bad,” Miss Wilmington replied. “She was the one who was rude to Lady Aston and Lady Youngtown. The rest of us didn’t do anything.”
Stacey couldn’t believe she had the nerve to say that. Miss Wilmington did have a hand in the whole thing. She had defended Lady Eloise. But then, didn’t the rest of the group defend her, too? Even though Stacey hadn’t come out and said something in Lady Eloise’s defense, she hadn’t argued it. Which, as she thought on it, was the same as defending Lady Eloise.
Stacey noticed her father heading in her direction. She cleared her throat. “My father’s on his way over to us,” she warned them so that they would change the topic.
“Did he mention who he’ll have you dance with this evening?” Miss Webb asked.
She shook her head. “No. I’m sure that’s one of the things he’ll want to tell me.”
“Good luck,” Miss Wilmington told her. “All the good ones are taken. I have high standards. I won’t settle for just anyone. Father is in complete agreement with me. He only wants the best of the best for a son-in-law.”
Stacey’s father stopped in front of them, and they grew silent. “I need to have a word with you,” he told Stacey.
Stacey pushed aside her unease and followed him to a vacant area of the room. He was upset. She could tell it by the stiffness in his walk. Surely, it couldn’t be because of something she’d done.
When they reached the corner of the room, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about the article in the Tittletattle?”
“I-I thought you knew. It was all over London.”
“If it made the Tittletattle, then it’s serious. You should know that.” He paused. “Lady Eloise humiliated Lady Youngtown in public, and Lady Youngtown’s husband is an upstanding member of society. This doesn’t reflect well on me since you’re my daughter and you’re in Ladies of Grace. Are you trying to make a fool of me?”
Her eyes grew wide. He thought she hadn’t told him about the whole thing at Hyde Park because she wanted to bring shame to his name? “No. I would never do that. I didn’t say anything because it was gossip.”
“There’s a difference between idle gossip and what’s in the Tittletattle. I can’t believe you’re such a simpleton that you don’t understand that.”
“I-I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t think anything would come from the incident at Hyde Park when it happened. No one speaks badly to Lady Eloise without suffering for it. I assumed Lady Youngtown’s reputation would be ruined.”
“Well, it wasn’t,” he hissed. “You came here tonight to this ball acting as if nothing was wrong, but right now, everyone is thinking less of me because my daughter didn’t have the courage to take a stand for Lady Youngtown.”
“I thought you’d be mad at me if I said anything.”
“That’s because you never use any common sense.” He shook his head in irritation. “You’re just as stupid as your mother. Get away from me. I can’t stand to look at you right now.”
She darted around him and hurried on into the crowd, blinking back her tears the entire way. How was she to know he would have wanted to her say something that day at the park? Up to now, he had insisted that she do everything possible to please Lady Eloise. All it took was for the incident to be reported in the Tittletattle, and her father changed his mind?
She brushed back some tears. She couldn’t win. No matter what she did, she couldn’t please him. It was no wonder her mother holed herself up in her bedchamber. That was the only escape she got from him.
Stacey’s escape would only come if she married. But what if she ended up with someone like her father? What if she ended up like her poor mother?
She bumped into a gentleman. Looking up through her tears, she muttered an apology then rushed past him. And she didn’t stop until she was safely out of the ballroom.