A woman of about nineteen with chestnut hair and green eyes was dancing with a man more than twice her age. The woman was Charlotte’s younger sister, Philippa, and the man was Mr. Benedict Alders, an up-and-coming merchant.
“I would not concern yourself with whether or not Philippa attracts Mr. Alders’ attention,” Charlotte said, tempering the disdain in her voice with a more gentle amusement.
“Of course,youwould not; you care not one whit if you are married or not. Your sisters are another matter entirely,” Lady Bellmore snapped, barely looking at Charlotte.
“It is not about my personal feelings towards marriage,mother.” Charlotte said the word with distaste — Lady Bellmore insisted she called her that, especially in public. “But the man you have directed my sister to, in your haste to marry her off, is a notorious fortune hunter.”
“What? Do not be ridiculous. Mr. Alders is a very respectable merchant.”
“Whose business went bankrupt some months ago, and who has been spotted with every high-born lady from the ton in a desperate attempt to secure himself another fortune,” Charlotte said simply, tugging at a loose thread on her dress.
The dress had been plain even when she had commissioned it years ago, choosing the cheapest fabric in the modiste so that her sisters would have the best selection for themselves. The sting of memory helped to dull some of the smugness she felt at the disdain on her stepmother’s face..Mother cannot see my satisfaction, or poor Philippa will bear the brunt of her anger.She straightened the necklace around her neck, and rearranged her face to be suitably neutral.
“You are just saying that to be spiteful.” Lady Bellmore sounded uncertain as she glanced between Charlotte and Philippa.
“I am not being spiteful; I am merely pointing out that if Philippa fails to attract this man’s attentions, it is hardly the end of the world. Indeed, it would be preferable for all of us if he does not pursue her.” Charlotte kept her voice level and even. “After all, the scandal of being associated with such a man would surely dampen all of our family’s prospects.”
“There may be some truth to what you say. Of course, it will require me to find another more suitable match for Philippa, but the night is still young.” Lady Bellmore stroked her chin thoughtfully, already scanning the room for her next victim. “Now to find someone for young Evelyn to dance with.”
At her words, Philippa’s twin’s eyes widened in alarm. Charlotte caught Evelyn’s pleading stare and subtly shook her head. She knew why her sister was panicking, but she could not let their stepmother know.
“What? Aren’t you going to try and find a suitable companion for me? After all, I am the eldest.” Charlotte smiled sweetly at her stepmother, knowing that she was right and that this would irritate the other woman.
“I would have better luck marrying a shrew than I would to find a suitable match for you. At least your sisters understand how to be proper young ladies.” Lady Bellmore scowled at her, turning away from the dance floor and Evelyn as she did so.
Perfect — direct your attention here; leave my sister alone.Charlotte shrugged and said, “I understand how to be a proper young lady; I simply choose to behave in a way that suits me rather than the rest of society.”
Behaving like the good girl she ought to be had done nothing but hurt her. That was how she ended up with Lord — no she was not going to think of that now. She caught a glimpse of Penelope across the ballroom, their eyes met, and the other woman looked hastily away. Charlotte’s heart squeezed.Why does this still hurt?
“Which is why you take up hobbies such as fencing, archery, horse riding, falconry, and hunting.” Lady Bellmore rolled her eyes. “Yes, you are the epitome of ladylike behaviour.”
“And don’t forget reading,” Charlotte grinned.
“Yes, politics and scientific journals. And novels.” Lady Bellmore’s lips thinned in disgust. “Your father is far too lenient with you. I will not make the same mistake with your sisters.” Her stepmother turned away from her. “Ahh, Evelyn. What about that young man? He is rather handsome.”
Charlotte looked in the direction her mother was gesturing and felt equal parts exasperated and amused as she realised who she was indicating. It was Dominic Dorson, the Duke of Verimore.
He was a tall man with wavy brown hair and dimples. His clothes were artfully tailored to show off his imposing physique, and he kept running a hand through his hair.
“Surely you cannot be talking about Duke Verimore?” Charlotte asked without thinking.The man is a well-known rake.
“Of course, I am. He would be a most excellent match for Evelyn. After all, he is aduke. The only person above him is royalty, and we are unlikely to find a prince any time soon.” Lady Bellmore’s eyes were fixed on Duke Verimore, and Charlotte recognised the look of a predator stalking its prey.
“But mother, I —” Evelyn began, but Lady Bellmore cut her off.
“But what? You could hardly hope to do better. Smile. Yes, that’s it. Perfect.” Lady Bellmore gripped her daughter’s arm tightly.
“He is the walking definition of a rake! Even the most ardent mothers of the ton have long given up on him,” Charlotte scoffed.
“Which makes him just ripe for the plucking. And besides, none of their daughters had Evelyn’s charm or wit.” Lady Bellmore began moving towards the Duke, pulling a reluctant Evelyn with her. “Smile, Evelyn, and for goodness’ sake, stand up straight. You look like a sack of potatoes.”
“Yes, Mother, s-s-s-sorry, Mother.” Evelyn glanced back at Charlotte and mouthed, “But what about Michael?”
Charlotte mouthed back, “Leave this to me.”
Lord Michael Belton was heir to the Marquess of Fife and had been secretly courting Evelyn. Charlotte could see him watching out of the corner of her eye but knew he would not approach.
“Curse interfering parents. If Evelyn had a larger dowry, they would be engaged already, and I would not be here playing the anti-matchmaker,” Charlotte grumbled under her breath as she followed her stepmother and sister towards Duke Verimore.
