It was proof that his idea of marrying a maid hadn’t been as outlandish as he’d feared.And of course, Evie was not actually a maid.The ascension to titles was also proof that he’d be accepted by some despite his background, if not all.Perhaps one day the city would not make him itch for a country village.
North had wanted to wait to go through the invitations for Luke and Belle’s arrival.Xander was surprised when Belle was the one to sort the pile, although on second thought, he realized he shouldn’t be.She knew more about the Ton than any of them, having spent more time in London and much of that socializing, albeit not always in polite circles.
She barely glanced at the senders’ names before putting them into three piles.“Bigot, snob, coxcomb, outright cove,” were apparently the “no” pile.Slags, clodhoppers, and eccentrics were maybes.There were only three yeses.Luke’s best friend William, the Earl of Harrington, was having a birthday party; she seemed to think Xander had been invited due to his familial connection to Luke.Belle noted that the Earl of Cheltenham, who she referred to as Cheltie, would be there, and called him the most important man in London to know, with William’s wife a close second.They were friends and between the two of them, they had funded a good chunk of the small businesses in London, especially those owned by women.In fact, Cheltie had met his wife that way.
The other two invitations were for fêtes held by members of the House of Lords’ Whig party who could be important allies, one of which was before the birthday celebration.North knew them both, although Luke did not.He was happy to leave the running of the earldom and politics to his father as much as North allowed, so he could focus on his own enterprise.
Belle slanted him a look, glancing at Xander’s rather loosely tied cravat.“Do you have appropriate London attire?”
“Probably not.”
She nodded.“We shall get you sorted.In the meantime, tell me what brought you down?”
So Xander had to relay the story once again.
Belle nodded throughout.“I don’t know that I’ll be able to find out if the Craven clan will be at any of these.”She tapped the three prioritized invitations.“Are you prepared to encounter them?Do they know you’re in Town?”
Xander nodded, then shook his head.
“Given that no clarification of the marriage contract has been made publicly, courtesy demands that you send a note informing them.You’d normally be expected to visit as well, but I think we can forego that.”
He sighed, belatedly recalling what a force of nature she was.Luke’s charitable project had been expedited due to her connections and no-nonsense attitude.“What else?”
“North, I assume you’ll introduce him at your club and ensure the transition of membership?”
“If needed.We’re meeting with his London solicitor tomorrow on a number of matters, and he may have already arranged for that at wherever the previous duke was a member.”
“I’ll get an appointment with a tailor by tomorrow morning.After that, you’ll be so busy you won’t have a moment to breathe.Take it one interaction, one person at a time, and I can come by each morning to go over who you’ve met and what their story is, even if Luke is at the other house.”
“Thank you.”He took a deep breath and looked around the room.If he had to deal with London and nobs, he had the best supporters around him he could ask for.Barring Evie, anyway.Reminding himself she was a liar, he repeated, “Thank you all for your love and support.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
After her father’s mandate, the family had been packed and whisked off to London posthaste.Evie spent the entire trip and the fortnight since missing Xander and worrying that she’d never convince him she’d meant well.
Her mother attempted once again to convince her to join her on an outing to the modiste, claiming Evie desperately needed new gowns.Evie pictured the wardrobe in her room and her dressing room and could not imagine why her mother thought such a thing.Regardless, she was not interested.She’d worn two dresses up north, swapping them out to clean and air them, and hadn’t expired from lack of variety.
Mama had brought her jar upon jar of creams for her hands.Evie used them when she remembered.She did enjoy having her skin be soft and supple again, rather than chapped and feeling as though it was stretched too tight over her hands.But she was out of the habit of these time-consuming, inane rituals and couldn’t find the interest to re-engage in them.
In so many ways, London and its expectations seemed far shallower and senseless with her recent experiences and seeing it through Xander’s eyes.
Indeed, she hadn’t mustered up interest in any of her old practices, except one.She read the newspapers manically, and even sat in her father’s office reading Parliamentary bills when he didn’t have need of them.
The rest of her days, she moped.There was no other word for it.She knew her parents worried.And she should likely join them for a few of the parties they attended, to show London society she was happy and carefree.Assuming Xander would eventually decline the contract, she needed to remain fresh in the London set’s minds in order to find another husband.
None of it could be imagined, though.Not being happy or carefree and certainly not marrying anyone other than Xander.Her heart was broken, and she had no idea how long it would take to mend, if ever.
Two events loomed that her parents insisted she attend, as they were organized by close political allies.If she had to socialize, forward-thinking MPs were her first choice.Perhaps she could mention that Xander’s views lay in their direction, based on a “recent visit to his country home with her family.”
She shook her head, frustrated.After such a thorough rejection, why contemplate ways in which to help him?
She rationalized with herself.’Tis for the greater good of the country.
So she sat through the primping, patting, and pinning for the first party.In the carriage ride, her mother ran through the names and titles of the people most likely to attend.Then came the air kisses, and gloved hand squeezes, and empty platitudes.
Evie snuck a glass of champagne when her parents were pulled away and sighed.
Another of her father’s friends who was standing nearby smiled and said, “That is a rather heavy sigh for such a young lady.”
