“Lady Victoria Kembal.” Her name lingered enticingly on his tongue. The memory of her in that golden gown had his cock twitching with anticipation, but he pushed his lust down. She might well be a tasty morsel, but she was also his enemy.
The well-endowed chit might currently be lingering under the false impression that her anonymity and sex would protect her from incurring his wrath, but she was about to discover that his gentlemanly manners only went so far.
“Lady Victoria Kembal, consider yourself at war.”
Chapter Fourteen
Victoria wrung her hands tightly in her lap. She could admit to being more than a little nervous. But she only had herself to blame. She’d refused to attend any more grand balls and be paraded in front of London’s bachelors, instead insisting that she was far more suited to small private events. The Duchess of Mowbray had somewhat reluctantly agreed, and so here she was, attending a formal dinner party.
Seated beside her in the Mowbray town carriage, her mother reached out and placed a hand over hers. “You will be fine. Just remember, keep any conversations light. The weather. Any good plays you have recently seen. And of course poetry. Just don’t be too critical about the food, this is a social event.”
I loathe poetry. I haven’t seen a play in two years. And who really cares about the weather. And if the food is terrible…
Victoria clamped her lips shut. It was one thing to think such thoughts, giving voice to them quite another. She was going to have to learn to be patient and endure.
“Yes Mama.”
On the opposite side of the carriage sat her father. The Duke of Mowbray offered her an encouraging smile. His hopefulglances reminding Victoria that tonight wasn’t just about her—her parents were still trying to make their way back into society. A party at the home of one of the few friends who had stood by them during the scandal would be yet another step in the right direction.
Over wine and a selected eight-course menu, the Duke and Duchess of Mowbray planned to further charm their way onto the social invitation lists of London’s elite.
While her parents worked their own agenda, she was meant to be occupied in achieving the ends of hers. Securing a husband. The Duke of Saffron Walden was to be among the guests tonight, and Lady Anne had made it clear that Victoria’s sole reason for being at the dinner was to meet and charm the bachelor noble.
With no sordid history to speak of, and an apparent pleasant demeanor, he was considered somewhat of a catch. Matthew had heard no salacious gossip about the duke and had given his sister his tentative blessing.
“Now I want you to spend the first two courses just listening, taking in the ebb and flow of the conversation. A successful society matron is one who learns to read the room. To help smooth over any issues at the first sign of them,” instructed the duchess.
Victoria’s gaze settled on her evening gown. It was dark blue with matching ribbons fluttering down from the bodice. Another new piece. She wondered how much of her dowry would be left if her mother kept spending money at this rate.
She actually liked the gown, and now that she and her mother were working hand in hand with one another, Victoria felt more confident about her manner of dress. The darker shades worked well with her long brown hair. Hair, which was currently set in a high, tight chignon with two whispers of curls either side of her face to soften and gentle the look.
Tonight was the first time she had a real sense of being in control of her search for a suitable husband. She could only hope that the Duke of Spice lived up to his spotless reputation.
“Victoria?”
Her mother’s loud use of her name stirred her from her thoughts. “Yes Mama,” she answered without thinking.
“I want you to eat and drink sparingly this evening. Sample as little of each course as is polite. If you are still hungry when we get home, you can ask cook to find you something in the kitchen.”
Her father hummed his disapproval. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yes. Victoria is here tonight to capture the attention of a duke, and she won’t be able to do that if she is focused on her plate.”
She was to eat like a sparrow and leave the rest on her plate formiss manners. But if the means justified the end, she would stick to the plan.
Outside the window of the carriage, the early evening of London drifted by, and Victoria watched the sight with interest. A whisper of rain had fallen a little while earlier, and the light from the gas lamps now glinted in the puddles along the road and pavement. It made for a pretty tableau.
Hope sparked in her heart. Maybe tonight was her night. The duke might be all she hoped for, her future soulmate, or at least a man who would come to understand her. She wasn’t naïve, knew that these things often took time. The marriages of her two older siblings had survived rocky starts, perilous beginnings that had seen love forged in the fires of danger.
All I have to do is go to a dinner party or two. Poor Gideon was facing a duel to the death in Rome. Augusta almost lost Flynn to the hangman’s noose.
The carriage slowed and came to a halt. Victoria glanced out the window, shifting back in her seat as a footman opened the door. Her father climbed out first, then turned and offered his hand to his wife. “Enchanting,” he whispered.
The duchess sighed. “My love.”
Victoria blinked back a tear at this unexpected tender moment between her parents. Their marriage had always been a battlefield, but passion had long kept them together. She still didn’t fully understand what had happened between them for her mother to give up the fight for their love, but now seeing the smile on her father’s face and the break in his voice, all she could do was send a prayer of thanks that her mother had changed her mind. Had come home.
She was still gathering her thoughts when her father reached out a hand to her. “Victoria, will you please join us?”
