“Welcome, Miss Parker. I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance,” Lady Devon said, turning her attention to Audrey.
“Lady Devon, the pleasure is mine,” she said with a curtsey.
“May I introduce my daughter, Lady Katherine?”
Lady Katherine was quite plain and a bit on the plump side, but she had a welcoming smile, and Audrey liked that. “Pleased to meet you, Lady Katherine.”
“Come, let’s all have a drink before dinner,” Lord Devon said, leading them to the large sitting area.
As they settled into their seats, a young man came striding into the room. “My apologies for being late,” he said.
“Ah, my wayward son has deigned to make an appearance this evening,” Lord Devon said, chuckling. “I wasn’t sure you’d attend.”
“Of course I would. I never want to disappoint you or Mother,” he said before he noticed Audrey.
“Lord Fletcher, Miss Parker, this is my son, Easton,” Lord Devon said.
“Easton,” Jacob said with a nod.
Audrey stood and curtseyed. “Pleased to meet you, my lord.”
She later discovered that Easton was a viscount and used his father’s courtesy title as the heir to the earldom. He was quite a good-looking man with blond hair and blue eyes. He was the exact opposite of Jacob—short where Jacob was tall, light where Jacob was dark—but the major difference between the two men was that he was an Englishman who would not be running off back to New York.
“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Parker. May I pour you a sherry?” Easton asked with a slow and sexy smile.
“Yes. That would be lovely.”
“Mother, Lady Katherine? Care for one as well?” Easton asked.
Both Lady Devon and Lady Katherine nodded.
When everyone had a drink in their hand and was making small talk, Audrey snuck a peek at Jacob, who was talking with Lord Devon. Her traitorous heart did the familiar flip-flop as she gazed at him. She tried to convince herself it didn’t matter if he didn’t want her, but disappointment reared its head again at that thought, so she did the only thing she could and focused her attention on Viscount Easton instead. Lord Easton had justgraduated from university and was planning to go on his grand tour for the summer. He talked about all the places he wished to visit, and it was fascinating hearing about those far-off lands, especially since she’d never even been out of London.
When the butler called them for dinner, Lord Easton held out his arm. “May I escort you into the dining room, Miss Parker?”
“Thank you. I’d like that,” she said, slipping her hand inside the crook of his elbow. She didn’t dare look at Jacob as he escorted Lady Kathryn. Her heart skipped a beat when Jacob pulled out the chair next to her, but he was merely helping Lady Kathryn take the seat next to her before heading back to the other end of the table, where he was seated next to Lord Devon.
Audrey was seated between Easton and Lady Katherine. Lady Katherine reminded her so much of Grace—reserved and rather shy—that she wanted to make a point of conversing with her. “Lady Katherine, I understand you’re participating in the Season. How are you enjoying it thus far?”
Lady Katherine glanced at her mother, who was deep in conversation with Jacob, before whispering, “Not at all, I’m afraid. My mother assures me I will have the pick of gentlemen vying for my hand, but I’m not blind. I know no one considers me a beauty, especially with my mousey brown hair and dull eyes. Any gentleman who proposes will not want me, merely my sizeable dowry.”
Audrey’s eyes widened as she was taken aback byLady Katherine’s honesty, but she quickly said, “Lady Kathryn, I’m sure that’s not true.”
“Oh, I assure you, it’s very true. With your beauty, you’re lucky and will never know such disdain.”
“I’m not so sure about that. We all have our shortcomings, my lady.”
“Perhaps. May I confide in you?”
Audrey nodded. “Of course. I would never betray your confidence.”
Lady Kathryn glanced at her mother again to make sure she was still engrossed in her conversation with Lord Fletcher. Satisfied her mother was occupied, she said, “I never wanted a Season, and I told my mother that, but she insisted, citing her success with my sister. What Mother didn’t say was that my sister was the beauty of the family and never had any trouble attracting gentlemen. I was happy for her when she married because it was a love match, which is rare in theton.Once she was settled, I knew it was only a matter of time before Mother turned her attention to me.”
“Don’t you wish to marry?”
Lady Kathryn sighed. “I don’t know anymore. I used to think that was my dream, but now that I’m on the marriage mart, I find the whole ordeal of finding a husband most unsettling. It’s only because of who my father is that I’m asked to dance at all.”
“I understand the Season has only just begun. I’m sure going forward, your experiences will be much more pleasant.”
