Fredrick chuckled. “I daresay you have an impossible standard, dear sister.” He tipped his head at the butler as they passed through the open door. “I can only imagine what obstacles you will make a suitor go through to court you.”
Once Octavia was situated in the coach, she smootheddown her skirt. “There will be no hoops because I am not sure if I will ever marry,” she confessed.
“If you don’t marry, what shall you do?” Fredrick asked as he went to sit across from her. “Not that I am questioning your choice. I do not fault you for avoiding the marriage mart.”
Octavia was surprised by Fredrick’s reaction. She had halfway expected him to criticize her choice, not support it.
Fredrick continued. “Marriage is not something you do on a whim. If you do get married, I want you to secure a love match. That is no less than you deserve.”
“Roswell said something similar,” Octavia said.
“Good, because we are your family and we will support you in whatever you decide. But rest assured, no matter what happens, you will always be taken care of.”
Octavia smiled, touched by her brother’s words. “Thank you, Brother.”
“I would strongly encourage you not to write a book because I am fearful of what your mind would unleash on this world.” He shuddered.
With a laugh, Octavia said, “I have no desire to write a book, but I wouldn’t mind doing spy stuff with you.”
“What is this ‘spy stuff’ you are talking about?” Fredrick questioned. “I only ask because I stopped working as a spy once I returned home from the war.”
“Do you miss being a spy?”
Fredrick turned his attention towards the window. “I do not miss the war, but I miss the comrades that I made there. I worry about them every day, and I wonder if I made the right choice by returning home.”
Octavia could hear the pain in his voice and her heart lurched for him. “For what it is worth, I am glad that you are home.”
“My duty to this family comes first,” Fredrick stated. The way he said his words made it seem as if he had to convince himself of that.
A silence descended over them as Fredrick retreated to his thoughts. Octavia thought it was best to not press him. He hardly spoke about the war, and when he did, he never went into detail. She wondered what he had seen over there to affect him in such a way.
The coach came to a stop in front of a three-level, whitewashed townhouse. It was only a moment before the footman opened the door and assisted her out.
Once she was on the pavement, she took the opportunity to adjust the top of her white gloves. The townhouse was lit up with light coming from nearly every window and a steady line of guests made their way to the main door.
Fredrick came to stand next to her. “It is not too late to depart and pretend this night never happened,” he said, a teasing lilt to his voice.
“A ball will do you some good.”
“I doubt it,” Fredrick responded. “I am an unattached lord. Do you know how terrifying that is for me?”
She patted his sleeve. “Poor lord. What a burden you must bear.”
Fredrick sighed. “Let’s get this over with,” he muttered.
“I could use some more enthusiasm from you,” Octavia joked. “I don’t want you to appear as if you are going to the guillotine.”
“That is asking a lot from me,” he replied as she accepted his offered arm and they stepped into the line. It wasn’t long before they arrived in the crowded ballroom.
Her eyes wandered around the rectangular hall, and she took in the grandeur of her surroundings. A large golden chandelier was suspended in the center of the hall and it cast a warm glow over the chalked dance floor. The red-papered walls seemed to glow next to the lighted sconces that lined them, and her eyes were drawn to the intricate mural that adorned the ceiling.
Fredrick led her towards the rear of the ballroom andpositioned them near a column. “There are far too many people in here, making it deucedly uncomfortable,” he remarked.
“Would you care to step outside?”
“Perhaps in the future, but I can make do for now,” he replied. “Do you know if any of your friends are in attendance?”
Octavia went on her tiptoes and her eyes scanned over the room as she looked for anyone that looked familiar. But she saw no one. “I don’t see anyone,” she admitted.
