Lady Montague smiled. She had only thought to hold the card party as an exclusive evening that might be talked about everywhere—the young lords destined to be dukes had graced the lady’s drawing room, it would be said. Those powerful gentlemen would indicate their backing by their attendance. The world need not know she’d bargained for it while they’d all been in Yorkshire. The gentlemen’s public acknowledgement would be one more step in her campaign to regain the influence she had lost over that debacle with Cassandra Knightsbridge.
She had, just the day before, been in a fury upon hearing that Lord Cabot and Lord Grayson would not attend. Lord Cabot had sent an excuse that there was a horse to be seen somewhere in the countryside. It had felt a slap in the face. That would leave her with two would-be dukes, which was not nearly as good as four.
And then, as if the Gods smiled down upon her, everything began to fall into place.
Miss Knightsbridge, now Lady Hampton, though Harriet could hardly bear to call her so, had chosen to sponsor some little chit from Surrey, a Miss Farnsworth. Harriet had not seen anything to do about that, unfortunately. She would have liked to take any opportunity to punish Lady Hampton by somehow making Miss Farnsworth uncomfortable, and yet, she had not quite dared. Her standing was still tenuous, and Lady Hampton would eventually become a duchess.
That was, she had not quite dared until two pieces of gossip came to her attention.
One—Lady Hampton was retiring to the country; it was said she was with child. The lady would not be on the scene to provide cover for her newly launched dove.
Two—Miss Farnsworth had made a fool of herself by wagering Lord Ashworth over a game of piquet. Oh, it was said she beat him handily, but that could only have been luck.
The plan to invite both Lord Ashworth and Miss Farnsworth to a card party was delicious. It would be talked about in hushed whispers. News of it would travel to Hampton’s estate and Lady Hampton would come to know that Harriet Montague had a very long memory and might even involve one’s friends. Most importantly, it was exactly the sort of thing she wished people to remember about her. She was clever, and not afraid to design a scheme when she had a mind.
One should not cross Lady Montague.
It would elicit a subtle fear, the sort that made people wonder what she might do next. That wonderment would fix her firmly as the arbiter she had once been. Andthatwas the purpose of her life.
All the way back to town, Lord Montague had warned her off meddling and scheming. Fortunately, she had not taken any of his advice since the first week of their marriage. She did sometimes wonder why he went on with it.
This evening, she would promote another card game between Lord Ashworth and Miss Farnsworth, and no matter the outcome it would set the town ablaze with gossip. Lord Montague could think what he liked about it.
Harriet Montague was securely on the steps back up to her throne and she would not stumble.
*
As Lily didnot have the faintest idea what sort of evening was to be held by Lady Montague, she’d chosen a dusky rose silk dress. She thought the coloring did something well for her dark hair and rather pale complexion, but most importantly it was a very simple cut with no undue adornment. She supposed it would be suitable for any sort of evening party. As well, she had taken in her aunt’s advice about Lady Montague and even if it had been a ball, she would not have chosen a dress that would be a standout. Aunt Amelia said the trick was to remain unnoticed by the lady and that was exactly what she proposed to do.
“Goodness,” Mrs. Hemming said, as their carriage barreled ever nearer to the lady’s house, “you look terrified. I ought not have said Lady Montague was the dragon of Mayfair, I think it has put visions in your head. Really, she is just an unhappy creature. She never had children and I suppose that’s led her to put all of her attention on her power in society. One should never put all one’s eggs in one basket as she has.”
Lily put her chin up and became determined to at least have the appearance of ease. After all, to appear unduly nervous might attract the lady’s attention.
She smiled to herself. Her aunt had been right, she’d invented visions of the dragon and had begun to think of herself tiptoeing past the lady’s lair.
“I have been silly, I know,” Lily said. “I don’t expect a great personage like Lady Montague will take the least notice of a simple girl from Surrey.”
“Well, here we are,” Mrs. Hemming said. “It is certainly not a rout, I see no carriages but the one just trotting away. Very strange, it appears it will be a small party and I have never been invited to one of those. In any case, it will not pay to sit here and wonder. We shall go in and discover it for ourselves.”
A stern-looking butlerdirected footmen to take their cloaks and led Lily and Mrs. Hemming to the drawing room.
Lady Montague rushed to greet them, the ostrich feathers planted in her hair waving in all directions as she crossed the room.
Lily felt momentarily speechless. Not only was the great lady before her, but she could see over the hostesses’ shoulder that this was to be a card party. There were people already arrived, but based on the number of tables it would indeed be an intimate evening. Worse, Lord Ashworth stood at the far end of the room. He stood next to a man with a long scar running down his cheek—Lord Dalton, she presumed. Everybody had heard of the scarred earl.
That scarred gentleman regarded her with some amusement. Lord Ashworth stared at Lily with an expression she could not unravel.
What was the meaning of it? Why had she and her aunt been invited to such a small gathering? Why had they been invited to acardparty?
Lily began to wonder if Lord Ashworth had some hand in it. He had been less than pleased to lose to her at piquet and she guessed he would have been even more displeased to become aware of the talk that had gone round about it.
Was it possible that he sought to trounce her at cards and had prompted Lady Montague to arrange it?
It seemed an elaborate scheme, but Lily did not forget what Lady Montague was capable of. Further, if the lady sought the lord’s backing to reclaim her place in society, she might well agree to anything.
“Dear Mrs. Hemming,” Lady Montague said, sweeping up to them. “And this must be Miss Farnsworth.”
Lily curtsied low enough for a queen, her intention being to flatter the lady.
