Grace turned to find Lady Lavender behind her. She curtsied. “Lady Lavender.”
Lady Lavender in turn curtsied. “Your Grace,” she said to the duke.
“Hah! Another victim of Lord Doanellen’s dinner,” the duke said. “I hope you escaped it as fast as we did.”
Lady Lavender nodded. “Almost as fast. When the gentlemen came in from their port, I marched my father right out the doors.”
The duke hooked a thumb toward Lady Lavender. “She’s got good sense.”
“My father has just made his way to the card room, Your Grace. If you care to do the same, Lady Grace and I can chaperone one another. We will be quite safe in Lady Luthering’s ballroom.”
“What say you, Gracie?”
“I am certain I will be very safe, Papa, go ahead and find a card table.”
“And a glass of claret too, I hope,” the duke said. He kissed Grace’s cheek and strolled off.
Lady Lavender took her arm as they made their way to the ballroom. “I was hoping your father would agree to it as I wished to have a confidential conversation about that dinner.”
“I did not know what it would be,” Grace said. “I went through the invitations sent to us on my own and while I did not know who was who, he was an earl at a good address.”
Lady Lavender nodded. “The same happened to me. My father left it to me as my mother is long gone and he has been renting out his house in Town for years. He’s quite lost any idea of the societal landscape. I have since asked a cousin to review all of my engagements.”
Grace said, “I am to have my brother-in-law do the same.”
“Gracious, we got ourselves into an awkward situation. My father has been much chastened by it. I suppose the duke feels the same.”
Grace laughed. “I cannot recall a time my father was chastened over anything.”
“Ah, I imagine a duke never does. I suppose we will discover this evening whether it is widely spoken of or not.”
“Will we?” Grace asked.
“If it is bandied about, if we are condemned by the matrons of society for attending, we may find ourselves ostracized.”
“Ostracized?” Grace asked, horrified over the idea.
“My cousin who is going into her third season explained it all to me. She knows absolutely everybody.”
Grace glanced down at her empty card. Would it stay empty? What was she to do—just stand at the edges of the room, doused in shame and humiliation?
“Oh, I am sure gentlemen will put themselves down on our cards,” Lady Lavender said, as if reading her thoughts. “But if certain gentlemen do not, we may make a guess as to why. For instance, the Marquess of Stonehelm is here, and so is his mother, the duchess. She is a stern old thing and seems to run him with an iron hand on his shoulder. If she’s heard anything, she will give him strict instructions to give us a wide berth.”
Grace sighed. “Last year, my aunt, Lady Marchfield, arranged the calendar for my sister. But my father does not get on with her and refused to let her do it again. That’s how I ended up with the task. I should have asked somebody for help, though.”
Lady Lavender patted her hand. “You were not to know.”
Grace would very much like to dislike Lady Lavender, on account of her being so accomplished at everything, but it was no use. The lady was also very accomplished at being kind.
“Lady Grace, Lady Lavender.”
It was Lord Montclave. She and Lady Lavender curtsied, though neither of them were enthusiastic to see him. He was a reminder of Lord Doanellen’s dinner and to be seen speaking to him might set talk flying.
Seeming to note their discomfort, he said, “I was hoping to encounter you. I wish to explain that I counseled Doanellen not to send invitations to people such as yourself. He insisted on doing it anyway and then was triumphant when both of your houses accepted. He was less triumphant when both of your fathers took you away upon noting who the hostess was. He will not try it again, I do not think.”
“Lord Montclave,” Grace said, “Lord Doanellen, through his carelessness and low morals, may have damaged our reputations. I hardly think I care that he has learned his lesson.”
The baron had the good grace to blush. “I apologize on his behalf and I can assure you it will not be widely known unless either of you put it about.”
