“Anyway, the earl says I got to go, and my viscount was too drunk to stand up against him. There I was, far from home. But not at all put down, because I brought my American confidence with me. I see an advertisement for a butler for a duke’s household and mind, I wasn’t at all what the advertisement was calling for as it mentioned experience, English morals, and a stern taskmaster, but I answer all the same. I outline all my American ideas and wouldn’t you know, Lady Marchfield was bowled over by them. Said she never heard anything like it in her life. Says she’ll give me the job and here I am. Mind you, excited to try it out. Never been a butler before.”
Mrs. Right could well imagine that Lady Marchfield was bowled over by this fellow’s American ideas. But what did he just say? “You’ve never been a butler?” she asked.
“Never in my life!”
“What were you doing in New York before you became the drunken viscount’s valet? At the embezzler’s house?”
“Driving Mr. Wellby’s carriage, then I get the job pouring my English viscount into his clothes, and here I am at the top of the heap—in charge of a duke’s house. American ingenuity—it’ll take a man to the pinnacles of achievement. Who knows, maybe I’m not even done climbing. Might do some grand thing for the nation and get myself knighted. Hah! Sir Morus—that would be tremendous! American confidence, after all.”
Mrs. Right distractedly tapped her spoon on her saucer. American confidence, indeed. She would confidently march this fellow right out the door. As soon as she thought of an idea on how to do it.
*
Before setting offto Almack’s, Verity had spent quite an amount of time looking into the glass in her bedchamber. She wore a particularly pretty dress whose color Madame LaFray had named Prussian Blue. It was deep and rich, and the dressmaker claimed it would complement her coloring. She supposed she did look as well as she could do, and she supposed she would need to.
Verity well understood that her looks would have to carry her through. That, and being generally agreeable and using her well-practiced cover of pretending to understand a subject and judiciously adding to it by mentioning her understanding of the usual case.
None of it was very satisfactory, though. She would hide who she really was and then after the wedding—Surprise! You have married an empty-head of a lady who cannot read and does not know much. At least, much that she is sure of.
She thought there might be the slimmest chance that some gentleman would fall so violently in love with her that he wouldnot care a whit about the deficiency. That was a very slim chance, though.
Whatever was to happen this evening, she would depend on her sisters to see her through. Serenity, who now lived just two doors down, had visited and told her that everybody was in Town and everybody would come to support her at Almack’s.
Verity stood. Mrs. Right had left her to see to the downstairs over a quarter of an hour ago. Valor and Winsome had been driven out of her room, as she’d said she needed some moments to compose herself. But now it was time. She must face Almack’s.
She went down the stairs to her father as he waited in the great hall. Mr. Klonsume rushed in out of nowhere. “Gad! There’s a fine filly!” he said to her.
What on earth was she to say to such a thing?
“Klondike, or whatever your name is,” the duke said, “do not ever make comment on my daughter’s appearance again. Go away.”
“Ah! English modesty. Right-O,” Mr. Klonsume said. He did not look at all perturbed to have been dismissed so out of hand. He turned on his heel and whistled to himself as he made his way to the back of the house.
The duke helped her into the carriage and climbed in after her. “I suppose Mrs. Right faces her biggest challenge yet with that court jester.”
“He is very strange, Papa.”
“It would strike you, I suppose. You’re accustomed to our rational English ways.”
“Papa, I’m a bit frightened. I suppose that’s a usual case?”
The duke regarded her. “I will assume you mean frightened of Almack’s and not our American interloper.”
Verity nodded. As always, her father was very perceptive.
“A very regular case, if your sisters are anything to go by. I always say the same thing—you are a duke’s daughter. Fear nobody but the queen, and she won’t be there.”
Verity wondered if she ought to mention that she feared the gentlemen of thetonwould not find her very interesting. After all, what did she know? However, it seemed a rather late date to mention she could not read. That, coupled with the idea that she would not wish to disappoint her father by revealing he’d sired a very stupid daughter, turned her away from the idea.
The carriage made its way down King Street and rolled to a stop. “Here we are, chin up, Verity. Remember, you can look down on all the world if you like it.”
Verity appreciated the sentiment, but she knew very well that she had no right to look down on anybody. Rank could not confer intelligence. A tradesman’s schoolboy could run rings around her in the knowledge department. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
As she had been forewarned by her sisters, the interior of Almack’s was deceiving. Had it not been Almack’s, it would not be thought very impressive. But, as Felicity said, once an institution reached a particular pinnacle of power, it no longer needed to try very hard. In fact, not bothering to try very hard was rather the point.
If that was true, then Almack’s had certainly climbed the heights. The carpet was positively threadbare in places and the curtains had that telltale faded look that came from exposure to the sun for a few too many years.
“Ah, Countess,” the duke said to a rather lovely lady in a midnight blue satin.
