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Perhaps Lady Rachel would scold him for dancing with Mary, but she would most certainly follow it up with the suggestion that he dance with Charlotte. Mary’s only hope now was that he had another partner with which to dance.
“What do you think she will do? Is she going to take him to task for dancing with you?” Sarah asked.
It was soon clear that she would not. Indeed, Lady Rachel quickly began charming Lord Hanbrooke, as well as showing off her daughter. And, in turn, Lord Hanbrooke smiled politely, still a bit stiff, but much looser than he had been earlier when he first met Mary.
After a moment, the worst thing happened for Mary: she watched as Lord Hanbrooke led Charlotte to the dance floor. As they made their way out together, her heart began to sink.
The Duke was a kind and interesting man. He was handsome and actually quite cheerful once she got past the dour exterior. But if Charlotte had set her eyes upon him, Mary would have no hope for speaking with him again. Lady Rachel would never allow it.
“Ahem. Lady Mary?”
Mary looked over and saw her distant cousin, Lord Becker. She had agreed to dance with him and knew that there was no excuse to refuse now. After all, she could not tell him that her heart was aching too much to dance.
Instead, she smiled graciously and gave him her hand. As Lord Becker led her out to dance, Mary’s eyes were on Lord Hanbrooke and Charlotte.
She knew that she would always come second to her stepsister, but this was a grief she could hardly bear.
Yet bear it, she must.
