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“Victoria,” Sebastian growled.
“Yes, Uncle?”
“You are not to fall in love without my approval.”
Victoria chuckled into her napkin until her chuckle turned into a coughing fit.
Frau Elinor tapped her on the back. “There, there,Kindchen. Why women want to marry is beyond me. Then they get stuck with these unbearable creatures their entire lives!”
Victoria straightened and cleared her throat. “I know whyIneed to marry,” she said calmly.
“Are you still so determined to carry out your family’s wishes?” Frau Elinor asked with a worried frown.
“You know that I am,” Victoria said softly.
“And for your goal, you need an advantageous match. Which brings us back to the gentleman you met yesterday,” Sebastian supplied.
“He is of noble birth, so please, do not fret, Uncle. I am not as dimwitted as I might seem.”
“I know you are not dimwitted!” Sebastian threw up his hands.
“Let Victoria bask in the light of her infatuation for a little while, Bastian. You do not need to threaten her right away.”
“Threaten?”
“Uncle, Frau Elinor.” Victoria looked from Sebastian to his aunt. “I might be young, but I know my goals. I know what I want, and I know exactly the kind of husband I need. But this gentleman hasn’t even started courting me yet. I shall tell you his name as soon as the occasion warrants it.”
A footman brought a plate full of breakfast foods and placed it in front of Victoria, while Sebastian pondered her words. Victoria was young, bright, and impressionable. At nineteen years old, she did not know her mind and could be easily manipulated, especially by the people she trusted, like her family. That was an issue for another time. But meeting an influential older man in England had the potential to lead to a disaster. Truly, whose idea was it to marry off women at such a young age?
Of course, he knew whose. Men’s. Because young and impressionable were exactly the kinds of ladies the majority of them needed in order to persuade anyone to marry them. Otherwise, the vast majority would end up without wives.
“You might think that you know what you want, Victoria, but I know what you need and, more importantly, whom you do not need. I know these men.”
Frau Elinor let out a burst of hoarse laughter. “My dear, nephew. You think you know everything,” she said, then winked at Victoria conspiratorially. “Now remember something about men,Kindchen. Men always think they know better. While they are as lost as babes when it comes to the affairs of the heart.”
“Thank you, Frau Elinor.” Victoria chuckled and continued eating heartily.
“For example, did any lady catch your eye last night?” Frau Elinor finally turned to Sebastian.
“As I said, I am not here to seek a bride,” Sebastian grumbled, while he mentally ran through every man Victoria had danced with the night before.
She’d smiled at everyone and was polite and gracious, but he hadn’t noticed any special attention she paid to anyone. Was Frau Elinor right? Was he so clueless as to not notice when Victoria bestowed her attention on some unknown man? Or perhaps it had happened when he was evading all those marriage-minded ladies, or hiding out on the balcony with his beautiful muse…
“But if you do, you will tell us first, will you not? Because you might think you know more about men, while we definitely know more about women,” Victoria added with a giggle.
“Yes, we shall find you a perfect bride,” Frau Elinor chimed in.
Sebastian raised his eyes heavenward. Thank the Lord he was not looking for a wife. Dealing with two women was difficult enough.
* * *
“I am in big trouble!” Lavinia announced from the doorway of Annalise’s parlor.
“Lady Lavinia for you, my lady,” the butler said behind her back.
Drat. She’d flown past him in the hallway, forgetting all her manners or anything, really. Her cheeks and ears heated in embarrassment. It wasn’t like her to act so rudely.
“Thank you, Crane,” Annalise said with a sheepish smile and a nod toward the servant. She looked at Lavinia, and her expression immediately turned concerned. “Please, come in. What’s the matter?”
