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Lavinia raised her brows. “Yes?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about your predicament since the last time we saw each other, and I think I have a solution for you.”
Lavinia furrowed her brows in thought. What predicament was Annalise talking about? Lavinia had plenty. “Apologies, my mind is scattered. What problem are you talking about?”
Annalise gave a short laugh. “About your betrothal, dear. If you do not want to marry Lord Roth, I have another suitor for you.”
“You do? Who?” Lavinia scooted closer to Annalise.
“Marcus.” Annalise smiled, clearly very pleased with herself.
“Marcus?” Lavinia scrunched up her face in thought.
“Yes, Blake’s cousin.”
“Oh, the Earl of Payne—I mean, the gentleman who was the Earl of Payne, while your husband—”
“Yes!” Annalise interrupted giddily. “Him. Anyway, you know that he came to London from the Continent to take care of the Payne earldom when Blake disappeared. And, as soon as Blake returned, Marcus became very adamant about going back. Only he can’t, since he invested all of his funds into Payne’s lands when he inherited them. Long story short, Blake had promised to help him get his investments back, including his art collection. But until then, he is forced to stay in England. But perhaps if he had a wife, he’d consider staying—”
“No!” Lavinia exclaimed excitedly. “No, it’s perfect.”
And it was perfect. If Marcus were to marry Lavinia and move back to the Continent, that would be the most perfect solution to all Lavinia’s woes. No strange notes would follow her there, or so she hoped. She would avoid running into Dane and Caroline at every function. Why didn’t she think of this earlier? She should marry a man who would leave the country shortly after their wedding!
Of course, Lavinia would miss her friends, especially Annalise, and quirky Olivia. Oh, who was she trying to fool? She would miss Caroline as well. But she did not have a future in England. She had to come to terms with that. Without realizing it, Annalise had just given her the perfect solution.
“Yes, that’s perfect,” Lavinia repeated. “I already know him. I mean, we’ve met a handful of times, but he is a pleasant enough gentleman. He is your relative, and he and your husband get along, which is an added boon. And he is not hideous to look at, neither is he too old. He is perfect.”
“I am so glad you agree!” Annalise exclaimed in glee.
He is perfect.
And now was the time for self-doubt to start plaguing Lavinia.
Of course, he was perfect. Which meant that he would not look Lavinia’s way. How in the world did she think she could ensnare a man who was that splendid while she… well, was not.
“And the best part is,” Annalise continued, not realizing Lavinia had shifted from excitement to utter terror, “he is going to the house party, too! Blake convinced him to come under the pretense of discussing business. He should arrive today, or perhaps he has already arrived. Ample time for the two of you to get to know each other and fall in love!”
Lavinia’s smile died on her lips.Love. That was not in the cards for Lavinia anymore.
* * *
The first—and Sebastian hoped from the bottom of his soul that it would also be the last—house party hosted by the Marquess of Roth was underway. Caroline, the Duchess of Kensington, had hosted one house party on his behalf, but this time, he was all on his own.
The carriages had started arriving in the early morning, and a few more families were expected to join the party on the morrow.
Sebastian and Victoria had spent most of the day greeting the visitors, smiling, and making idle conversation with the new arrivals.
Frau Elinor joined them from time to time, but due to her health, she opted to lie down and rest for most of the day. She had not lied when she’d said that travel had started becoming more difficult for her. Perhaps it truly wouldn’t be easy for her to travel back to the Continent. And if that were true, Sebastian’s own plans of leaving were under question.
Sebastian did not want to think about that. He’d find a way to turn things toward his advantage. He always did.
If Victoria’s chosen husband proved to be pleasant, perhaps Sebastian would be able to leave Frau Elinor under his and Victoria’s care.
Victoria, in her own cheery way, had spent all of this time looking outside and peeking behind every newcomer to see if the man she had met at the ball—the man she’d become infatuated with within a matter of minutes—had arrived at the house party. So far, it seemed like he had not. But Victoria’s youthful enthusiasm didn’t die down even with dusk. He could still arrive on the morrow, after all.
Sebastian ran through the guest list in his mind, trying to remember everyone he’d invited who hadn’t arrived yet, and of them, who Victoria could be so infatuated with. There were a few married couples and a young gentleman who was not titled. Could it be him?
Victoria insisted that she needed a gentleman, but not one burdened with too many responsibilities. A man who was a leader, and yet who could afford to leave England for long periods of time. Not a duke, but a man who could inherit a title. She had a long list of attributes dictated by her sister, and Sebastian only hoped that she would listen to her heart more than the words of her relative, whom she had not seen since she was ten years old.
