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“I believe they’re by the refreshments,” Lady Arabella responded tartly.
Before Thomas could respond, the violins sounded, and Lady Arabella brightened, turning her head to smile up at Hartford. The large, beautiful man smiled back down at her, and Mary was struck by a sudden, unexpected bolt of envy.
“My dance, I believe,” Hartford said smugly.
“You believe correctly.” The look Arabella bestowed upon him was full of flirtation before she turned back to Mary. “It was lovely to see you again, Mary. I hope we can speak more later this evening.”
Thomas and Mary watched the couple head to the dance floor. Mary sighed inwardly. They did make a handsome couple. If her cousin did not get his head out of his arse soon, it was likely he would end up with a woman who was very poorly matched to him.
She glanced up at Thomas, who was still glaring after the retreating pair.
Time to get back to work.
“Thomas? What’s wrong?” She pushed worry into her voice and eyes, pulling his attention back to her before anyone noticed how he was looking at the Marquess and Lady Arabella. Thomas was a protector, first and foremost, which made him rather easy to manipulate. He would not want to burden Mary with his troubles, and therefore, he would push them aside and return to his duty.
“Nothing,” he said tersely. “Come, I want to speak with Isaac, then we can find you someone to dance with.”
Someone who Thomas approved of. Mary made a face. Thomas’ taste in men was not any better than his taste in women.
Although considering Mary’s reaction to the Marquess of Hartford and her complete lack of interest in any other gentleman she had met so far, perhaps she should worry it was a family trait.
Chapter 1
Mary
“You are blonde,” Josie said, blinking in surprise as she walked through Mary’s bedroom door. She came to a halt, nearly causing their friend Lily to bump into her from behind. As usual, Josie was wearing her breeches since she had just ridden over and refused to ride sidesaddle, and her hair was coming loose from her coiffure. In contrast, Lily’s demure walking dress covered her from nape to ankle, and her hair was pulled back in its customary tight bun.
She had not seen them since she left for London’s Season, but two moments in their presence and it was as though they had never been apart. The three of them had been neighbors and had grown up together, eventually adding Evie to their group, and now they were here she truly felt at home. If only Evie were there too, it would be perfect.
“Well, keep walking,” Lily said irritably, shoving Josie forward. Her arms full of papers, she briskly walked over to Mary’s desk to set them down before turning to peer at Mary. “Youareblonder. Or is it just that you were so very red when we last saw you?”
“She is definitely blonder, although not quite the same shade as me.” Josie went up on her tiptoes, squinting and studying Mary’s hair. “I take it, Mrs. Biggins was finally successful?”
Mary sighed. The chaperone her parents had left her with for the past few years had very particular opinions on what would make a young woman attractive to a nobleman. When Mary had been presented last Season, Mrs. Biggins had been frantic to fix her strawberry blonde hair and freckled nose. Last year, all she had achieved was to make her hair even darker red than its normal strawberry blonde. This year, Mrs. Biggins was very pleased with her efforts, which had turned Mary’s hair more blonde than strawberry.
“Of course.” Mary certainly did not care whether or not her hair was a fashionable color. It wasn’t as though she expected anyone to notice her either way. Her sponsor for the Season, her Aunt Elizabeth, had not been bothered, other than to direct the modiste to provide them with hues which would complement her coloring.
Mary had been staying with her Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Henry until a week ago. She’d returned to the grange her parents owned when the fourth member of their coterie, Evie, had asked her to. Her last letter had been frustratingly brief, but she had put out the call, and Mary had responded. Josie and Lily had not left the area, neither of them debuting in London, so they had already been on hand. It had only been Mary who had to travel back.
“It is not a bad hue,” Josie said slowly, walking round Mary to examine her from all sides. “I think I liked the auburn better, though.”
“Do not let Mrs. Biggins hear you say so,” Mary retorted, her lips starting to curve up in a smile. “Now, come here and give me a hug.”
Giggling, both of her friends responded to her plea, and they wrapped each other up in a warm embrace that bolstered Mary’s spirits. It was so good to be back with them again.
“Oh, I missed you this year!” She squeezed them tighter, tears sparking in her eyes, and they returned the embrace.
Finally, the young women pulled apart, and Mary dashed away her tears. Being part of the Hood family household had been absolutely lovely, but she wasn’t very good at making new friends, and being without her childhood companions had been difficult.
“Well, you will not miss us much longer,” Lily said. “We are coming to London this year.”
Mary’s jaw dropped in surprise. “You are? But I thought…” Her voice trailed off.
Mary was the youngest of her friends at nineteen years of age, so the others were older than the usual run of London debutantes. This was by their own choice, though, as they had never been interested in leaving the countryside.
Goddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Frederick, Lily said she preferred to avoid Society if given the choice. She was a self-proclaimed bluestocking who preferred the quiet life of the countryside. Her parents were similarly inclined, her father a respected researcher on medicine—whose experiments had once saved the Duke of Frederick’s life—and her mother an expert botanist whose gardens were renowned among theton.
Josie, on the other hand, was the daughter of an English squire and a Marquess’ daughter. Her mother had caused a scandal when she had married beneath her station for love, but most thought the story highly romantic. Like her mother, Josie loved socializing and dancing, but no matter how her mother pushed, she had steadfastly refused to go to London for a Season. Mary thought it likely had something to do with Josie’s neighbors, Evie’s extremely handsome and eligible cousins. No matter how vehemently she denied it, Josie was constantly mooning over the middle brother, Joseph.
