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“I am determined, Your Grace.”
He looked quite taken aback for a moment before a slow smile spread across hi handsome features. “In that case,” he drawled, “let the lessons commence.”
* * *
Emily woke up well past the time she usually got up. When she finally managed to blearily open her eyes, she could make out a hazy figure that resembled Jenny, with a distorted look of surprise.
“Well, I must say that Yer Ladyship must have had a busy night at the ball!” the maid grinned. She quickly helped her mistress up to wash her face and perform her morning ablutions before helping her into a day dress in an ugly lemon yellow. Jenny caught the disappointed look of her mistress when she saw the dress and sighed, “I did the best I could with this one, Milady, but Lady Rutbridge has already threatened to cut me wages if I dared to fix yer gowns once more.”
Emily sighed and smiled haplessly at her maid. “Well, we cannot have that. I suppose we shall have to make do with what we have.”
“Well, I think that it’s incredibly unfair on yer part!” the maid sniffed as Emily seated herself before her vanity. Jenny grabbed a brush and began sifting through the glorious mass of red-gold waves that tumbled down her mistress’s back. “With Miss Amy havin’ all those nice dresses and what. She hasn’t even made her bow yet!”
Emily felt all too well the disparity in the treatment of her stepmother towards her and her sister. In their younger years, Amy would compete with her over almost anything, even when Emily had no desire to do so. In the end, Emily simply let her younger sister have her way as she was tired of having to prove herself each and every time.
Last night had been the first time in a long while that she actually feltseen.
With the help of the Duke, she managed to dance with not just one buttwomore gentlemen after the Viscount, bringing her grand total tothreein one night. Why, it was far more than she had ever danced since her coming out last year!
But it still remains to be seen if his methods truly are successful,she thought.Or perhaps, they only work in a setting such as the ball last night?
Emily had absolutely no idea and decided she must ask His Grace about it when they next meet.
How exactly does one maintain a conversation outside of the ballroom?Emily pondered.Will those things His Grace taught me work in a salon as well as they did in a ballroom?
After Jenny had fixed her hair, Emily made her way downstairs to break her fast when she was met with the most unlikely commotion involving her stepmother, stepsister, her father, and a glorious bouquet of flowers.
“What do you mean this is for Emily?” Lady Rutbridge demanded. “Are you absolutely certain this is for her? It is not for Amy?”
“If it is for Amy then that would be highly inappropriate,” the Marquess interjected. “Amy has not made her bow yet and as such, cannot entertain suitors of any sort or even accept such gifts.”
Emily’s eyes swiveled over to her younger sister, who was looking at the flowers with smoldering envy before she smoothed her expression into a careful display of admiration.
“Emily must have an admirer!” Amy exclaimed instead, putting on the flawless act of a younger sister excited for the success of her older sister.
“Do not be ridiculous!” her mother snapped. “With the exception of Benedict and that no-good friend of his, nobody really approached her at the ball except—”
“Lord Caney,” Emily breathed out, drawing all three of them to stare at her. “And Lord Marchman and Mr. Caraway.”
“You…somebody actually asked you to dance last night?” Amy looked at her wallflower of her sister, her eyes wide with incredulity.
At the same time, a fond smile bloomed in her father’s gentle features. “Well, what do you know—my daughter has finally blossomed into a woman and attracted the attention of some gentleman. Ha!” he turned towards the butler, who was struggling to maintain a straight face. “I knew that not all of those fops could be so blind as to overlookmydaughter!”
The Marquess of Rutbridge looked so pleased with the matter that both Lady Rutbridge and Amy were unable to utter a word as he went over and drew the astounded Emily into a warm hug.
“I always knew you would one day be a success, my dear,” he told her with a healthy dose of fatherly pride in his tone. “But of course, I must scrutinize these young gentlemen before you set your heart on them.”
Emily nodded quietly as her gaze slid back to the bouquet in the footman’s arms. To say that Lord Caney was generous would have been an understatement. She feared that if Morris was not so strong, the entire floral arrangement would have toppled him over.
It worked!Emily smiled to herself in relief.His Grace…his methods actually worked!
“My Lord, the Viscount of Caney also left his card earlier this morning,” the butler, Jamison, informed them, much to the indignation of both Horatia and Amy. “Lord Marchman also expressed a keen interest earlier to pay a call at a more appropriate time.”
The Marquess happily patted Emily’s hand and smiled at her. “It would seem that this house will be busier in the next few weeks.” Turning to his wife, who was still gaping like a landed halibut, he said, “I shall leave the preparations in your capable hands, my dear.”
Emily wanted to laugh at her father’s words. If her stepmother’s hands were any more capable, she would be spending the rest of her life in lonely misery, a spinster to the end of her days.
“Yes, it would seem so,” the Marchioness finally uttered stiffly.
