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Still, the friends had their private tea together. “Do you ever think of him, Jo?” Lady Hermione asked.
“I try not to,” answered Lady Josephine honestly. “But he’s always there in my head.”
“Maybe it’s for the best that it broke off the way it did, Jo. If something had happened between you—there could have been consequences, you know what I mean. You’d have been ruined.”
“He’d have married me.”
“A Duke’s daughter and a pugilist from the Rookeries? Jo, such things only happen in fairy tales. It’s all for the best, believe me. You’ll forget.”
* * *
The Duke of Clover interrupted one of his daughter’s dress fittings, sending everyone out of the room but Lady Josephine, Lady Seraphina and Miss Duckworth.
“We need to hurry the preparations along,” he said. “Josephine’s first, and perhaps most important, formal social engagement will be this Saturday evening, a ball at the townhouse of the Dowager Countess of Worthington. She must look her best, gown, hair and everything. When I know what she is to wear, I will contact my banker to take some of the family jewels out of the safe.”
“Why is this so important, Papa?” Lady Josephine asked.
“Because in attendance at the ball will be the Dowager Countess’ only son, the Earl of Worthington. He is unmarried, and in many ways a perfect match for you, my dear. I have already begun discreet inquiries as to the family’s interest in a match.”
The Duke said, “The Worthingtons are as old and venerable a family as we are. They say there is plenty of wealth to go around—you could have ten children and provide generously for all of them. And the Earl himself is highly respected by the Prince Regent.”
Lady Josephine raised an eyebrow to this. She did not much like what she had heard of the Prince’s friends.
Her lord father, catching her facial expression, rushed in to correct her misimpression.
“He is not one of His Royal Highness’ gaming friends, my dear. The Prince knows him for his naval prowess. If we succeed in beating this rogue Napoleon, the Earl of Worthington will be one of the admirals we’ll have to thank for it.”
“How old is he, Papa?”
“He is a bit older than you, Josephine, but that may be all to the good, since you still need a strong personality to guide you at your age. He’s about five-and-forty years of age.”
“Never married, Papa? Why not?”
“Probably too busy commanding fleets of ships. But you need not worry—” The Duke turned away from the other ladies as he confided in his daughter. “—there has been no talk of his, emm...keeping other ladies. He appears to exert the same discipline over himself as he does over his sailors. A clean-living man.”
“He sounds a bit dull, Papa.”
Her lord father laughed aloud. “What, would you prefer if I brought you a libertine, aroue? No, Josephine, take it from me. This is a good man who is your match in all worldly things, and who will be kind to you and keep you safe as his Countess. A loving father could not ask for more.”
“When must I decide, Papa?”
“Meet each other. See how it progresses. We will hope for a match.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on her brow. “I only want what’s best for you, little one.”
* * *
So engrossed were they in this conversation that Lady Josephine did not notice a tall, shadowy figure enter the room and stand discreetly near the door, waiting to be summoned.
“Oh, yes! One more thing. Lady Seraphina, Miss Duckworth, you have heard me say that it is of the utmost importance to keep our Josephine safe until she is wed.
“To that end, let me introduce a new member of our household, one of London’s most famed young pugilists, whose primary duty will be to serve as Lady Josephine’s bodyguard, around the clock. Mr. Ashton Smith.”
It was Ace. Of course it was.
“Lady Josephine,” he said coldly, with a formal bow, his eyes sweeping past her as if they had never met.
That night, she cried, wishing with all her heart that Hermie could be there to hug her.
