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Their hostess flushed, and Rosaline realized what the gesture meant. She was courting a duke and could not be ignored. Cutting her in company would be an insult to him.
The Viscountess managed a tiny, queasy smile.
“It is good to see you, Miss Wyre. Please, enjoy the evening. Give my regards to your mother.” She added the last part as if it pained her.
Rosaline dropped a curtsey. “I shall, madam. Thank you.”
Of course, she had no intention of doing any such thing. Well, that hardly mattered. Lady March flashed them a frigid smile and swept away to greet other guests. Rosaline breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness.” She murmured.
“Don’t worry, my dear. The worst is over. Now, is there anyone here you know?”
“Afew, but I don’t want to talk to them. More to the point, they won’t want to talk to me.”
Lord Benedict arched an eyebrow. “What on earth do you mean?”
She sighed. “They’re old friends and acquaintances of my family. People who dropped us when we fell out of favor.”
“Well, they can’t very well ignore you now.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to force people to talk to me. It’s false, and it doesn’t really mean anything. Let’s just talk to your friends.”
Lord Benedict let out a bark of laughter, quickly swallowed up in the noise of the crowd. “Friends? You are very funny, Rosaline.”
She frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“I’m not the sort of man who has friends.”
“What do you mean? Everyone needs friends.”
“Not me. Oh, someone is waving at us.”
The someone was a grey-haired matron, rather short and tubby, pushing her way through the crowd.
“Mrs. White,” Lord Benedict murmured in her ear. “A renowned gossip, of course, but rather nice woman all the same.”
“Your Grace, Miss Wyre, I just heard your news!” Mrs. White gushed. “Let me congratulate you. I know the engagement isn’t official yet, but everyone says that it soon will be. Rosaline, I remember you as a tiny little girl, so serious and small! How you’ve grown. Your parents must be so proud of you. You look beautiful, my dear. Oh, there is Mr. Black. I must dash. Regards to your family, of course!”
Neither Lord Benedict nor Rosaline had much chance to reply. Others followed Mrs. White, some she recognized, some she didn’t, all overing congratulations and pleasantries. There were some who glared, of course, tossing their heads and turning away, but Rosaline didn’t care nearly as much as she’d thought.
“It’s strange,” she whispered to Lord Benedict, in a reasonably quiet moment, “But I thought I would be upset over people cutting me.”
“And you aren’t?”
“No. The thing is, I don’t know who any of them are, yet they seem to know exactly who I am, and had made a decision to ignore me.”
He chuckled. “It is almost a compliment, isn’t it?”
In the background, music started up, and Rosaline flinched.
“Oh, the dancing.”
“Is that a hint for me to dance with you?” Lord Benedict asked dryly.
Rosaline flushed. “No, it certainly is not.”
Around her, young ladies and gentlemen paired themselves up, hurrying towards the dance floor.
