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“I think spring is the perfect time for a wedding, don’t you agree, Miss Bains?”
“Oh yes.” As far from now as possible.
“Such a long engagement? What about summer?” Her mother obviously thought to capitalize on this development as quickly as possible. “Just like Spring but the weather is better.”
“Much too hot. Spring is the time of new life and new hope, no? What more auspicious time for a wedding,” Mr. Stanton had an expression of such sweet guileless innocence Gina was nearly sick.
He hadn’t asked her to marry him. He’d taken shameless advantage, and hadn’t even gone down on one knee.
The sheer advantages of being a man, and the son of an earl at that, had never been so impressed on Gina before. Everyone fell over themselves to accommodate Mr. Stanton. Her mother fell over herself, anyway. A request to call on them the next morning and take Gina riding was immediately accepted. Never mind that she had singing practice on a Wednesday morning.
This was, after all, the result her mother had been trying to achieve since Gina had debuted, aged seventeen. And honestly, she’d probably been dreaming of it for some years before.
Her mother was smug. There was no other word for it.
“Gina!” Lady Sophie appeared by her side. “Mrs. Bains, could I speak to Miss Bains for a moment?”
“Of course.” Her mother preened. “You’ll want to congratulate your friend. I quite understand.”
Sophie restrained her expression of sheer confusion and panic with an aristocratic nod of the head.
“If you could excuse me.” She bobbed a curtsey to Mr. Stanton.
“I will look forward to our meeting tomorrow, Miss Bains,” he said in a dry voice.
Sophie took Gina’s hand in hers and dragged her away. Mr. Stanton only relinquished his hold at the very last moment, when her arm was outstretched.
“We have to save Lucasta,” Sophie said as she towed her across the ballroom. “She’s dancing with Blackstone.”
“What?”
“She’s never met him, and he seems to have introduced himself as my cousin and she’s fallen for his slimy ways. Look.” Sophie halted abruptly and flicked her fan toward the dancers.
Indeed, there was Lucasta, partnered with Lord Blackstone for a country dance. She looked like she was having a fabulous time, which was even more concerning.
“What are we going to do?” Gina hissed. “We’ve left behind both my brother and my fiancé who would be able to cut in.”
“Your what?” Sophie exclaimed just as the music came to a stop. Curious faces turned and Sophie coughed to cover her gaffe, waving her hand to indicate nothing was amiss.
“Lady Sophie.”
Gina and Sophie looked up at the same time, and saw Lord Blackstone approaching with Lucasta on his arm.
“How good it is to see you,cousin,” Lord Blackstone said, a satirical gleam in his eye.
His meaning was perfectly clear. He himself had dark brown straight hair and blue eyes as navy as a winter sky at dusk. Sophie, on the other hand, had curly strawberry-blonde hair and green eyes that flashed with annoyance. They didn’t appear to be related at all, and that was because they weren’t.
Lord Blackstone turned to Lucasta without waiting for Sophie’s reply and bowed low over her hand. “I thank you for the dance, Miss Wallace. I hope you have a pleasing and successful continuation of the evening.”
His eyes when he lifted them to Lucasta’s face had all the appearance of sincerity, and perhaps even a little sadness as he hesitated with her hand in his for a moment longer than proprietary dictated.
“My father, Lord Castlemere, sends his regards, Lady Sophie.” He put a slight emphasis on both the word father and Castlemere. “Good evening.”
Sophie’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. “That… Beast. He reminds me that his father has my father’s title now, and pointedly never gives regards to my mother or Adrian and doesn’t send regards from his mother. He just wants to lord it over me.”
“He literally is a Lord,” Lucasta pointed out.
“It’s a courtesy title. He’s not a real Lord,” Sophie snapped. “And he’s horrible. Why were you dancing with him? You’ve heard me talk about how awful my aunt is to my mother. I dread the day that my uncle dies. I think my awful cousin and aunt will turf us out the same day.”
