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“What does my sister’s husband have to do with anything? Eleanor would befriend Eris, not him.”
“If your sister’s husband has influence, that might be profitable to me. Connections are very important. I’m sure you understand that. You get jobs by connections. I happened to know someone who benefited from your service. If your sister’s husband happens to meet up to my requirements and also happens to have the right kind of connections, the friendship Eleanor would establish with your sister would be profitable to all.”
To make sure he understood the situation correctly, Byron asked, “And is there a benefit to you, personally, if your daughter becomes a member ofLadies of Grace?”
“Oh, most definitely. Not only would the Ton be pleased that my daughter qualified to belong to such a prestigious group, but the Duchess of Ravenshire’s husband has the favor of Lord and Lady Cadwalader. He might invite me to a dinner party with them.”
Byron shoulders slumped. He quickly straightened up before anyone noticed. So that was the way the Duke of Dormondton saw his daughter. She was a means to an end. She wasn’t of any use to him until her first Season, which was why he hadn’t bothered to bring her to London until now. The poor lady. It was no wonder she had been a wallflower when he met her. She’d been forced to figure things out on her own. And now that she’d been instructed on how to be attractive, she was being paraded around London as if she were a commodity.
His gaze went to her as she danced with another gentleman who seemed impressed by her. The Duchess of Ashbourne worked miracles. Her reputation was well-deserved. But could the things the duchess had taught Eleanor lead to a happy life for her, or would she end up being used by her husband in the same way her father used her?
“I have splendid news,” her father spoke up.
Not sure if the news would really be all that splendid, Byron turned his attention to him.
“The Duke of Winnett has asked for my daughter’s hand in marriage,” he said. “I haven’t said yes yet. I want to see if she’ll get a better offer. But I agreed to let him pay her a visit tomorrow afternoon.”
So that was why the Duke of Winnett had approached her father after she chose someone else to dance with.
“Would a marriage between her and the Duke of Winnett be good for you?” Byron asked.
“The arrangement would be all right. I have nothing personal against the Duke of Winnett. He’s a likeable enough gentleman. He’s kept himself clean from scandal, and he manages all right in the Ton.”
Sensing the gentleman’s hesitancy, Byron asked, “But?”
“Well, there are better gentlemen. A couple here this evening are related to the Cadwaladers. There’s one who is good friends with the Duchess of Ravenshire’s husband. A few others excel in investing. They would make a better match than the Duke of Winnett. But the Duke of Winnett would be sufficient, should things not work out with the others.” He nodded toward a gentleman who was watching Eleanor. “He happens to be Lord Cadwalader’s nephew. If he were to ask for her hand this evening, I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. I hope he asks to dance with her. He seems interested in her, don’t you think?”
Byron thought a lot of gentlemen at this ball had taken an interest in Eleanor. Very few of them had looked her way at the other ball, but she had no trouble drawing their attention this evening. Perhaps that was why the Duke of Winnett had gone to her father to ask for her hand in marriage.
What could the Duke of Winnett want with the marriage? Could a marriage benefit him in some way? After learning about how important social connections were to Eleanor’s father, he bet the Duke of Winnett saw some connection in a marriage to Eleanor, too. Well, now it didn’t seem like Stacey was the person he needed to be watching. The Duke of Winnett had just become the prime suspect. Though why would he intend to harm Eleanor if he needed to marry her? There was only one way to find out, and that was by keeping a close eye on him.
