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“That would be Clara,” I said. “She’s matched to Matthew?”
“Yes,” he replied. “It’s a match made in hell, but she’s ridiculously wealthy and Matthew’s family wants her money and holdings.”
I felt bad. Clara seemed nice enough and it looked like Emilie liked her. “The guy is a dick. Maybe Clara will break the match. That would teach the fucker.”
Just as we were about to continue our conversation, Emilie rejoined us, a radiant smile on her face. “Theo, Charles, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
I shook my head, my eyes never leaving Emilie. “Not at all. Charles and I were just discussing our plans for the horse races tomorrow.”
Emilie smiled. “Oh, I’m looking forward to the races as well.”
Charles nodded in agreement. “Better than getting dressed up.”
We all shared a laugh.
“I should get back to my lovely lady,” Charles said, nodding. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As the night continued, Emilie and I danced and mingled with the other guests. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.
“Shall we take a break?” I asked after we danced for what felt like an hour straight.
“Yes, please,” she said, sighing.
“I’ll be right back. I’ll get us something to snack on and I could really use another drink.”
On my way to the buffet table, set up with an assortment of treats and fuel to keep dancing, I couldn’t help but notice a commotion across the ballroom. A young woman was causing quite a scene, her voice ringing out in frustration. It didn’t take long for me to recognize her as Sophia, the same girl who had endured a challenging Wed season with Roman.
It was clear that Sophia’s current season wasn’t going any better than the last. Her match had spilled something on her dress, and she was expressing her displeasure quite vocally. I was sure it was an accident, but Sophia was screeching and making it sound like he came at her with a bucket of red paint. I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. To experience two failed matches in a row would be a bummer. I watched from a distance as some of the other attendees tried to console her, offering words of encouragement.
I collected a plate of food and went back to the table.
Emilie was looking at the scene that was still unfolding. “That was Roman’s match from last year, right?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding.
“Doesn’t look like things are going well for her,” she said, sighing.
“Yes, it appears that way. Poor girl. It can’t be easy to go through this process twice. And with the way things are going, it doesn’t seem like they’re going to cross the finish line together.”
“Did Roman not like her?” she asked as she took a bite of one of the cucumber sandwiches.
“She was… well, let’s say ahandful. She’s spoiled and used to getting what she wants. I don’t know if Roman could have made it work eventually, but his heart was set on Anabella. There was no chance it was going to happen between him and Sophia.
Emilie smiled. “Do you think she’ll have to come back for a third try?”
I grimaced. “I would hope they would spare her the humility. Just marry her off quietly during the off season.”
She giggled, sipping her drink. “Poor thing. I haven’t met her, but I’ve heard a lot about her.”
“I’m thinking her marriage prospects will keep getting thinner if she doesn’t change,” I said quietly.
“You’re right. They just need to pay a man to marry her. Save everyone a lot of drama. I don’t think I would be able to go through this whole process again.”
I looked at her. “Do you plan to?”
“No!” She laughed again and reached for my hand. “No, I’m saying I wouldn’t want to do this again. The first time is bad enough.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure if you’re supposed to be trying to make me feel better.”
