Tears sparked in her eyes, but Marion forced them back with an effort. She would not give in to such an emotion, not in front of her parents. Her mother clearly was finding a sense of triumph in this particular situation whilst her father would think he was doing the right thing. Neither of them would find any great concern over how she felt at present.

  Closing her eyes for a moment, Marion concentrated on drawing in long breaths and trying to calm her angst. The ball no longer held the same appeal, the same sense of excitement. Instead, there was a dullness there, perhaps even a fear. A fear that she was stepping out into something that would then capture her forever, tying her to someone that she cared nothing for, felt nothing for, and wanted nothing to do with. It had all been taken from her and now Marion felt as though she were stepping into a cage where the locks would be tightly closed, never to be opened again.

  Everything had been taken from her in one single moment and now Marion feared for what her future would be. Instead of a marriage of her own choosing, she would be handed one and would be expected to be grateful. It was never something she had wanted, never something she had prepared herself for, but now it seemed she was to accept it without question.

  Her heart ached within her, but Marion kept her face impassive, allowing none of her emotions to bubble toward the surface. She would have to wear this mask for the rest of the evening, pretending to be contented, pretending to be happy until, finally, she could return home and cry into her pillows, broken-hearted over everything she had lost.

  2

  “Mama, are you quite prepared?”

  Alexander paced quickly up and down the drawing room, not understanding why his mother insisted on taking such a long time to prepare herself for this evening’s ball.

  “Mama!” he called again, knowing she was just in the hallway, fixing one of her earbobs or some such thing. “We must depart. We are already late.”

  She glided into the room, looking at him expectantly. He had not been permitted to walk out to her in the passageway to assist her with whatever the issue had been because, as he well knew, his mother was quite stubborn and would not have accepted his help.

  “I am ready now,” she said, looking at him with a slightly critical eye. “Your cravat is crooked.”

  Alexander resisted the urge to touch his cravat, knowing just how long his valet had spent making sure it was absolutely perfect. “It is not crooked, Mama,” he said, holding back his exasperation. “You are tilting your head.” Gesturing toward the door, he tried to usher his mother out. “The carriage is waiting and has been for the last half an hour.”

  “So, let it wait!” his mother exclaimed, as though keeping the horses standing was a wise idea. “I had to ensure I was quite perfectly prepared. And you know I have been caught up with the demands of replacing that footman we had to send from the house.”

  Alexander said nothing, feeling more than a little frustrated, but refusing to allow himself to say anything more. His mother had always been very particular, and tonight was no exception. In fact, she was possibly even more concerned about every little detail this evening given that it was their first foray into society since the death of his father over eighteen months ago. A tremor ran through Alexander as he thought of his late father, recalling just how ill he had become and how devasted he had been when he learned there was nothing more that could be done. A weak heart and a devastatingly cold winter had ushered in the previous Lord Haddington toward the pearly gates, leaving Alexander and his mother behind. Although, that being said, Lady Haddington had never shown a great deal of sadness over the loss of her husband.

  Alexander sat back in his carriage, considering his mother for a moment. From what he understood, his mother and father had met during a London Season and from that meeting had come courtship and, thereafter, marriage. His mother had proclaimed to Alexander on more than one occasion that she had fallen deeply in love with Lord Haddington from the very first time she had laid eyes on him, but Alexander had never been certain that such a statement was entirely truthful. Then again, he had wondered if such feelings had been there at the first and then had faded soon after his parents had wed. It had been painful to see just how little his mother had wept over the loss of her husband, and from that had come a feeling from deep within Alexander that he did not want to have a wife who cared so little for the loss of his presence.

  Which meant that he did not think a marriage based only on affection and thoughts of love would be a wise one. Those feelings faded and with those, the devotion and consideration that might have been shown at the beginning. No, it would be better to wed a lady who knew her duty, who understood that her role in their marriage was to devote herself to him and to be near to him when he required it. There could be a closeness there, and perhaps even a friendship that would grow between them in time, but no sense of affection that would eventually fade and crumble away, leaving them with nothing.

  “You have not said a word since we left the townhouse, Alexander.”

  Alexander jerked in surprise, realizing that he had been sitting in silence for some minutes and that soon, the carriage would arrive at Lord and Lady Pottinger’s townhouse. “I apologize,” he murmured, sitting up a little straighter. “I am just thinking about this Season and what it might bring.” He put a small smile on his face—one he did not truly feel—and prayed that his mother might believe him.

  “This Season will bring a good many things to you, I am sure of it,” Lady Haddington said with a smile in her voice. “The new debutantes will be sure to catch your eye.”

  Alexander shook his head. He did not want to marry some milk-and-water miss who had only just stepped out from her father’s estate. No, he would rather seek out a young lady who had already enjoyed a Season or two and was now looking to consider her future seriously rather than with the wide-eyed hopes of a debutante. “I shall not give them any particular attention, Mama.”

  “Oh, but you must!” came the swift reply from his mother, startling him with her eagerness. “There are many young ladies coming to London for their first Season and all of them will be looking to make an excellent match. It is a blessing to marry so quickly, I assure you. Your father and I wed during my very first Season.”

  All the more reason to avoid debutantes, Alexander thought to himself grimly. “Mama, I am more than capable of finding a suitable young lady,” he told her as the carriage began to slow. “You need have no doubts or fears in that regard.”

  “But you will not consider debutantes?”

  A little irritated with his mother’s insistent question, Alexander let out a long breath, but held back his groan of frustration. “What does it matter, Mama? You know very well that I do not take kindly to any sort of involvement from you or anyone else in such matters. I want you to trust that I am able to find a suitable bride entirely on my own.” He held his mother’s gaze steadily, her face lit by the flickering shadows of the lanterns that lit the host’s townhouse entrance. “But no, I will not consider debutantes.”

  Lady Haddington let out a loud, audible sigh that left Alexander in no doubt as to how she felt, but he merely gestured for his mother to climb out of the carriage, making it plain that he intended to ignore her supposed suffering over his lack of consideration. Lady Haddington sighed again, perhaps waiting for him to say something further, but after a few more moments of silence passed, she gave up and moved to climb out of the carriage.

  Alexander let out his own breath of relief as Lady Haddington began to climb the steps of the townhouse, forcing him to hurry after her. His mother could be quite determined in her own way, but Alexander had long learned to ignore her complaints. She might go on as much as she wished; he was not about to give in.

  “Good evening, Lord Haddington!”

  Alexander smiled broadly at Lord Pottinger, whom he had known for a good many years. “Good evening, Pottinger,” he replied, before bowing over the hand of Lady Pottinger. “Might I say, Lady Pottinger, that your husband shall be quite the envy of every gentleman here this evening since he is the only one who can claim you as his own.”

  Lady Pottinger blushed and glanced up at her husband, who was grinning at Alexander. “I thank you, Lord Haddington,” she answered demurely. “You are much too kind.”

  “You should be sharing those charms with young ladies who are freely able to return your compliments,” Lord Pottinger replied, chuckling. “There are many debutantes ready and waiting in the ballroom, Haddington.”

  Alexander rolled his eyes, hearing echoes of his mother in what Lord Pottinger had to say. “I shall do my best to behave honorably and with consideration,” he told his friend, who only laughed. “But I cannot pretend I have any intention of seeking out a debutante, Lord Pottinger. I think an arrangement with a young lady of quality would do very well for me.”

  Lord Pottinger lifted one eyebrow, then shrugged. “Very well,” he said with a slight hint of disbelief in his words. “Then might I express my hope that you find precisely what you are looking for, Haddington.”

  “Perhaps this very evening,” Lady Pottinger added with a warm smile. “Thank you again for coming.”

  Alexander smiled and took his leave of them both, walking toward the ballroom with purposeful steps. His spirits lifted with the sound of the orchestra playing, the sight of the many guests filling the room, and the knowledge that, very soon, he would be back in amongst his friends and companions for what he hoped would be an enjoyable year. He had missed last Season, of course, given that he had been in mourning over the loss of his father, and he had to admit, seeing the ballroom now, that he had missed society. There was much here for him to enjoy and he was looking forward to becoming a part of it again.

  “Lord… Haddington?”

  He turned, having just been about to take a few steps further into the room. “Yes?” The gentleman behind him was a fellow he did not know, although given the grey in his hair and the lines on his face, he wondered if the gentleman had been acquainted with his father.

  The older gentleman bowed. “I am sorry to intrude on your thoughts, but I could not help but overhear your conversation with Lord Pottinger.” He smiled briefly, his expression a little strained. “You will think me very rude, I am sure, but I have a daughter that I would very much like to introduce you to.”

  Alexander blinked, a little taken aback and certainly not fully understanding what the gentleman meant.

  “I should have introduced myself, of course,” the gentleman continued hastily. “I am the Earl of Audley. My daughter is Lady Marion.”

  “Lady Marion?” Alexander repeated, still confused. “I see.”

  Lord Audley’s face had begun to redden, and he looked away. “You must understand, Lord Haddington, I did not mean to eavesdrop, but it has been very difficult to find suitable gentlemen for my daughter’s hand. She is the daughter of an earl, after all, and I want to ensure that she is not captured by a gentleman who has lost his fortune through idle means and therefore needs a wife with a good dowry in order to pull him from his own folly.”

  “That is a wise consideration for a father,” Alexander said slowly, finally beginning to realize what Lord Audley intended by approaching him. “And you heard me speak to Lord Pottinger and considered me to be a suitable candidate?” A small spike of annoyance sliced through his good mood and he frowned. What was the man thinking in approaching him in such a bold fashion? Yes, Alexander could well understand that the gentleman only sought the best for his daughter, but to eavesdrop on another, private conversation and thereafter come to speak to him was, in fact, more than a little improper.

  Lord Audley hesitated, looking away for a moment. “I will confess that I have been very rude in coming to speak to you so,” he admitted, making Alexander’s brows lift in surprise. “And I will also state that given that we do not know each other particularly well at all, the only thing I seek for the present is to make you aware of my daughter and the opportunity that might be there if you should so wish it.”

  Alexander nodded slowly, his irritation fading away. Whilst Lord Audley coming to speak to him in such a fashion had been very surprising indeed, he was all the more astonished that the gentleman was now practically throwing his daughter at him, in the hope of tempting him into an arrangement. “I thank you,” he said slowly, feeling a little confused. “And your daughter is Lady Marion, yes?”

  “Yes, that is her name,” Lord Audley confirmed with what looked to be a hint of a hopeful smile. “She is very kind, gracious, polite, and courteous. I do not think that you will find any flaw in her.”

  Alexander lifted one eyebrow in mock disbelief. “Is that so?” he answered wryly. “Then I should be glad to meet her to see whether or not such a statement is true.” He could not help but feel a little intrigued, finding the whole situation quite odd, but at the same time, wondering what this Lady Marion might be like. Most likely, he considered, she would be very plain, for her father had not mentioned that she was beautiful or the like when he had described her. Mayhap that was why he sought to find her a husband instead of his supposed reasons of being afraid of the sort of gentlemen who might seek her out.

  “I shall bring her to you now, if you wish?” Lord Audley asked, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. “She is dancing with Lord Haggerton, but I should be glad to introduce you to her thereafter.”

  Alexander shrugged inwardly, thinking that there was no reason for him not to do so. After all, it was not as though he were about to ask for her hand in marriage at this present moment. It was merely an introduction, nothing more. His interest was piqued and, once it was satisfied, there would be nothing more required of him.

  “Very well,” he said, seeing how Lord Audley grinned with evident delight. “I shall come with you to meet your daughter, Lord Audley.”

  “Capital!” Lord Audley exclaimed, looking now thoroughly delighted. “This way, if you please.”

  Smiling ruefully to himself and wondering if he was truly making a wise decision, Alexander began to follow Lord Audley through the ballroom. He was aware that more than a few young ladies batted their eyes at him and that their mothers, in turn, watched him with interest flickering in the depths of their eyes, but he gave none of them even a momentary glance. It was best not to allow them to hope.

  His chest filled as he took in a long breath, feeling a sense of contentment wash over him. To be back in London again, even with the looks, the glances, and the hopeful urgings of his mother, was more than satisfactory. Even though he was considering marriage, even though he knew that it was something he would have to tie himself to at some point in the near future, that did not prevent him from feeling quite at home. Even if he were to marry, that did not mean that he could not enjoy all that London had to offer. A wife would not hold him back from that and he could very easily insist that she remain at the estate whilst he came to London on business or some other excuse if he wanted to be here alone, without any sort of hinderance. As far as Alexander was concerned, a wife would be no particular burden to him.

  “Ah, look, they are coming from the dance floor now.”

  Alexander stopped just beside Lord Audley, looking out across the floor and seeing the many couples walking together from where they had been dancing. There were so many that it took some time before he was able to see which one Lord Audley was watching.

  His breath caught in his chest.

  Lady Marion was not plain in the least. In fact, she was more beautiful than he had ever expected. A diamond of the first water, in fact. Her slim figure was shown off wonderfully by her gown, which he could tell was of the highest fashion. It was a gentle lavender which, as she drew closer, seemed to complement her complexion very well. Her dark hair was swept to one side, held back with pearls and diamonds that caught the light as she turned her head to thank the gentleman who had been dancing with her. Alexander could do nothing but admire her, his heart quickening as she drew closer, a slightly puzzled expression on her face as she glanced curiously up at him.

  “Papa?” she murmured, looking at Lord Audley who was, Alexander noted, smiling broadly. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, no, my dear!” Lord Audley exclaimed, gesturing toward Alexander. “I wanted to introduce you to the Earl of Haddington.”

  Alexander inclined his head, holding out one hand so that he might bow over it. “Lady Marion,” he said warmly. “Your father and I are only just acquainted, but he insisted on introducing me to you and I am very glad that he has done so.”

  “Indeed.” Lady Marion gave him her hand as she was expected to, but there was no warmth in her voice. In fact, he caught a coolness in her tone that surprised him, for most young ladies of the ton would be almost feverish in their excitement at being introduced to an earl.

  “I hope you are having an enjoyable evening thus far,” he continued, looking up and letting go of her hand, which she withdrew at once. “Might I hope that you have any space left on your dance card?”

  Her smile was tight and did not reach her eyes “I am afraid I do not, Lord Haddington,” she answered quietly. “My card is quite full.”

  “But we shall be attending Lord Baverstock’s ball in a few days’ time,” Lord Audley said quickly, appearing much more eager than his daughter. “Might we hope that you will be attending there also?”

  Alexander hesitated, recalling that whilst he had received an invitation to the ball, he had not yet accepted it. “I—I think I shall attend, yes,” he answered after a moment, considering right there what it was he wished to do. “Might I hope that you will save me a space on your dance card, Lady Marion?” He had to admit that the lady was very lovely and that, despite her coolness, he was drawn to her beauty.