Page 10 of The Unfortunate Debutante
Rachel sighed in exasperation. “Not at all. You just gave a promise of marriage.”
“What?” Emma asked, dropping the fan back onto the table. “In the country, we used them to fan our faces and to protect us from insects. Furthermore, my boarding school never had a class on fans.”
Luke chuckled. “I’m grateful that no courses on fans were ever taught at Eton and Oxford.”
Clasping her hands in front of her, Emma straightened her shoulders. “I won’t let either one of you down. I will be on my best behavior.”
“We know you will,” Rachel said with a tender smile.
Reaching into his black jacket pocket, Luke pulled out an amethyst rivière necklace. “Rachel and I wanted to give you something to celebrate this special occasion.” He walked up to her, showed her the necklace, and asked, “May I?”
Emma turned around, and Luke fastened the necklace around her neck. She fingered the purple stones tenderly as she turned back to face them. “It’s spectacular. I will return it after the ball.”
“No, you misunderstood,” Rachel said, her smile growing. “This is our gift to you.”
Emma started shaking her head profusely. “It’s too much. You’ve already given me so much.”
Placing his arm around Rachel’s shoulder, Luke responded, “You have been a delightful addition to our family, Emma. We wanted to give you something that would reflect how much we have enjoyed these past two years with you.”
“Thank you,” she said, attempting to stop the tears threatening to form in her eyes. “If you hadn’t taken me in when you did, my life would have been dramatically different.”
“It was the least we could do,” Luke remarked in a terse voice, but she swore she saw him blinking back tears. He started leading his wife towards the door. “It is time for us to make our appearance at the ball.”
As they stepped into the hall, Luke informed her, “Just so you know, I rescinded Lord Brisbane’s invitation. With any luck, you will never have to see that despicable man again.”
“I pity the girl that marries him,” she muttered.
Rachel looked over at her and smiled. “That may have been your first proposal, but I have no doubt you will receive many others. I suffered through the most awful proposals. Most of the men were just interested in my fortune and lacked the sense to attempt to woo me first.”
“I believe my proposal was rather forthright and inventive,” Luke remarked smugly.
“It’s true,” Rachel admitted, “but there was some groveling, too.”
Luke shrugged one shoulder. “There usually is when a man is trying to convince the woman that he loves to marry him.”
They stepped into the hall leading to the side door of the ballroom. Two footmen were standing watch by the set of doors, waiting for them to approach.
The doors were opened, their names were announced, and everyone turned to watch their entrance. The domed room was flooded with light from mirrored wall sconces and three massive crystal chandeliers, each with hundreds of lit candles. She saw the dance floor was chalked with the Marquess of Downshire’s crest. A full orchestra was warming up in one corner of the long, rectangular room.
Most of the guests were stationed near the white and gold walls, and a few women were already sitting on the chairs, fanning their faces.
Emma’s eyes scanned the crowd, hoping to see a friendly face, when she saw the Marquess and Marchioness of Lansdowne break through the crowd and approach them.
“I am so pleased to see you,” Emma admitted as they stopped in front of her.
Eliza smiled knowingly at her. “That bad?”
“I’m just fearful I will make a fool of myself,” Emma replied honestly.
Benedict chuckled. “You have nothing to fear. From what I heard, Luke has left nothing to chance, and he has already filled your dance card.”
“It’s true,” she answered. “I am dancing with you during the cotillion.”
“My brother can be rather…” Eliza’s voice trailed off, before saying, “cautious. After what happened in Hyde Park…”
“Luke told you about Hyde Park?” she asked, speaking over her.
Adrien, the Earl of Camden, spoke up from behind her. “Everyone knows about Hyde Park.”
