Page 10 of Lady Dramatic
She’d waved back and seen him smile.
Very naturally, this encounter had been looked at backwards and forwards over dinner. Though her father was so very terrible about remembering who anybody was and claimed he had not the first idea of who it could be, it finally came to him.
“Wait a minute,” he said, his brow clearing. “I suppose if I cannot recall the names of my fellow dukes that would be a rather sad case. You said two doors down?”
“Yes, Papa,” Serenity said, leaning forward and willing him to remember.
“Mariton. The Duke of Mariton,” the duke said. “I remember the fellow from my school days—he’s always had the house two doors down and we’ve always been in this one. He’s got two sons as far as I know it, maybe more. No telling which one it was. Family name is Garner.”
Serenity did not give a toss for which son it was. “Do you suppose he will go to Almack’s?”
“Of course he must go,” Verity said. “It is such a usual thing for a duke’s son to go.”
“You do not know that,” Winsome said, “though it is probably true.”
Valor heaved a sigh. “Every year I get aloner and aloner and aloner. Soon it will be just me and Papa and Mrs. Right. Don’t worry, Papa, I will never leave you.”
The duke did not look particularly relieved to hear it, as it flew in the face of his claim that he wished them all gone. Though Valor had begun to grow out of her most childish habits, and Mrs. Wendover, her stuffed rabbit, spent more time left behind in her room, she’d seemed to cement her feelings about her sisters getting married. She did not wish for the family to do any more changing.
“Well, let us just hope you have not waived at a valet,” the duke said. “It could have been anybody at that window.”
Serenity had not considered that possibility, but she really did not think so. There had been something in the way he’d carried himself, though he was just sitting. She knew very well that was a ridiculous estimation and therefore kept it to herself.
Valor was still muttering, “Aloner, and aloner, and aloner.”
“Valor,” Serenity said, “It was only a wave from a window, not a proposal of marriage.”
“But it always starts somewhere, doesn’t it?” Valor said, pushing around her cake with a fork.
Serenity did not argue the point. It was true, things always did start somewhere.
Now, the carriage rattled along, getting ever closer to King Street. This was the moment she would be introduced to society. She felt nerves and excitement and dread and an urge to direct the carriage faster and at the same time make it turn back. It was every feeling all at once.
She took a deep breath.
The duke patted her hand. “Do not let your nerves get ahead of you. I make the same speech every year at this moment—you are a duke’s daughter and need not impress anybody.”
Serenity nodded, though she did not quite agree. She had a great wish to impress a certain person who had waved at her while she was out in the snow. She did not know who he was yet, but for him being one of the sons of the Duke of Mariton. At least she was fairly convinced of it. She could not believe that handsome face belonged to a valet. Her father’s valet looked nothing like him. There had been something in his smile…She knew very well she should not be so nonsensical as to be bowled over by the first gentleman who’d smiled at her, and from a dark window no less, but therehadbeen something in it.
The carriage came to a stop. It was time. She took another deep breath. Whatever was to come, Serenity Nicolet would use all her self-control to avoid weeping over something or other. It was the only thing that could spoil such an evening and she intended to keep her ever-careening feelings on a steady course.
A footman helped her to the pavement and her father led her inside. If she was not personally brimming with confidence, her dress was. It was a delicious dark blue silk the color of the midnight sky with a pale blue tulle overlay that had been embroidered with small paste sapphires in small diamond patterns. It shimmered with every step she took.
As all of her elder sisters had informed her, if one did not know where they had arrived, one would not be exactly overwhelmed with opulence. The hall they stepped into was not overlarge and everything from the carpets to the curtains appeared slightly worn and faded.
A stately lady in a rich silver satin dress glided up to her father. “Duke, very glad to see you. This is number four, I presume?”
The duke laughed and said, “That’s right, Duchess. I’m heaving them out of my house as fast as is humanly possible.”
Serenity’s eyes widened just a bit. Though she understood her father was full of nonsense on the subject, she was not certain others knew it.
The duchess laughed in response, so Serenity supposed she, at least, did know it.
“Serenity, this is the Duchess of Devonshire. Do not bet at cards with her, she’ll take every guinea out of your pocket.”
Serenity curtsied low.
The duchess tapped the duke with her fan. “If only Iwasthat lucky at cards, my duke would not complain so much about it. Lady Serenity, I will take the honor of filling your card and I must tell you, I have already been approached.”
