by Alexa Aston
“The Rutherfords usually give me free rein to do as I please,” Lady Merrick revealed. “I usually keep with outdoor designs with my gardens and fountains. But every now and then, I try something different.”
“Well, it looks marvelous,” Mia said. “It makes for a very festive ball.”
A few others joined them and she was given a programme by a passing footman. She wondered if anyone would care to dance with her. She had a few gentlemen sign it but there were several empty slots on her card.
The Rutherfords and Stanleys opened the ball, dancing several measures alone before other couples finally joined in. She managed to only step on her partner’s toes once. She’d been so busy trying to count and watch her steps that she didn’t remember his name or what he looked like.
The evening continued and she tried to hide her disappointment. She stopped looking around to see if Mr. St. Clair had arrived. Obviously, he hadn’t and he wasn’t coming. Her most recent partner returned her to the spot where he’d claimed her and she found herself talking with Lady Alford, who introduced Mia to her companion.
“This is Lady Mayfield, Lady Mia.”
Lady Mayfield’s eyes lit up with interest. “You’re the inventor Luke has talked about incessantly. How very good to meet you, Lady Mia. I hear you’ve also attended the book club. There are several members who will be joining now they are in town for the Season. You will make many new friends.” Her eyes sparkled. “Hopefully, that will include me.”
“Am I included? Oh, that’s right, it’s women only as members.” Hudson St. Clair kissed Lady Mayfield’s cheek and did the same to Lady Alford. He took Mia’s hand and kissed it. She wished she weren’t wearing gloves so she could feel the heat of his lips against her skin.
“I thought you weren’t coming.” Lady Stanley joined them. “What is your excuse for arriving so late?”
“Work. Something came up that needed my attention,” he replied.
“At this time of night?” Lady Stanley asked.
Lady Mayfield chuckled. “As a business owner, I know predicaments arise at all hours. We are glad you could make it, Hudson. Have you danced yet?” She smiled at him and then Mia.
“I was hoping to.” He turned to her. “I suppose it’s too much to hope you might have the next dance available?”
“I do,” she told him. “If you’re ready to have your toes mashed, that is.”
Lady Alford laughed. “Hudson is the best dancer in our family. He will take good care of you.”
“And I have very tough toes,” he quipped. “If you do step on one, I doubt I’ll feel a thing.”
As the strains of the music began, he offered her his arm and led her onto the dance floor.
Somehow, everything changed for Mia. In this man’s arms, she understood what her dance master said and felt the beat of the music. She moved with more grace than she’d shown in a lifetime. She did stumble once but he caught her and they danced on. It was the most exhilarating minutes of her life.
Except for when he had kissed her.
As the music died away, couples began leaving the dance floor.
“Oh, it was the supper dance?” Mr. St. Clair asked.
“I suppose so. I’m new to all of this.” His hand remained on hers, which was tucked through his arm.
“Do you have plans to eat with anyone else?”
“No,” she said faintly, hoping he would ask her to join him.
“Good.”
They entered the room where the buffet was laid out. Mia had trouble comprehending the great quantity of food on display. They could have eaten off it for months at Morris Park.
“I see Lord and Lady Merrifield motioning us. Would you care to dine with them?”
“That would be nice,” she replied.
Lady Merrifield embraced her. “I’m so glad you could join us. This is the Duke and Duchess of Durham. The duchess is my sister. And here is my brother, the Earl of Reston, and his countess.”
“I hope we’re not intruding on your family,” Mia said.
“We are happy to have you,” Lady Merrifield reassured her, indicating for Mia to sit on her right. “I know how busy you are with your work, but I do hope we can become better acquainted during the Season.”
The supper passed quickly. Mia laughed heartily, feeling a sense of belonging. She was grateful that everyone at the table treated Mr. St. Clair as an equal. When it came time to return to the ballroom, Lady Merrifield invited her for tea the following Tuesday and Mia accepted the invitation.
Mr. St. Clair returned her to the ballroom. “I regret that I must leave,” he told her.
“So soon?”
“I need to finish something at work. Of all those here, I know you understand more than most.”
“Why did you come when you had so much to do? You only danced once and had supper.”
His gaze held hers. “Because I wanted to see you.”
She couldn’t speak. She could only stare into those magnetic emerald eyes.
“I must go out of town for a few days,” he revealed. “I will see you when I return.”
“All right,” she said softly.
He raised her hand and kissed it. “Goodnight, Lady Mia.”
She watched him leave the ballroom, her heart pounding against her ribs.
“What was that all about?”
She turned and saw Aunt Fanny, her face red with anger.
“I told you to avoid that man.”
“That man is Mr. St. Clair,” she said stiffly. “He is a guest as everyone in this ballroom is.”
Aunt Fanny sniffed. “I’m sure Rutherford only invited him because his family and the St. Clairs have been close for so many years. It’s a shame he feels forced to do so. As for you, I hope we can contain the damage done tonight.”
“What damage? I danced once with him.”
“You also dined with him. I saw you laughing. Others did, as well.”
“Aunt Fanny, we were sitting with a duke and two earls and their wives. Mr. St. Clair was treated as an equal by them. I think you are imagining things.”
“We should leave,” her aunt said.
“Why?”
“Because you won’t be dancing anymore tonight.”
“Why not?”
Aunt Fanny frowned. “You think you know everything. Well, I suppose you’ll have to learn on your own. You’ll see.” She walked away.
Mia glanced at her dance card. She still had three gentlemen to dance with. She would not leave now and abandon them.
They abandoned her, however.
When the time came for the next dance, her partner did not show up to claim her. She didn’t remember what he looked like. He was only a name on her card. She stood on the sidelines, feeling awkward and ill at ease. The dance finally ended and she hoped Lord Bath, the next name on her programme, might arrive. Suddenly, she spotted him. Or thought he might be Lord Bath. She recognized the man headed toward her, remembering that she’d spoken with him earlier in the evening and that he’d asked for a dance. Relief swept through her.
Until she made eye contact with him. He glanced at her briefly before he sailed past her. In his eyes, she saw condemnation. She wondered if her aunt was right and she was being given a not so subtle sign that mingling with a duke’s bastard was unacceptable. Moving back to stand by the wall, she lurked behind a tall, potted plant, watching the couples swirl about the ballroom floor. Hurt filled her. Not for herself.
For Hudson St. Clair.
He must have suffered being harshly judged by the ton every day of his life due to the circumstances of his birth. She found herself growing angry at elitists who would belittle a good man for no fault of his own.
When the last dance of the night began and no one came to claim her, she went and found Aunt Fanny, who wore a sympathetic look on her face. Her uncle joined them and they left the Rutherfords’ residence.
Silence filled the carriage as they rode home.
Finally, Mia sa
id, “You were right. I did not dance a single time after supper.”
“I won’t say I told you so,” her aunt said.
“I don’t want to be part of a society that would punish a man for the sins of his father. Mr. St. Clair is every bit the gentleman that any man present tonight is.”
“The ton have many unwritten rules, Mia. I’ve tried to explain that to you,” Aunt Fanny said gently.
They arrived home and she went to her bedchamber. A maid helped her from her ballgown and dressed her in her night rail. Mia climbed into bed and found she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She cried for poor Mr. St. Clair and the unfairness of the situation. He wasn’t welcomed in Polite Society beyond his immediate family and their friends. She knew the middle and lower classes wouldn’t accept him, either. He belonged nowhere.
She had fantasized about their kiss. How it might lead to more. They were so comfortable in one another’s company after sharing so many hours together during the past few weeks. Her heart had told her if she ever were to wed, she would want a marriage with this man. Seeing how society viewed him now, Mia realized he would most likely never consider marrying because he wouldn’t want his wife to be subjected to the same rejection he faced on a daily basis.
Angrily, she brushed away her tears. She had never been a part of society and had no interest in joining it if this is how they treated a good man. Hudson St. Clair deserved better. Could she convince him he did?
Better yet, what would he say if Mia proposed marriage to him?
Chapter Fifteen
Hudson knew it was approaching nine o’clock but he’d still instructed his driver to head to Jeremy’s townhouse. He hoped to catch his brother before he went out for the latest ton event. That is, if he and Catherine were attending. The older they’d gotten, the more the pair chose to remain home with their children. Or retire to their bedchamber. For an old married couple, Hudson had to admit the sparks still flew between the duke and his duchess.
Barton admitted him and said, “Their Graces will be leaving at any moment, Mr. St. Clair.”
“Thank you, Barton. I’ll wait in the foyer. I won’t keep them long.”
He wanted to share the success he’d met with in his latest business venture. It had taken longer to come to an agreement than he’d anticipated but he was pleased at the outcome. Now it was time to focus on Lady Mia. He’d deliberately haunted her workshop in the three weeks before the Season began, trying to get to know her and allow her to know him better. He’d even confided the circumstances of his birth, knowing full well he couldn’t ask her to marry him without revealing that information. It hadn’t seemed to bother her but Hudson also knew her aunt was now privy to that information from the way Lady Trentham had reacted the last time he’d seen her. He hoped the woman hadn’t poisoned her niece’s mind where Hudson was concerned.
He hoped Mia hadn’t formed any attachment in the five days he’d been gone from London. Perhaps he should have taken Luke’s advice and snatched her up before the Season began. Hudson kept waiting for the right moment, though. A marriage proposal was a big step and he didn’t want to blindside her with it. Time was running out, though, as far as the terms of the will went. He needed to quell his fears and ask for her hand. He’d decided he would approach it differently than other men might. Mia had already said she didn’t want a husband or children because they would interfere with her work. Hudson decided to present the proposal to her as a business arrangement, a marriage of convenience, with no obligation on her part to act as a true wife. If the time came when she was willing to come to his bed, he would be happy to have her there. For the present, he would simply tell her why a match between them would be advantageous and hope her aunt’s influence didn’t prevent it from occurring.
If it did? Hudson would give up the idea of claiming Meadowbrook. He wanted the estate—but he wanted Mia Sloane more. He would take her however he could get her. If she turned him down, he wouldn’t need a country estate.
He spied Jeremy and Catherine coming down the stairs, his brother distinguished in his black evening clothes, while Catherine was the epitome of what a duchess should look like with her simple, elegant gown and tasteful jewels.
“Hudson!” she cried. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“I was hoping to catch Jeremy before he left for whatever boring ball or rout might be held tonight.”
Catherine came to him and took his hand, surprising him. “Are you still interested in asking Lady Mia to be your wife?” she asked anxiously.
“Yes. Why?” His body tightened. “Has she formed—”
“No, nothing like that,” his sister-in-law quickly assured him. “It’s much worse. She is the greatest wallflower of this Season.”
“What? Lady Mia is a remarkable woman,” he declared. “Bright. Witty. Beautiful. I know she’s not much of a dancer but not every woman possesses that skill.”
Catherine squeezed his hand. “It’s not that, Hudson. Very few men are asking her to dance. The ones who are asking desperately need a large dowry.”
He realized what had happened. “It’s because of me, isn’t it?” he said bitterly. “Because I danced with her at Rutherford’s ball. Lady Mia is being punished by the ton for associating with me.” Rage rippled through him at a system he was helpless against.
“I’m afraid so,” Catherine said.
“Do you think being a part of Polite Society matters to her?” Jeremy asked.
“No. She’s only going through the Season to please her aunt. Mia told me her work is her priority. That she doesn’t want a husband and children and hated the idea of being paraded on the Marriage Mart.” Hudson sighed. “I’ve gone by her workshop repeatedly, trying to give her the chance to get to know me. I’m not sure she’ll marry me, Jeremy.”
“Ask her,” his brother urged. “If she doesn’t wish to, you can look elsewhere.”
He shook his head, not bothering to hide his misery. “No. It’s Lady Mia or no one for me. If she turns down my proposal, I don’t mind Meadowbrook going to Delia.”
“When I see her tonight, I can invite her to tea tomorrow. You can come and ask her then,” Catherine suggested.
“I won’t have her standing alone tonight with no one asking her to dance,” Hudson declared. “Who is hosting?”
“The ball is at Lord and Lady Axelrod’s,” Catherine said hesitantly. “You won’t be able to attend without an invitation.”
“I won’t be attending,” he ground out. “I will merely be stopping by to claim Mia.”
He lifted Catherine’s hand and kissed it and left the townhouse. He told his driver to head for home with all haste. Unfortunately, they got caught up in a snarl of traffic. Impatient, Hudson got out and walked the remainder of the way home, telling his driver to get there as soon as possible. He washed and dressed in his evening wear, fury still clinging to him.
When he went outside, his driver had arrived and Hudson instructed him to get as close as possible to the Axelrod townhouse. Most of the social events in the city had started by now and they made good time. The carriage slowed and Hudson got out.
“Wait here. I won’t be long.”
He marched to his destination with determination. No one would keep him from Mia. No one. He entered and saw a crush of people in the foyer. A footman spied him and reached out a hand to accept his invitation. Hudson placed a guinea in the servant’s hand instead.
“I’m not invited—but I’m not staying. I came to get something. I’ll be in and out before you know it.” His tone brokered no nonsense.
“Very well, sir,” the footman said, stepping back and pocketing the coin.
Hudson took a deep breath and made his way to the ballroom.
*
Mia dressed in a pale-yellow gown, which made her eyes seem larger and her skin glow. She saw no point in attending another ball where she would only be asked to dance by men who had debts up to their ears. Once she’d figured out why they were the only on
es to sign her programme, Mia had made a point of sharing that she had no dowry at all. That had quickly thinned the small line of men and she didn’t expect any single gentleman to ask her to partner with him tonight. Aunt Fanny had been right. The ton had turned on her. All for dancing with Hudson St. Clair. The few who had asked her to dance beyond fortune hunters had been his St. Clair relatives. She remembered how he said St. Clairs stand together and thought it very kind of them to help her out. Mia intended to speak to the Duke of Everton tonight, though, and ask him to instruct his family to put an end to their charity.
She slipped on her gloves and went downstairs, where her aunt and uncle awaited her in the carriage.
“This is the last event I am attending, Aunt Fanny,” she said. “I never wanted to gain a husband by parading myself before all the single gentlemen of Polite Society. I am making my own way and have my own money. I don’t need or want a husband. Besides, I am starting to reflect poorly upon you and Uncle Trentham. You haven’t received any new invitations after that first spate arrived, other than ones from various St. Clairs. I am a detriment to you. Please, I beg you, don’t make me go to another event beyond tonight.”
Tears brimmed in her aunt’s eyes. “I am so sorry, Mia. I never knew the ton could be this vicious.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine, for breaking their unwritten rules. I would not change dancing with Mr. St. Clair, however. I enjoyed that one dance more than anything I have experienced during this Season. I felt almost graceful during it. If people are going to reject him for such a callous reason, I truly want no part of this society.”
“You have every right to feel the way you do, Mia,” her uncle said. “If you want, I’ll have the driver turn the carriage around and we’ll go home at once.”
She wanted to do that very thing but knew Aunt Fanny had been looking forward to visiting with an old friend who’d just arrived in town.
“No, Uncle, we’re already dressed and almost there. A few more hours of hypocrisy won’t kill me,” she joked.
He gave her a fond smile. “If you really want to scandalize society, you could always join me in the card room.”