by Abby Ayles
* * *
“Even so,” Aunt Rebecca waved off the notion. “Their family is already the talk of the season. They are a very sensible, stable family. It would be a perfect match for you.”
* * *
“I believe what you are saying is they have money, so I don’t have to worry about sharing mine,” Raven corrected.
* * *
Aunt Rebecca puffed out her cheeks at his smart words before flicking open her fan and cooling herself.
* * *
“I must admit I was not entirely against you going away for a time to keep you from so-called ladies of society who were only so by name. You have to understand how the woman folk work. Mothers would do almost anything to secure a duke such as yourself to their daughter, and ergo their house.
I was fine with you traveling the world if that meant you weren’t going to jeopardize your living to a pretty face.”
* * *
“I hope you are not saying this Lady Charlotte is not much to look at then,” Raven said, trying to hold back the smile forming on his lips.
* * *
“You are being a tease now,” Rebecca snapped her fan shut and promptly smacked his hand with it.
* * *
Raven pretended to be hurt by the action.
* * *
“She is very lovely to look at. I only mean that is not all of her qualities. She would be the perfect match for you in my opinion.”
* * *
“And the fact that it would elevate your popularity with the other ladies if, say, your nephew married the talk of the ton has nothing to do with it?”
* * *
She narrowed her honey eyes on him and wrinkled her lips together.
* * *
“You are a wretched boy for teasing me so,” she said with feeling, though a smile played on her lips as well, “Will you do it then, for me?”
* * *
“I will meet her,” Raven agreed. “Yes, I will do that for you, my dear aunt.”
* * *
“Good, then you must go and get ready right away, or we shall be late.”
* * *
“You can’t possibly mean right now?” Raven blurted out. “I have only got home, and I am beyond fatigued.”
* * *
“Tonight is Sir Hamilton’s opener ball. As I said it was Providence alone that brought you here in time, as I accepted Sir Hamilton’s invitation on both of our behalves,” she added quickening her last words. “Now go,” she waved her fan at him in a shooing manner.
* * *
“I will have James bring the carriage around; we leave in a hour’s time. It may be a tad late, but not unfashionably so,” she added more of a thought to herself.
* * *
“What have I gotten myself into,” Raven grumbled as he hoisted himself from the comfort of the chair.
Chapter Three
By some miracle, Lady Alexandra Woodley managed to get her two younger sisters out of the house, her father to remember to have his supper, and her youngest sister at the task of apologizing to Polly for the extra work.
* * *
As they sat in the hired coach on their way down the cobbled streets of London she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. She realized at that moment she hadn’t even really taken the time to look herself over before the ball.
* * *
It didn’t matter much to Alexandra how she looked expect to put on a good face for her two younger sisters.
* * *
She looked across the carriage at Josephine and Williamina, who were discussing something between the two of them. Both looked radiant. Josephine was wearing a soft green pastel dress; between that and her dark hair wrapped in little white specks of baby’s breath, she would be the bell of the ball.
* * *
Alexandra was sure that it was Williamina’s year to shine. She was the right age to settle down, and she had already turned a few heads over the last few years. If she could just get Williamina or Josephine a good match this year and see them settle she would have one less burden when it came to Sophia’s coming out in twelve months’ time.
* * *
Williamina looked just as ravishing as her older sister. She was wearing her only evening gown, a soft rose-colored satin. It worked well with her pale skin and the hint of red tint to her golden hair. Where three of the Woodley girls had taken after their mother’s Spanish roots of olive skin and dark hair, Williamina had been fair and as beautiful as a porcelain doll just like the rest of the Woodley side of the family.
* * *
Williamina was still only nineteen however and a might too young for marriage. Of course, it was still a possibility as many ladies married at her age. The disadvantage, however, was the undeniable lack of funds.
* * *
Williamina had beauty and a kind disposition on her side, but she was still far too young to see the sense in using those traits to her advantage. She still had the hopeless thoughts of a romantic as many girls her age did.
* * *
Though Alexandra had regretted it, she had already had to shoo one suitor away just last year. He was a fine gentleman to be sure but no title to his name and no more funds in his coffers than their own family.
* * *
He would in no way provide the life that Williamina was accustomed to. It was Alexandra’s responsibility to see her sisters happily off in their adult life. She owed her mother at least the sense to protect the younger girls from a disastrous match. Williamina may have had eyes for him at that moment but time would pass, and infatuations wane and then she would be left in a dire situation. Alexandra couldn’t allow that to happen, not on her watch.
* * *
She rummaged behind her own forest green cloak and into the petticoat pocket of her dress. It was not quite as fancy as the other girls though she still chose to wear pastel blue in symbolism of her virtue. She couldn’t allow any rumors of her own standing jeopardize her sisters' chances.
* * *
For a single woman to wear anything beyond pastel in the season was to suggest that she no longer considered herself single. Natural reason would be spinsterhood, but then there was always the gossip of adulterous behavior if the girl was still at a young age. Alexandra couldn’t risk such a thing no matter how silly she felt parading around in the soft blue silk.
* * *
She reached deep into her pocket and produced the offending white gloves. She hadn’t had time to put them on and instead slipped them inside the folds of her dress. It was only now as she slid the first one onto her right hand and up the length of her arm that she realized the problem.
* * *
Two of the three buttons that secured the garment in place only a few centimeters below the sleeve of her dress was missing. Without them, not only would she look even more of a poor frump girl amongst the ton than her well out of season styled dress did, but it would also prevent it from staying in place.
* * *
She gave a long sigh. Had Sophia not taken upon herself to hide the things by way of punishment, the mending could have been easily seen to with time to spare. Now she would have to go the whole of the night tugging at her glove and praying that no one noticed the missing buttons.
* * *
“What’s the matter, Alexandra?” Williamina asked, noticing the long sigh.
* * *
“Nothing, nothing at all,” Alexandra said not wanting to inform her sisters.
* * *
It was probably a longer ride than most had that night to travel from the less than fashionable side of London to Sir Hamilton’s townhouse that he rented out for the year. Not having a seat of his own with endowed estates, his address was ever revolving but still significantly more desirable than the earl’s bestowed estate.
* * *
Alexandra had always wondered what it would be like to leave the confines and coal smoke of the city in the winter to retreat to a country seat. Unfortunately, her gra
ndfather had fallen on hard times, lost the estate and much of their fortune. The only thing that kept the Earl Grebs from just being a Lord by title alone was the small townhouse in London and a minimal yearly pension of investments.
* * *
Alexandra ached to see anything beyond the rows of houses and masses of people that populated London. Even to spend one year in the country on her own land would have been a dream come true to her.
* * *
The prospects of such were slim, however. Alexandra’s sole goal in life was to find a better outcome for her younger sisters than the one she was facing. She never had time in her youth to enjoy the ton truly. She did little socialization beyond advancements for her sister’s benefit. Between that and the fact that they all had almost no dowry to speak of, gentlemen didn’t exactly seek her out.
* * *
She would live in her father’s small townhouse all the days of his life. Upon his death, the title and house would then pass on to the next male heir: a cousin of her father’s younger sister who was currently in India, commissioned as an officer.
* * *
Then her life and existence would be a mystery to her. She would be at the mercy of her cousin to take her in out of the charity in his heart, or to leave her on the streets to fend for herself.
* * *
It was for this reason she had spent the whole of her teenage years and young adulthood striving to find better situations for her younger sisters.
* * *
She couldn’t bear the thought of letting her mother down and leaving them just as weak as she would be someday.
* * *
Tonight was very likely the first night of Josephine’s last chance at finding a match. She could focus on nothing else except this fact. Even missing buttons would have to be pushed aside for such an important goal.
* * *
They arrived at Sir Hamilton’s just as the bulk of the crowd arrived. It wasn’t the most ideal as she didn’t want her sister to get lost in a vast throng, but it was safe. Too early or too late could raise eyebrows in a negative light. If Alexandra had learned anything from her family history, erring on the side of safe was much better than trying the risk.
* * *
As soon as Alexandra and her sisters made their introductions at Sir Hamilton and Mrs. Hamilton’s welcome procession line, she went straight to work to scout out any and all prospects that were present this night.
* * *
There were no wild cards to speak of, and part of Alexandra was relieved to the fact. The single gentlemen present this night were the same that attended almost every season. It meant her sisters had some connections to them.
* * *
There was always that worry for Josephine, however. With no new prospects as of yet, it would be hard for her to make a match. These gentlemen had seen, danced, and had conversations with Josephine for the last three years more or less and had either not found interest, or found their poverty too much of a deterrent.
* * *
After making her rounds of the room and see that both her sisters were settled into their own group of familiar friends, Lady Alexandra went to take her place with all the other motherly figures.
* * *
Though Josephine and Lady Alexandra were only a year apart, she had never felt in the right place when she joined Josephine and the other ladies of similar age. Lady Alexandra had so many problems and obstacles always in front of her; she often sought out the older ladies for advice.
* * *
It made all the frivolous talk of Josephine's friends seem so pointless compared to the worry that seemed to weigh her down.
* * *
“Lady Alexandra,” a kind voice called out, waving a lace fan in the air to get her attention.
* * *
Lady Alexandra walked through the pressing crowd that still seemed to be flowing in to find Countess Eagleton. Lady Eagleton was probably the closest to her age of all the married ladies at the young age of thirty-four.
* * *
She married at the young age of seventeen to the Earl of Eagleton. Unlike most women who went straight to producing children early on in their marriage, and thereby excluding them from many seasons in town, Lady Eagleton had not received that blessing in her life.
* * *
It always made Lady Alexandra ache for her. She did love Regina so and hated the pain she felt over not producing an heir. Of course, the words were never spoken of her failure in that respect, but it was still clear to all of society that she was letting the earldom down.
* * *
Both ladies grasped hands warmly when they finally navigated the crowds to the other. Once she let go, Lady Eagleton immediately flicked open her fan and started to wave herself. Lady Eagleton came from a good family of well-established money. This along with her ravishing beauty had led her to an early marriage.
* * *
Lady Alexandra didn’t have to wonder much about the relationship between what she would consider her best friend and the Earl that was twice her age. Their marriage had been one of family negotiations and not a matter of the heart. Though Eagleton was kind enough to his young wife, it was still safe to say there was little by way of passion or love between them.
* * *
Even Lady Eagleton’s inability to produce a son had been little consequence to the Earl as he had already fathered two boys, now the same age of Regina with families of their own, with the late Lady Eagleton.
* * *
Still, the lack of an heir put Regina in a precarious place. Once her husband inevitably went the way of the earth she too would be at the mercy of a distant relation, if a stepson could even be called that, for support. A child of her own would warrant her a portion of the Earl’s estate to help provide for the child and by consequence her as well.
* * *
“This place is ridiculously hot,” Regina said fanning herself rapidly. “I dare say spring has come and gone in a blink and summer is already upon us.”
* * *
“I hope it is not so,” Lady Alexandra replied. “I fear with the heat starting sooner it will only lead to hotter times ahead. I do detest the heat.”
* * *
She had heard of lords and ladies retiring to the Lake District or even to the oceanside along the Scotland border when summers were much hotter than usual. Such a thing would be a detriment to her sisters. Even if Josephine didn’t find her match this season, she was desperate that one of them did if only so that she could afford Sophia’s coming out in twelve months’ time.
Chapter Four
Aunt Rebecca did manage to get her grumbling nephew to the ball, though much later than she had anticipated. By the time they arrived all other guest had already entered the premises, the welcome line was disbanded, and an finger foods and lemonade were brought around by servants to those that so desired it.
* * *
Aunt Rebecca couldn’t help but hold her head up a little taller with pride as all eyes turned to her nephew upon their entrance. She was well aware of the rumors spreading of his impending arrival this season as well as his desires to choose a wife. After all, she had started most of them.
* * *
She needed to get people talking about her nephew and preparing to give him the attention he was due. After all, Aunt Rebecca was sure she would never be able to convince Theodore to spend a second season in London. This was her last-ditch effort to do her motherly duty to the memory of her dearly departed sister.
* * *
He had undoubtedly grown more into the dashing man his father had been in the few years he had been parted from her. Raven was turning out to be every bit as handsome as his father with the subtle touches of her sister that only Aunt Rebecca knew.
* * *
She would have never thought it possible for her nephew to grow more, but he had somehow managed that, or at least she hadn’t remembered him towering over her so. Though he had taken his sweet time in prepari
ng for tonight's pivotal event, she couldn’t help but be glad for it.