Her father set down his knife and fork. “My dear girl, the where and how of your betrothal matters little at this point. You are about to marry a duke and that is the bottom line. But I must say, you certainly chose the right one. I cannot wait to tour the Huntsford Academy. I hear it is a marvel and just across the street from the British Museum. That is quite a lot for us to take in tomorrow. I doubt there will be time to pay proper attention to both.”
“I shall give you a private tour in the morning,” Ambrose said, “then afterward you can walk over to the British Museum and squeeze in a few exhibits there. I’ll have my driver bring you back here in my carriage when you are done.”
Adela’s mother tittered with glee. “Adela, this is really quite well done of you. And here we thought your second Season would be as ill-fated as your first.”
“Thank you, Mama.” She turned to Ambrose and cast him an apologetic look.
He took her hand under the table, something he was able to do since Eloise had seated them next to each other. “I did not know your daughter in her first Season, but I would hardly call it a failure. She is a beautiful girl and was probably viewed as competition by many of the other debutantes. Some of them can be quite petty and malicious.”
Her mother nodded. “Poor Adela was quite unprepared for any of it. I suppose the fault rests with me since I did not see fit to take it as seriously as I ought to have done. Fortunately, Lady Eloise came to our rescue. I expect my poor Adela would have remained a spinster if not for the efforts of Lady Eloise and her friend. I am sorry Lady Withnall could not be with us tonight. But I shall thank her personally tomorrow evening. We shall all be dining with the Earl of Trent and his family, is that not right?”
Adela nodded. “Yes, Mama. All of us are invited because Eloise is the dowager countess and mother to the earl. She is also grandmother to the earl’s son, Lord Ardley. I met Lord Ardley and his wife, Viola, Lady Ardley, last Season and we became quite good friends. Viola is the one who introduced me to Lady Eloise and all the Farthingales.”
“There is nothing wrong with being a spinster,” Syd remarked, obviously sensitive to the topic. “Why does everyone think a woman is nothing unless she is married? It isn’t as though the men are always such prizes.”
Adela’s mother reached over and patted Syd’s uninjured hand. “I hear you are their next project. I’m sure they will find a charming man for you. Believe me, they worked a miracle on Adela and I have every confidence they will do the same for you and next for Lady Gregoria.”
Ambrose’s heart tightened. “I would hardly call our betrothal a miracle. Adela would have charmed me had we met last year, I’m sure.”
“Lucky for us, there you were this second time around,” her father remarked. “She caught you right well, indeed.”
“I did notcatchhim, Papa. His Grace is not a trout. We…we somehow found each other and decided…oh, what’s the use? Would you care for some more mutton, Papa?”
The conversation flowed quite lively after that, the topics turning to the parties planned for the duration of her parents’ stay in London. He and Adela would not be here for them since they intended to leave for Devonshire the day after the wedding.
Adela was surprised to learn Syd and Gory were not going to most of the festivities planned. “Why aren’t you going?”
Syd shrugged. “Who is to take us? Certainly not anyone in my family or Gory’s. Besides, it won’t be the same without you in our wallflower corner.”
“And Marigold is still too young to join us at these affairs,” Gory added.
“Thank goodness for that,” Eloise muttered. “You girls have been too adventurous for your own good lately.”
Julius cleared his throat. “Octavian and I shall escort Syd and Gory. It isn’t right that you must miss out on these invitations.”
“Phoebe and I shall serve as chaperones for you,” Eloise added with a nod. “There, it is decided.”
Gory clapped her hands. “Thank you. Go ahead, Syd. Wipe that frown of your face and be grateful we have good friends to help us out.”
Syd’s lips were tightly pursed as she nodded. “I do not wish to seem ungrateful, for I appreciate the gesture. It is exceedingly kind of all of you, but not necessary. I think I am better off staying at home.”
Octavian frowned. “Why?”
Syd glanced around the table. “It is not anyone’s business, is it?”
“I am making it my business,” Octavian said. “What is the next affair after the wedding? I cannot even keep up with all these blasted events. Farthingales, I think. Or is it Lord Frobisher’s soiree? No matter, whatever is next, be ready. Julius and I will come by to pick you up. Same goes for whatever else comes up. No one is going to give you trouble while I am your escort.”
“Oh, isn’t that charming,” Adela’s mother said. “Seems Adela’s friends are about to make matches of their own.”
Gory and Julius laughed.
Syd and Octavian each muttered an emphatic “no”.
Ambrose simply took hold of Adela’s hand again, happy to be out of the maelstrom of the marriage mart.
When the meal was over, Adela took him aside for a moment. “I must thank you and your brothers for being so patient with my parents.”
“They are a little awestruck and unpolished, but haven’t we had our fill of polite society? They were pleasant enough to me and my brothers.” He was not sure he ought to say more because she cared for them and he did not wish to overset her.
