She couldn’t hold back a small smile at Charlotte’s attempt to appear nonchalant. “You’re matchmaking.”
Charlotte reached for one of her hands and gave it a quick squeeze. “Please don’t be angry. Alex and I are only together because of your assistance. I want to see you happy as well.”
Lucy sighed. “After my marriage, I’m not sure that’s possible.”
She hated the sad look on Charlotte’s face.
“Not every man is like Mansfield,” Charlotte said. “Alex’s friends, the other men who were here last night… They’re all happily married. And faithful to their wives.”
Lucy found it difficult to hold back her discomfort with this subject. It wasn’t as though Charlotte hadn’t been aware of Lucy’s husband’s infidelities, but they’d never spoken about it openly.
Lucy didn’t want to dwell on the past. “I have no plans to marry again. But…” She had to take another deep breath before she could continue. It was impossible to believe she was actually considering this. “But there’s no reason I can’t take a lover.”
Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. Her expression of shock was so comical Lucy would have laughed if her own heart wasn’t racing.
“Holbrook?” Charlotte’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Lucy nodded. “There’s no one holding me back now.”
They both knew she could have had an affair while married. Heaven knew her husband had left her alone for long periods of time. Lucy had even considered it on several occasions. But even if she’d been tempted—and she’d never met a man before now who would have made her consider it—she’d meant her wedding vows. Even after she’d grown to despise the man she’d married, she would never go back on her sacred promise to remain faithful to him.
Lucy could almost see the wheels turning in her friend’s mind. It was a great relief that Charlotte hadn’t rushed to talk her out of her plan. Still, she needed her friend’s reassurance and so she asked, “Do you think he’d consider it?”
Charlotte’s smile was instantaneous. “Oh, he’ll definitely be interested. But it remains to be seen if he’s willing to risk the wrath of the Duke of Clarington.”
Relief flooded through Lucy. “I’ll have to see what I can do to tempt him.”
They both stood, and Charlotte drew her into a hug. “Please let me help you.”
And with that, the plan was set in motion.
Chapter 5
After waltzing with Lady Mansfield, Holbrook tried to turn his attention to the task of finding a bride. The undertaking wouldn’t be easy, but he wouldn’t succeed if he allowed himself to become distracted from his mission.
And after their dance, it was obvious she had the potential to be a very large distraction.
That reality was made abundantly clear when he found himself watching her as she flitted from one dance partner to another. And each time another man so much as smiled at her, he grew increasingly irate.
At first he attributed the emotion to annoyance with her brother. Everyone knew exactly why those men were going out of their way to dance with a widow who was newly out in society again. So why was Clarington allowing it?
But as the hours crawled by, he came to the uncomfortable realization that Lady Mansfield was the only woman in the room who’d captured his romantic interest.
It was deuced inconvenient.
He watched as her most recent dance partner bowed to her. Before someone else could demand her attention, she rejoined the duke and duchess. He felt a measure of relief, knowing she’d be in good hands with her brother.
He forced himself to turn away and make another circuit of the room, nodding to acquaintances as he passed. He’d already spoken to anyone worthy of more than a few minutes of his time.
When he approached the exit that led to the other open rooms on this side of the large town house, he considered escaping to the card room. It would be easier on his increasingly agitated nerves if he didn’t have to watch the sharks who were circling the duke’s sister, looking for an opportunity to approach her again.
The strains of another waltz began to play, and he cursed under his breath. He needed to make sure she wouldn’t be forced to dance with someone who was entirely inappropriate, and he wasn’t sure he could trust Clarington to guarantee that wouldn’t happen. He imagined that several men had already leaped into action, hoping to take advantage of the opportunity the dance would provide to have her in their arms.
He scanned the couples who were making their way to the ballroom’s dance floor, looking to secure a private spot for themselves. The men bowed, the women curtsied, and then they moved into each other’s arms.
He was aware he was clenching his jaw but couldn’t force himself to relax, especially when he couldn’t find her. He did see the duke speaking with a group of older men whom Holbrook knew were trying to gain Clarington’s support for a bill that was about to be introduced in Parliament.
Where was the duchess? Perhaps Lady Mansfield was with her sister-in-law. If not, someone might have already spirited her away through one of the open garden doors.
