“A pleasure to meet His Grace’slatestfiancée,” she grimaced at Amelia, proving to Seth that she did.
“His latest? Does he have many?” Amelia replied innocently.
At that moment, Seth could have kissed the Baroness of Eastwick. She could not have played into his hands better if she had been given a script to perform!
“He collects them, my dear. As though it is a hobby,” the baroness muttered begrudgingly.
“Hardly the subject for tea,” the Dowager Countess protested.
“I agree,” Amelia said, “and I assure you, my lady, that this hobby will end with me.”
It was a bold statement delivered with strong, almost fierce conviction. Seth forced a smile, playing the dutiful fiancée inside, though questions erupted.
Who is she? How has she been transformed from the woman I had almost driven away? And how can I be so drawn to her? I am a step from achieving my goals, but I want to throw it all away to have this extraordinary woman be my next conquest.
Tea arrived, and Seth found himself seated next to his betrothed. The Dowager Countess had patted a chair to her left for Amelia, who took the seat, though she seemed suddenly discomfited.
As tea was served, Seth leaned closer to his betrothed and whispered, “A situation tailor-made for you. The ear of the highest-ranking person in the room.”
Amelia looked slightly alarmed, though she controlled her expression quickly. Seth wondered at her giving so much away. Amelia was someone comfortable in the company of Dukes and Duchesses, even minor royalty. He had been genuine in his assertion that she would feel at home seated next to the matriarch of this event. But she seemed anything but.
“Is that a slight?” she whispered back.
“Not at all, merely an observation.”
“Perhaps I am simply not in the right disposition to entertain aristocracy,” Amelia whispered again, taking up her teacup.
“I hope that you will be able to bring me up to speed with the society of London these days, Lady Nightingale,” the Dowager Countess exclaimed, “I lived in London as a youth but moved to Berkshire when I married. It has been many years since I enjoyed the sophistication of urban society.”
Amelia coughed as she swallowed a mouthful of tea, hurriedly putting the cup down and reaching for a linen napkin. Seth frowned at the reaction, sipping from his own cup.
“I shall do my best, your ladyship,” Amelia finally smiled, “I do beg your pardon, the tea was hotter than I expected.”
“Who should I invite to my first candlelight supper, do you think? I am famous for them in Berkshire, and I should like to establish them on the London calendar as well. It is so importantin such matters to invite the right people,” the Dowager Countess remarked pompously.
“Who? Well, let me think…”
“Invite the wrong people and an event is doomed from the beginning,” the Dowager Countess went on.
There were murmurs of sycophantic agreement around the room, and all eyes were on Amelia. Seth realized, in shock, that she was at a loss.
Whatever is the matter with her? She knows the names of our society’s principles and should be able to reel them off without hesitation. It is as though she has lost her memory…
He could not bear her discomfort and set down his teacup.
“I would think that the Duke and Duchess of York should be invited, being royalty but not so high as to be inaccessible,” he declared with confidence, “then the Cornwallis, and I do believe that the Duke of Lancaster is also in town for the season. I would take advantage of that; he rarely stirs from the North these days but is a sought-after company in every salon and ballroom in London.”
“Wellington, I presume,” Tewkesbury put in.
“How could one forget the Duke of Wellington!” Amelia chimed in, “a hero and a gentleman. I would invite him before even the Duke of York.”
The Dowager Countess seemed satisfied with these answers.
Seth was watching Amelia closely, and he caught the flush of her cheeks and the slight gasp of relief when the conversation moved on. She looked sideways at him as she sipped from her teacup. It might have been his imagination, but he thought he detected a slight smile—of gratitude, perhaps? He felt momentary pleasure at being able to help her out of a difficult situation, even while he did not understand how it had arisen in the first place.
He smiled back before remembering his own situation. Befriending Amelia did him no good whatsoever. He needed to drive her away.
For some reason, that thought did not seem as easy as it had been. After tea and cakes and an hour of tedious conversation, the cups, plates, and saucers were cleared away, and the Dowager Countess suggested a game of cards for the ladies. Amelia smiled brightly at that.
