The noise of the ball was nothing like Vivian had expected. Although she had spent the entire week preparing for the event, making sure she had a new dress and brushing up on her dancing skills, nothing could have prepared her for the chaos of the Dowager Duchess’s party.
Everyone around her seemed perfectly poised and at ease. Vivian was not sure she had ever seen so many elegant men and women in the same place. Though she had been introduced to several potential suitors, her dance card remained woefully empty, and she struggled to think of anything to say to them.
I should never have come here.She felt as though the world was pressing against her. Her heart thundered in her chest, and she struggled to make sense of the wall of noise and conversation around her.This was a mistake; I am going to die a spinster.
She sped up, thinking only of leaving this place and her humiliation behind. She collided with something warm.
“Oh, I am terribly sorry I—” the rest of her words died in her throat when she realized who she had bumped into. “What are you doing here?”
Staring up at her with wide green eyes was her ex-fiancé, the Viscount of Brixten. His blond hair was slicked back, covering up the thinning patch at the top of his head. Beside him was a woman—well, a girl really—who could not have been more than eighteen. She was pretty, with a smile that lit up a room, and sweet, innocent eyes.
“It is a ball, Lady Vivian.” Lord Brixten’s lips quirked into a smile. “And the social event of the Season. I am surprised to seeyouhere, though.”
“I am not the one who is meant to be on their honeymoon.” Vivian forced herself to smile. “And this must be your new Viscountess. How wonderful to meet you.”
The girl’s eyes widened as Vivian looked at her, but before she could reply, Lord Brixten cut in, his smile never faltering. In fact, it widened as he turned to look at the pretty girl on his arm. “Yes. This is my darling Gwendoline, Lady Brixten. She is the daughter of Lord Windstone.”
Daughter of a marquess and one of the wealthiest men in the country.Vivian swallowed.And of course, she is one of those women who are effortlessly beautiful.
She tried not to think of just how long she had spent getting ready for the ball; Vivian would never be the kind of woman who caught men’s eye with a simple glance.
“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Vivian.” Lady Brixten’s voice was high-pitched and girlish.
Vivian was painfully aware of her height as she towered over the girl and her ex-fiancé. She knew that she should return the woman’s pleasantries, but her mouth seemed unable to form words.
“I am sure that our marriage must have been something of a shock to you, my lady, but you must know it could not be helped.” Lord Brixten turned away from his wife to face Vivian, tilting his head and smiling at her in a way that set her teeth on edge.
“We fell in love,” Lady Brixten added, giggling and covering her mouth. “As soon as I saw my dearest, sweetest Benjamin-boo, I knew that my heart would only beat for him.”
Vivian felt like she was going to be sick. Her cheeks flushed deep scarlet, and she prayed for the floor to break open and swallow her whole.
“And try as I might, I could not resist my lovely Gwenny-bear’s siren call. I had not planned to fall in love; no one does, but the force of it… when I met her at the Baron’s ball, I felt the pull. And though I tried to fight it for as long as I could, it was too powerful for me.” Lord Brixten squeezed his wife’s hand. “Andwith the estate being so close to Gretna Green, it seemed like fate was guiding us toward each other.”
“I know that you were promised to one another, but surely you can find it in your heart to forgive us?” Lady Brixten gave Vivian a radiant smile. “We are young and in love.”
You may be young, but Lord Brixten is nearly forty years old.Vivian held back the words she wanted to say and swallowed them. What was one supposed to do in this situation?
“Though I can only imagine the kind of pain this has caused you, you must know that I bear you no ill will.” Lord Brixten tilted his head toward her, as though he were a mourner at a woman’s sickbed. “This was not done out of malice.”
“And of course, we will do everything in our power to help you,” Lady Brixten added.
“Of course, and just that you are here this evening is a testament to your bravery, to your spirit and determination. Even in the face of such hardship, what with your advanced age and now this. Truly, it is so commendable of you to hold your head up high and with such dignity.” Lord Brixten pursed his lips, his smile setting Vivian’s teeth on edge.
He pities me. They both pity me.The realization struck Vivian with the force of a bullet. Fury filled her, and she only just managed to keep from clenching her hands into fists.How dare they pity me?Her shock vanished, and she forced herself to smile at them.
“Though your words are kind, my lord, in truth, I do not need your commendation. This has been a little shock, but that quickly passed.” With some satisfaction, she saw Lord Brixten’s smile falter somewhat. It made her own broader. “In fact, I find that I am grateful that you and your wife found one another. Not only have you been able to find a love you both clearly yearn for, but I have now been gifted a world of opportunity.”
She gestured around them, letting a false giggle slip from her mouth. “Which reminds me, I really must be getting to my next dance. You never know when you might meet the love of your life.”
Without waiting for a response, Vivian turned on her heel and tucked her empty dance card into her reticule.
Pity? I will show them!She strode up to a tall figure with short black hair and gently tapped on his arm.
“I believe this next dance is between you and me, my lord. Though I have lost my dance card.” She smiled as broadly as she could, praying that her gamble would work.What am I doing?
“Then it is fortuitous indeed that you remembered that I had promised you this dance.” The man’s voice was low and reminded her of dark chocolate.
He turned to face her, and Vivian’s heart twisted. He was taller than she had realized, his broad muscles highlighted in his well-tailored clothes. His face was all sharp lines and hard angles,with a jaw that looked like chiseled marble. His piercing blue eyes made her feel like he was looking right through her.
