“I do not understand.”
“The Duke is re-entering society after years, and he has graced us with the opportunity to attend our ball. I would love for you to meet him.”
“Meet the Duke of Greyhaven.”
“He is a steady, serious, noble man, looking for a wife.”
Prim’s jaw slackened a little. This was not the conclusion to this invitation that she was expecting.
“I think you’ll be a good fit for him. He is a good man, Prim.”
“I… I was under the impression that you were not so subtly nudging me to your friend.”
“No,” Abigail laughed lightly. “Merely testing the waters. I would never nudge a woman towards Leo. He is many things, but Leo is not one to fall in love.”
“Honestly? It would take a rather imbecile to think otherwise,” Prim said.
She couldn’t claim that she knew the Duke that well, but it seemed that the Duke had made his inclinations rather obvious.
“I would love to meet the Duke of Greyhaven,” Prim finally said.
“Great. I think Nathaniel will be pleased, too.”
On her way back home in the carriage, Prim was perplexed. She had the loveliest time with Abigail, she felt she finally had a friend, she ensured an invitation to an advantageous event, and she had the support of the Duchess in securing a Duke.
Prim decided to focus on the positive and imagined how her sisters would be happy and ecstatic to be invited to the Blackwell estate on their debut season. That is all that mattered.
CHAPTER 7
Dancing Card
“Idon’t think I have seen you this early in the ball,” Edwin teased Leo.
“I decided to come early so I can finally have those infamous cheese sandwiches that seem to vanish by the time I get here.”
“The ones that Abigail makes sure the kitchen prepares for you when you are drunk after?”
“Are you going to make a point, or am I supposed to guess?”
“You take that new role very seriously.”
“It is not the role. I am out hunting today, and the grounds happen to be your ballroom.”
Edwin sobered.
“I have not invited your family, Leo.”
“There may be others. I am just being cautious.”
“Fine,” Edwin relented. “Nothing to do with a certain Miss Jenkins.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You do realize that it is me we are talking about, right? I know you.”
Leo turned to his friend with a look that was both exasperated and angry. It was bothersome to have Edwin accuse him of such a thing.
“Exactly, Ed,” he hissed. “Am I one to come early because of a woman? Or do anything more for that matter?”
