CHAPTER 1
“Are you ready, dearest?”
Lady Adelaide Wynn was anything but ready for what was to come, but she did not dare tell her mother that. Instead, she met her mother’s soft gray eyes with her own and assured her that she most certainly was.
“I know that it has been a long time since we have been here,” her mother said gently as they exited the carriage and made their way to the manor house, “but I believe it is time.”
“Even if it is not, I will have to return, eventually. I will be on the shelf if I do not re-enter society soon.”
If she was not already, that was.
Adelaide had been shielded from what was said about her, and though she was grateful to her mother for protecting her, she wished that she knew what she was walking into.
London was a vicious city, and though it had once been her favorite place, a mere year was all it had taken for her to no longer recognize it.
“Lady Winston understands your predicament. She is more than happy to play a role in your reintroduction, and she has promised to speak highly of you.”
“I am grateful for that. I must say, her home is most impressive.”
“Indeed, it is. It was always my favorite place to go for tea.”
Adelaide had a lot of regrets about how her life had changed, but the biggest of all was what she had done to her mother. Not only had she ruined her own prospects, but she had given her mother no choice but to leave with her, and that meant sacrificing everything she had because of something that was not her fault.
She tucked a stray brown curl behind her ear and braced herself.
They were both welcomed at once by Lady Winston, who embraced her mother warmly and took them both to the parlor, where they met the others. They were all older ladies, but Adelaide felt quite comfortable with that. She would not be sized up as competition, nor would she be perceived as a threat, and that put her at ease.
“Good afternoon, Lady Adelaide,” one greeted. “It is good to see you again after so long.”
“Hello to you all. I am pleased to be home again.”
She managed all of ten minutes before one of the women, dark-haired with small dark eyes, turned to her.
“You do not seem mad.” She smirked. “Do you simply hide it well?”
“There is nothing to hide, I can assure you.”
“A lady must be mad if she attacks her fiancé.”
“That is enough, Lady Eleanor,” Lady Winston warned. “Lady Adelaide never once admitted that she did that, and we cannot simply assume that she is guilty.”
“It is all right, Lady Winston,” Adelaide said softly. “I understand that I did not make myself look any better by leaving. It will take some time before people see me in the way they did before.”
“It is remarkable that you are so different from what the rumors suggest,” Lady Eleanor continued. “You seem perfectly calm.”
“Because she is,” Lady Winston declared firmly. “Do ignore her, Lady Adelaide. My friend likes to amuse herself with scandal sheets, and you are among…” she trailed off.
But Adelaide knew what she was going to say. She was among the most notorious ladies in London. Which, given that she had allegedly attacked her fiancé, she understood.
“Regardless,” Lady Winston continued, “I am pleased that you have returned. People will gossip, but they will stop, eventually.”
“Do you plan to marry?” another lady asked.
“Not yet. I would like to reacquaint myself with London first, and of course, it will be a precarious thing to enter a courtship at this time. I have always wanted a love match, and despite everything, it is still my hope to have one.”
The other ladies nodded approvingly at that.
Adelaide hoped that they believed her. It would be a long time before she could stop wondering if everyone she spoke to was thinking the worst of her, but she had to start somewhere.
