Elowen had never met Lady Westbrook herself, though her mother claimed the two had once been close. Mama had described her as the sort of woman who went through life with little concern for what society thought of her.
Elowen had a feeling she might like her.
That feeling multiplied tenfold when, upon stepping into the foyer, she was at once enveloped in a warm embrace by a tall woman who smelled faintly of citrus. For a startled moment, Elowen found herself pressed against a silken gown and a generous shoulder before her hostess drew back with a laugh.
“Careful, Mother,” came a familiar drawl from ahead. “You shall frighten her away—or choke her half to death.”
“Oh, forgive me.” Lady Westbrook released her with a laugh. “I do not often have much patience for formality.”
“You never have, Josephine,” said Margaret, joining Elowen’s side with a smile, “and I daresay you never will.”
Henry appeared beside his mother with a grin. “That much is certainly beyond dispute.”
Josephine, the Dowager Viscountess of Westbrook, gave her son a playful swat on the arm before turning back to Mama with open arms.
“Oh, Margaret, it has been far too long!”
“Indeed it has,” Margaret said, stepping into the embrace. “But I see the years have been kind to you.”
“And to you, all things considered.” Then Josephine turned to Papa, who—by good fortune—felt well enough to attend that evening. “And you are a sight for sore eyes, Lord Trenton. How do you do?”
“Clearly not half as well as you, my lady,” Papa said with a weak chuckle. “The years have treated you very kindly.”
“And I might say the same of you, my lord.” She embraced him as well, and Elowen could tell from her tone that she meant it—another point in her favour, as far as Elowen was concerned.
At last, Lady Westbrook turned her attention to William, who stood a pace behind with curiosity bright in his expression. “Do not tell me this is your youngest! He has grown quite tall.”
“I long for the day when people recall that growing older and taller is rather expected of me,” William said lightly.
“And he has a tongue on him, I see,” Josephine said, clearly delighted.
William spread his arms. “I suppose I do not merit the same greeting then?”
Elowen’s eyes widened; her head snapped toward him, a silent warning blazing in her gaze. Beside her, Mama’s smile tightened, though she held it bravely in place. Her son, it seemed, had forgotten just how narrow the bounds of propriety could be in society drawing rooms.
But Lady Westbrook only laughed, waving away the brief silence that followed. “My word, I shall pity the poor ladies of the ton who must contend with that charm when it comes time for him to marry. Such a smile—and such audacity—will have them falling in droves.”
“For now, I shall enjoy my anonymity,” William said with an easy grin, taking her hand and pressing a gallant kiss to it.
Josephine grinned broadly. “You have raised quite wonderful children, Margaret,” she said.
Elowen managed a polite smile, though she doubted the compliment included her; she had yet to utter a single word.
“Come,” Henry said cheerfully, playing the gracious host. “The other guests are waiting in the drawing room.”
“The other guests?” Margaret asked as they followed.
“Yes, the Duke of Beaushire and his family have already arrived,” Henry said over his shoulder.
Elowen very nearly tripped over her hem. She caught herself quickly, smoothing her features even as her mother cast her a gleeful look. Her expression remained composed—but her stomach turned over itself.
The Duke was here.
It shouldn’t come as such a surprise to her. Lord Westbrook was known to be one of the Duke’s closest friends, and Miss Beaumont’s fondness for Henry made their presencetonight almost inevitable. Indeed, Elowen would not have been surprised to learn that the invitation to her own family had been extended at the Duke’s suggestion. They were hardly at the top of anyone’s guest list, after all.
Still, she had not expected to see him here—and Elowen despised being caught unprepared.
“Ah, how fortuitous,” Papa was saying, unaware of the silent panic beside him. “I did not have the chance to speak much with His Grace at Miss Beaumont’s ball. It will be good to catch up.”
