Chapter 2
“Alovely day made even lovelier by the company of so many lovely ladies, would you not agree, Captain?” The tallest of the soldiers who had approached announced. The cluster of the heroic-looking gentleman, sporting their military colors, painted a rather glorious picture against the mostly blue sky. Diana’s heart raced faster than usual as she tamped down the hope of being singled out.
Not quite ten feet away from the shade of the tree where she was seated, a cluster of boats had been cleaned and sat at the edge of the water, ready to be rowed across the tranquil little lake that seemed to exist for that purpose only.
Diana sighed.
Uniformed gentlemen always appeared dashing because of that very uniform and all that it entailed. These gentlemen, however, would have been equally handsome out of them.
She nearly giggled at the thought, suddenly imagining them strolling through the duchess’s garden party wearing nothing at all. But she shouldn’t allow herself to have such ideas. Not if she wished to pass herself off as a genteel lady.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” Miss Naomi Augustine called to them lazily. At three and twenty, Miss Augustine was a baron’slegitimatedaughter and had been out for five years. Diana envied not only the girl’s incontrovertible place in life but also her confidence and sophistication.
“Good afternoon,” Lord Major Lucas Cockfield came forward, followed by a lighter-haired but equally handsome soldier, and behind him… Captain Vincent Edgeworth, the most handsome of them all.
Diana’s already racing heart skipped a beat.
From the moment she’d been presented to the captain, she practically fell in love. He stood taller than his counterparts, with broad shoulders, almond-colored hair, and the loveliest dark blue eyes that crinkled around the edges when he smiled. But more importantly, he’d been awarded medals for proving his bravery, and she’d heard talk that he’d risked his life on more than one occasion to save villages of women and children. Moreover, he was honorable, sacrificing, and hearty—the perfect man—the sort that would make for a tolerable husband.
And best of all, he was not titled.
“Would you allow me to row you around the lake, Miss Augustine?” Lord Major Cockfield bowed over the older girl’s hand.
Miss Augustine dropped her lashes demurely but then lifted them to answer, “I’d be delighted, Lord Major.”
The other man turned to the girl sitting beside her. “Lady Adrianna. Will you do me the honor?”
“Of course, Captain Gilcrest.”
The two ladies rose and allowed their prospective escorts to take each of their hands. As the four walked toward the water, Diana sat up straight and, holding her breath, sent a flirtatious glance in Captain Edgeworth’s direction. Her inviting gesture might have worked if he hadn’t turned his back to her.
But he was intent upon staring across the lake, feet firmly planted on the ground, his hands clasped behind his back.
“You don’t intend to allow those fellows to show you up, do you, Captain?” Miss Coleus Mossant teased him from where she sat across from Diana.
Diana’s perfect gentleman promptly turned back around. Before she could summon anything equally clever to capture his attention, he and Miss Mossant were excusing themselves to lay claim to the third boat.
“Have a comfit.” Collette held out the open tin. “They’ll be back in no time at all. Don’t worry. You’ll have a turn.” Diana accepted one of the mints, feeling less than gracious.
“He didn’t even look at me.” She popped the small candy into her mouth and crushed it between her teeth.
“You need to speak up.” But Collette didn’t sound at all confident. “And you’re supposed to suck on the comfit, not grind it into smithereens.”
“Nothing I could have said would have made one iota of difference. He ignored me because we are...” Diana plucked at a loose thread on her glove. “Us.” She did not need to elaborate. Collette would know precisely what she meant.
Collette and Diana, as products of their father’s infidelity, were not like the other ladies in attendance.
They might talk like ladies and dress like ladies, but Diana was under no illusion that mostTonmembers could not see past what they were…bastards.
Their father had kept two separate families, two separate homes, and upon his death, when their brother had learned of their existence, he’d taken responsibility for their upbringing.
No one had expected the new baron to take them on as a liability. Diana’s mother had even confided to Collette that when she’d realized their father had not made provisions for them, she’d expected his son to evict them.
But Chase had done the opposite. Although he’d been discreet about it, he had treated them like beloved sisters, visiting them, providing for them, and even paying for a governess so that they could be adequately educated young ladies.
This spring, however, with his new wife’s wholehearted support, he’d taken his responsibility one step further by putting his reputation on the line to bring them into society.
Collette refused to consider the prospect of landing a gentleman for a husband. As for Diana, once she’d realized that becoming a dancer was out of the question, and she’d been fitted with a fabulous new wardrobe, she’d rather warmed to the idea of participating in the Season. It would be fun to attend the glamorous balls, to be able to dance on a lovely parquet floor and make friends with those beautifully outfitted ladies she’d seen riding through the park in their luxurious vehicles from afar.
