Meredith bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood. “Those who want to survive must learn to adapt, Your Grace.”
“What nonsense,” the duke scoffed. “I thought you had more backbone than that, young lady.”
Meredith’s nostrils flared with indignation. “If memory serves me, there will be an operatic performance ofDon Giovanniat the Haymarket this evening. I presume you have a box at the theater?”
“Of course I have a box.” The duke frowned. “Haven’t used it in years, though.”
“That hardly matters. Do you like opera, Your Grace?”
“I never took to it. And I could never understand how a bunch of men and women prancing around on a stage, screeching and carrying on, making enough noise to wake the dead was considered entertaining.”
“Opera is a pure expression of music and emotion,” Meredith insisted, though secretly she thought the duke’s description had merit. “More importantly, half thetonwill be in attendance, ogling each other rather than looking at the stage or listening to the singers. Since I find myself free for the evening, you may accompany me to the performance.”
The duke’s eyes darted to the footman who was clearing the table, then returned to Meredith. “I just told you I cannot abide all that noise they make.”
“Then I shall bring an ample supply of cotton to stuff in your ears to muffle the sound.”
The sputtering sound of the duke’s continued indignation gave Meredith a very small measure of satisfaction as she left the room.
Eleven
In the two weeks that followed her marriage, Meredith once again created a sensation among theton,for she was seen everywhere with the same escort—balls, parties, dinners, musical evenings, the theater, even the occasional afternoon at the park.
Tongues were wagging and speculation ran high, yet the gossipmongers soon discovered it was difficult to find fault with the new marchioness. When in public, she always conducted herself with style, grace, and good humor. Her escort was not always as circumspect, but allowances were made, for he was a tall, handsome, distinguished man of noble rank who appeared to hold her in some affection. He was also her father-in-law
It was quickly noted that Lady Meredith seemed to enjoy the duke’s company a great deal, though she spent much of her time at various social occasions circulating among the other guests. Yet she arrived and departed each event with her head held high and her arm locked securely around the duke’s arm.
It was also noted that when dancing took place she again allowed herself only one partner: the duke.
This behavior was not, as some believed, a well-thought out, deliberate plan of Lady Meredith’s, designed with the sole purpose of drawing attention away from the fact that her husband, the dashing marquess, was never seen anywhere publicly with his wife.
Meredith nearly laughed out loud when a high-stepping dandy had slyly complimented her on her cleverness for concocting such a brilliant strategy. The situation she now found herself being applauded for had evolved out of desperation, not planning.
It had begun the morning after her hasty marriage and come to fruition late that night as she waited in vain for her husband to come to her bed. In the wee hours of the early morning, before sheer exhaustion claimed her, Meredith had reviewed the possibilities of her future.
She had thought of becoming a recluse. She had pondered retiring to one of the country estates her husband had been so keen on sending her to. She had even considered claiming an illness to avoid appearing in Society.
Yet each idea fairly smacked of cowardice and, though humiliated, Meredith was not about to compound her shame by hiding herself away. Instead she began to accept a select number of invitations. Because she needed support, needed someone to stand beside her, she had coerced the duke into accompanying her.
Dancing only with the duke was again a happenstance. Desperate to avoid such intimate contact with other men, she refused all invitations to take to the dance floor one night at Lady Chester’s ball. But when the duke had asked her to partner him for a quadrille, she had felt it her duty to agree.
The same thing happened the following night, and this occurrence did not go unobserved. Soon it was the talk of the evening. Since Meredith found it was the perfect way to distance herself from the rakes and rogues who were eager to work their wiles and charm upon such an obviously neglected wife, she continued with the practice and let the wagging tongues have their say.
To her surprise, Meredith discovered she actually enjoyed dancing with her father-in-law He was a tall man, well over six feet, and she did not have to hunch her back to be comfortable when in his embrace.
On this particular evening, she favored him with three dances, then decided she had enough frivolity for one night. The ducal carriage was summoned and a footman assisted her and then the duke inside. Once they were settled comfortably, the carriage lurched forward, taking the unlikely pair home.
Though only a short distance, these drives often took longer because of the crowded streets. Meredith never minded. It gave her time to recall the evening’s activities with the duke. It also gave her time to collect her emotions, gather her strength, and don her shield of polite indifference on the off chance that she would encounter her seldom seen husband when she arrived home.
“That was a crush,” the duke said as he gingerly adjusted his position on the velvet seat to ease the pain in his knee. “Leave it to the Countess of Tewsk-bury to invite five hundred people when her ballroom can accommodate only half that number. The woman is a ninny.”
“ ’Tis no secret that the countess has a great fear of being a failure as a hostess,” Meredith observed. “Therefore she invited an overly large number of guests to ensure a success even if many decided not to attend.”
“Judging by the size of the crowd, I would venture to say everyone of consequence accepted her invitation.”
Meredith sighed. With a most notable exception, she remarked silently to herself. The Marquess of Dardington was conspicuously absent.
“Yes, the countess seemed pleased,” Meredith commented. “I would qualify the evening as a success. I believe I shall write to her tomorrow morning and tell her how much we both enjoyed ourselves.”
