CHAPTER ONE
“What is better than a ball if one needs an audience?” Rachel Montrose muttered to herself.
She had made a great effort to dress herself tonight. The dress she wore was one that she had bought after months of saving each penny that she managed to earn. The intent was simple: she wished to make an impression amongst the finely dressed ladies of the ton who were in attendance at the ball.
It was theperfectopportunity to make her announcement, and Rachel would not squander a single moment tonight. She had planned this for months now.
“Ah, Miss Montrose,” one of the ladies approached her. Rachel recalled that it was Lady Haversham—married to an earl—who had enough of a social standing for Rachel to put on her best act.
“So very lovely to see you,” Rachel responded with a smile.
“I thought I saw you from the corner of the room,” she continued. “I thought not to waste another moment and to come to you directly. Congratulations on your engagement.”
The lady was looking at Rachel as though she were an object inside a museum. And in a way, Rachel knew that was true. Tonight, she was an object of fascination for Lady Haversham and the like.
Lovely,Rachel thought to herself. That meant her plan was going exactly as expected. Rachel exhaled softly, her fingers tightening around the fan she held. This was it—the night for which she had spent weeks preparing. A single evening to set her plan in motion.
“Thank you, my lady.” Rachel could hardly keep the smile off her face.
“The Duke of Everly is quite the catch,” she continued. “I do not wish to pry, but one wonders how you managed to secure a match with him?”
It was funny, Rachel thought, how these ladies operated. They would say that theyhatedto pry, but then proceed to ask the most personal of questions.
Of course you’d like to know.She did not mind the curiosity tonight. Rachel had expected to be questioned like this, and she had come well prepared with answers.
Her lips curved into a practiced smile. “It was a matter of fate, my lady. He is a man of deep thought and rare appearances, but I suppose forces greater than the two of us were at play in bringing us together.”
A ripple of murmurs followed, some impressed, others skeptical.
“Well,” Lady Haversham pressed her lips together in a thin line, “that is really quite romantic—and I have to say—unexpected.”
“Is it really?” Rachel replied in a coy manner. “I would think there are stranger things in the world. This is only a chance encounter turned into love.”
“Is the marriage set to happen soon?” another lady asked. “I cannot imagine a duke rushing into these things. Surely, you will need months to prepare.”
Rachel wanted to roll her eyes. The ladies of the ton spoke of dukes as though they were another entity on earth.Everythingabout them had to be planned well in advance and gossiped about at length.
“I am afraid that we have not yet announced a date,” Rachel replied, “You know already how much the duke values his own privacy.”
“But surely the date must not be kept private?” the woman continued, unnerved.
“Ah, yes,” Rachel nodded. “Once we do decide, I will make sure that you are the first to know.”
She made sure to emphasize the last part. She had learned that one way to win favor amongst the ladies of the ton was to make them feel important.
The women exchanged glances. Lady Haversham leaned in slightly, her fan hiding her smirk.
“A secretive engagement to a recluse—this story just keeps on getting more romantic the more I hear of it. Tell me, does he often write you poetry?”
Rachel took a moment to think about her response. “Well, as you know, he is not one to ramble, but I believe that makes it even more special. When a man chooses his words with care, they carry greater weight. Besides, anything he utters sounds like poetry to me—so you may say that he does.”
“Oh, you must be quite besotted with him if that is what you believe,” the lady replied.
“I am,” Rachel smirked. “And I would think it’s fair to say that it is the same for him.”
The murmurs grew again, this time tinged with admiration. They were impressed, and why would they not be?
Rachel had managed to do something that not a lot of people were capable of doing. She had caught the attention of a known recluse, and that meant that she was someone who was worth knowing.
