Devotion.
Would she ever experience that? Perhaps Valentine St. Clair could make her feel it, even though she would have to pay for it. As she saw Adrian kissing Daphne’s hand, she wondered just how far she would go to experience those feelings.
Perhaps she should just settle for the physical. She had missed several opportunities that could have evolved into romance. Still, she wished she could have experienced the same love her friends had.
“The ball is a success,” Adrian murmured to Daphne.
Meanwhile, Richard was concerned about Victoria, with good reason. “Are you tired? We can leave whenever you feel like it. You need rest.”
It was certainly inspiring to see two powerful men doting on their wives and treating them as equals. A small spark of anger burned through her as she thought of how Joshua treated her, asif she were not wise enough to distinguish between a rake and a good man.
“Have you seen Daniel?” Victoria craned her neck, asking her twin’s husband. “I was hoping he’d come, so I can finally introduce him to Lucy.”
“He left an hour ago,” Adrian replied, shaking his head. “He seems to have a pressing matter, as is becoming the norm of late. He’d become a hermit after he’d inherited the Stonewynn duchy. He barely attends these kinds of events, hosted by family or not.”
“‘Tis a pity,” Victoria said, with a sigh. “Truly, it is. He needs to know that being a duke does not mean the end of his life.”
Daniel, her friends’ half-brother, had reportedly become a duke. Lucy did not really know much about him, and he rarely made appearances. He was more of a phantom now than ever. Her mind was more focused on what the twins had proposed. She needed to take control of her life and decisions.
She pulled Victoria slightly away from the Dukes and whispered, “I will go. Just tell me what to do and when.”
Victoria grinned.
Lucy loved how her friend had not lost her childish mischief. Victoria handed her a piece of paper, which she quickly hid in her reticule.
“That’s St. Clair’s address,” Victoria whispered conspiratorially.
“Thank you,” Lucy breathed, even though she wasn’t certain she was not about to commit the greatest mistake of her life.
“Everything alright here?” Joshua interrupted, startling her.
How could he be that stealthy?
“Perfectly fine, My Lord,” Victoria said smoothly. “We were merely talking about a new seamstress she may want to try. Her work is certainlytransformative.”
Lucy knew what Victoria was alluding to as she emphasized the last word.
“Oh? Is that so?” Joshua asked, narrowing his eyes at his sister. “I’m glad. For now, though, Lucy has enough dresses to last her for the Season and the next.”
And the next.
Those words made Lucy’s heart sink.
Was that what her brother thought? She would simply move from one Season to another, unmarried and unattached.
“I believe Lucy needs to go home now,” he added.
Lucy was about to protest, but she met Victoria’s eyes.
Her friend gave her a wink, and when Joshua’s back was already turned, she only mouthed a single word.
“Soon.”
Chapter Two
“This does not seem like a good idea,” Theo Arnold, the Marquess of Barton, grumbled. “We could have been sipping vintage champagne at Wolfcrest House. You have somehow chosen the stench of rotting fish and the possibility of getting stabbed in the stomach instead of having a wonderful time with your family and friends.”
Theo had been Daniel’s friend for a long time, and the two of them complement each other. There was a time when they were too similar, carefree, and seemingly without a worry in the world. However, Daniel Brighton, the Duke of Stonewynn, formerly the Marquess of Grisham, had finally opened his eyes to what was happening to his sisters while he was touring the Continent.
