There had not seemed to be any distance between father and daughter, but perhaps Frances was missing something. She might have asked outright, but she was still a relative stranger in this household; such things were not for her to know right now, while she was still gaining the duke’s trust.
I suppose a lack of attention would explain why she knows so little of etiquette and expectations…
“When is the dinner party to be?” Harriet’s broad grin returned with the welcome change of subject.
Frances relaxed too. “The day after tomorrow.”
“The day after tomorrow?” Harriet yelped. “Oh, but that is not enough time! I must choose a gown at once!”
She took off as if she had been informed that the dinner party was in ten minutes’ time, leaving Frances standing inthe bright hallway, suddenly wondering whatsheshould wear on such an auspicious occasion. Especially considering she had only brought three dresses with her, packed in haste as she fled London.
Catherine… My Cathy will know what to do.
The woman was quite the magician with a needle, some thread, and whatever fabric she could get her hands on. Surely, Frances’ dearest friend would be able to turn one of the dresses into something worthy of a duke’s dinner party.
CHAPTER NINE
When Frances had asked Dominic if she could hold the charade of a dinner party at Alderwick, he had never expected it all to come rushing at him so quickly. He had assumed it would take place closer to the end of her tenure as tutor, not a mere two days after he had agreed.
“Hugo,” he said with a stiff nod as his cousin swept into the entrance hall, wearing the grin of a man who had just received a glorious gift.
“Cousin.” Hugo clapped him on the arm. “I had to ensure I was the first here, to be certain you had not been replaced by an impostor. Dominic Everhart, hosting a dinner party: I have a rider waiting to fetch a physician, just in case.”
Dominic sighed. “Yes, very amusing. It is not a real dinner party; it is part of Harriet’s education.”
“Oh, I know all that. The invitation wasquitethorough.” Hugo slid a card from his pocket. “I am to play the disgruntled father of a potential suitor, and I knowjustwho I shall use as inspiration for my performance.”
Dominic frowned at the card, the edges elegantly lined with ink and decorated with little stars, though he could not recall agreeing to have them made.
How much has all of this cost me?His fortune was considerable, among the largest in England, but it remained plentiful because he did not squander it on silly things. Like dinner parties and invitations.
“Who have you brought with you?” Dominic asked, somewhat perplexed by what he was about to face.
He could count on one hand the number of ‘outsiders’ he had seen in the past year, but if he had to welcome more into his home for his daughter’s sake, then so be it.
Although, he had to wonder how Frances had managed to get ahold of the addresses for the guests. He had not opened his study to her, and she had not sought him out since their awkward moment on the stairs, so unless she had won the housekeeper and Dominic’s valet over, he could not fathom it.
“A few friends,” Hugo replied. “I would have summoned more if there had been more notice, but they are eager to discover who they will be playing this evening.”
As if hearing their cue, the sound of carriages coming down the driveway rattled through Dominic’s skull, discomfort beetling down his spine as he braced himself.
For her,he told himself.This is for her.
But as he put on a polite smile and waited for the guests, he was not quite certain which ‘her’ he was talking about: the one this was all for, or the one who had made it happen.
“Whose idea was this?” crowed one of Hugo’s friends, Lord George, the youngest son of the Marquess of Knaresbury.
Hugo gestured across the table to where Frances sat, dressed in a gown of green muslin that matched the exact shade of her eyes. Dominic had been trying not to glance too often in her direction, but it was impossible not to follow the line of Hugo’s pointing.
“Lady Frances,” Hugo said, a note of pride in his voice. “She is my dear Harriet’s tutor, and with her dedication, I have every faith that Harriet will be the diamond of the Season.”
Lord George brought his hand to his brow. “Then, I must salute you, Lady Frances, for I daresay I have not had this much fun at a dinner party in an age! This ought to be how all dinner parties are done: you are given a character at the door and must perform your way through the evening. It certainly eliminates the lulls in conversation.”
Dominic cleared his throat, loudly chiding, “You aresupposedto remain in character for the duration, or so I believe.”
“Quite right, Cousin,” Hugo cheered, nudging Lord George in the arm. “Go on. Back to being Lord Lawton.”
Lord George grinned and turned back to Harriet, who sat to his left.Shewas dressed in a gown of peach satin, her hair done in a style that Dominic had not seen her wear before, her cheeks colored a happy shade of pink. In truth, she looked a little too grown up for Dominic’s liking, his head knowing this was good for her, his heart wondering if he ought to just send her to a convent and be done with worrying about her future in society.
