She silently reminded herself to commend Lord Milton on his impeccable taste when she went down for supper.
Windham was likely to have a vein throbbing in his forehead if she were to call it out of fashion. Though she would never insult her host or lie about the beautiful wallpaper, the thought of getting beneath the duke’s skin had a certain appeal.
Part of her wished to unsettle him as much as he had unsettled her when they had been dancing only a few days ago. She knew it was wrong to tease the man, but it was one of the few things that had truly brought her joy since arriving in England.
She sighed and opened the doors to the terrace that overlooked the gardens. They were blossoming with bright flowers despite the rain that continued to pound down. Isabelle stood in the rain for just a moment, letting it wash against her skin until she felt refreshed.
As she stepped back into the room, she wished that she could spend the rest of the day running through the gardens or getting lost in a book. The last thing she wanted to do after hours of travel was get dressed in her best and go down for supper.
Still, a knock at the door let her know that her trunk had arrived. The door opened and two porters stepped in, setting the trunk on the floor before leaving the room once more. A different maidentered. She wore a cheery smile and was younger than the last, close to Isabelle’s age.
“Hello, Miss Alden.” The maid offered a quick curtsy before hurrying over to the trunk and kneeling to open it. “Is there a specific dress you would like to wear for supper this evening?”
“None. Please choose what you think will suit best.” Isabelle locked the doors behind her and crossed the room to stand before the trunk. “What is your name?”
“Maggie, Miss.”
There was a part of her that thought it would be much nicer to spend the rest of her time in England living as the common folk did. She could spend the rest of her days without the titles. There would be no need for balls or insipid dancing.
Duke Windham would likely die if she suggested such a thing.
The Dowager Duchess would surely put her on the first ship back to America. It would be a joy to see the look on her face, but the thought of returning home was enough to make Isabelle banish the idea.
Maggie pulled out a lilac dress and held it up. “This will suit you nicely, don’t you think, Miss?”
“It should be just fine.”
Isabelle turned her back, prepared for the monotony of getting ready for yet another event with a man she had no intention of marrying.
Ten
Felix sighed and looked at his pocket watch once more as he and Milton sat at the dining table, waiting for the women to arrive.Just for once I wish that Victoria and Isabelle could find it within themselves to make haste and come to the table on time.
The roast in the center was getting cold and he was ravenous.
Milton chuckled and picked up his glass of wine, sipping at it while he looked to the door. “If I had known that you were bringing an army with you, I would have barred you from entering my home.”
“I doubt very much that you would, Milton. You enjoy my company far too much.”
“Of course, Windham.” Milton swirled the wine in the crystal goblet before setting it back on the table. “Who is the other young woman you have brought with you? Why is she with yourfamily? Has her own passed? She looks too old to be on the marriage mart and I suspect an American would not do well here.”
“She is the most infuriating young lady I have the displeasure of meeting, but you would be wrong about being too old. While she may be approaching the possibility of being a spinster, she is with my mother for the season, and I am to find her a husband.”
Milton’s eyebrows raised. “She is to marry this season? When none of thetonknow of her and speak little of the baron? Who can you mean for that task?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“Yes, but she thinks you are as staunchly against marriage as she is. I would suggest you keep up the façade whenever she is near if you even wish for a chance at her hand. She is determined not to marry.”
The other man laughed. “I should think that a woman as beautiful as her would have a line of suitors at the door.”
“There were several who came to see her at my estate. All more ridiculous than the last. If she had not done a fine job of scaring them away, then I would have dispatched them myself.”
“You seem to think a great deal about the type of man she should marry.” Milton picked out a piece of bread from the plate in the center of the oak table. “Does it truly matter to you so much?”
“I will not see her with any man that I would prevent my sisters from marrying. Hyacinth and Evangeline are too young to be involved with the season yet, but Victoria is out as well.”
