However, something in the back of her mind disturbed her about her brief chat with the earl’s cousin. She’d found him very haughty for an earl’s cousin who lived in the country. He’d almost acted as if her sisters had trespassed onhisland. Whatever it was, he was quite unpleasant to converse with, so perhaps it best that she didn’t see him again.
Pushing aside her irritation with the cousin, Lyndsey and her sisters stopped just inside the hall as a servant took their wraps. The mirror along one wall allowed her to glimpse her reflection. She’d worn the fanciest gown she owned. The grayish-blue color with a light peach sash had an overskirt of white lace. The white lace was also repeated on the bell-shaped sleeves. The heart-shaped bodice fitted her snugly, just as it should, to emphasize her bosom. If not for her naturally curly brown hair that made it nearly impossible to have perfect ringlets, Lyndsey thought she looked quite pretty. Either that or it was the lighting in the room that fairly sparkled which made her feel this way.
They stood in line to meet the earl, but rumors moved down the receiving line that the younger brother, Lord William Dorsey, was not at the party. Lyndsey’s father was introduced to the earl, then he turned to introduce his eldest daughter. The earl was a handsome man, tall with wide shoulders, hair the color of wheat on a clear day, and dark brown eyes. He smiled at her and she curtsied.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord,” she said sweetly.
The earl didn’t speak much but turned to Lyndsey’s sisters and gave them the same bland smile. Perhaps this was the only expression the man knew.
Her father had asked after Lord William’s welfare, and the earl stated that he had business elsewhere that would keep him out of the area for approximately a month.
Her father hooked his arm around Lyndsey’s elbow and pulled her away from the crowd. He bent his head to her ear.
“Tonight, I want you to do everything you can to get the earl’s attention. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Pa,” she muttered meekly.
Her enthusiasm sank lower. Why couldn’t she just enjoy herself tonight like her sisters would be doing? Instead, she had to think of herself on a mission to catch the wealthiest husband. Truly, this wasn’t fair – not to her, and especially not to the man.
All the guests were people Lyndsey had met before, and it was good to chat with her close friends. But she did as her father requested, and made certain she was within the earl’s eyesight. Once in a while he glanced at her, but there was no indication that seeing her had caused Cupid to shoot an arrow through the earl’s heart or put stars in his eyes.
When the dancing began, the Earl of Hanover moved toward Lady Margaret, which didn’t surprise Lyndsey at all. Lady Margaret’s family came from old money, and although the woman was nearly a spinster and not the most attractive woman at the party, she was still considered in the marriage market.
From across the room, her father scowled at her and motioned his head toward the earl. Lyndsey bunched her hands. What did he expect her to do? Throw herself in front of the earl, fall to her knees and wrap her arms around his legs to keep him from dancing with Lady Margaret? That wasn’t Lyndsey’s way of catching a man’s interest. However, she could imagine Lizzie or Jannette doing something like that.
The brush of someone’s fingers against her elbow snapped her attention to the person touching her. When her gaze met with the earl’s cousin, she sucked in a quick breath. Although he didn’t look as dignified as the earl, the cousin was still rather handsome. More so, in fact.
He smiled and bowed. “Miss Benson. How happy I am to see you’ve come.” He glanced at Prissy, Lizzie and Jannette and arched an eyebrow. “And you brought your two sisters... plus one more.”
Lyndsey tried not to feel offended by the irritation in his voice. “But of course. Our whole family was invited.”
She quickly looked at her sisters who were standing in a group with some of their friends, giggling louder than necessary. In fact, she expected the earl to watch the gaggling geese more than he’d look Lyndsey’s way.
Meeting the cousin’s eyes, she forced a smile under the uncomfortable circumstances. Although she didn’t really want to converse with this condescending man, she’d be nice. “I’m very... um, happy to see you are here, too.”
He shrugged. “Where else would I be? I’m a relative of the earl’s and so I’m expected to be at these boring events.”
She couldn’t believe his attitude. Earlier today he dressed like the gardener, and yet now he acted as though he was the earl’s special guest.Unbelievable!“Boring, you say?”
He nodded and leaned closer to her. “Didn’t you know,” his voice lowered, “that it is my duty to weed out the social-climbing ladies who are not well-suited for my cousin?”
She gasped as guilt seeped over her. Had he figured her out already? Was that why he had such a rotten attitude? “Oh, please tell me you are jesting.”
“On the contrary.” He glanced over his shoulder toward the earl. “We all know the Earl of Hanover will be searching for a wife soon,” his attention returned to her, “and it’s up to me as his penniless cousin, to make certain the woman he chooses loves the earl for himself, not his title and lands.”
Penniless cousin?It was difficult to believe him when he acted as though he was the King of England. “Indeed? Is that the type of woman he really wants? One he can love?”
The cousin remained silent as he studied her face. Within seconds, his grin widened. It surprised her how just a genuine smile could change the look of his face. Dare she admit he was more handsome now?
“Is that not what you would want in a marriage?” he asked.
She arched an eyebrow. “Finding a man to love is certainly what I would search for, however, I’m sure you’re aware how uncommon that is in most wealthy families.”
“Yes, it’s most uncommon.”
He folded his arms across his chest and rocked back and forth on his heels as his gaze moved around the room. Silence stretched between them and Lyndsey became uncomfortable, only because she didn’t want to say anything to bring back the conceited man. She rather liked the one with the sweet smile.
During the quiet minutes, she studied his handsome profile. A lock of his wavy light brown hair had fallen across his forehead, but it was his startling hazel eyes that captured her attention. When he smiled, his eyes seemed to melt away her resistance to liking him.
