“Can you give me an idea of their personalities. Who I should avoid, that sort of thing?” Harriet inquired.
“That’s exactly what I had in mind.” Daphne dug around one of the pockets of her dress and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it, as her eyes scanned it quickly. “This is a short list of men to keep away from and another list of who might be a potential match.”
Harriet clapped her hands together enthusiastically, her face beaming. “You are a goddess! That’s exactly what I need. You can of course tell me about each of them.”
“Of course, I can and will be pleased to discuss all of them.”
Feeling a rush of relief, Harriet sat back against the chair. This was exactly what she needed. Especially the ones who were on thenolist. Probably all rakes or married but liked to try and ruin young virgins.
“Thank you.”
“I forgot to mention, the Earl and Countess of Bath give a ball a week before the season starts. The countess feels by doing this it will help the young ladies to prepare for the start of the season. It is well attended, and most men who attend are worthy of a glance at the actual first ball.”
“Did you accept?”
“Yes, I think it’ll be beneficial for you to attend,” Daphne replied.
Harriet nodded but said nothing. There wasn’t much time, and she certainly hadn’t been expecting it either. Daphne was right, it would be beneficial for her to attend. She usually hatedbeing thrown in with her peers, but this time she was not hit with a wave of panic. Perhaps it would come later, or maybe not all.
Chapter Three
Taking a deep,cleansing breath, Harriet stepped out of the carriage and joined her cousin and Daphne in front of the well-lit home of the Earl and Countess of Bath. Dressed in a pale-rose-colored gown, she walked regally into the grand hall. After going through the reception line, the butler announced Arthur and Daphne and then her. She walked with her head held high like Daphne had showed her. Eyes, she could feel the eyes of the guests as they watched them walk by. Arthur and Daphne acknowledged guests they knew until finally he signed Harriet’s dance card. After making sure he signed her card he whispered something to his wife and walked towards a group of men.
Daphne took her over to where the countess and a small group of ladies stood talking. The countess once again warmly greeted Harriet. “Lady Harriet, I’m so delighted you came with your aunt and uncle. Your gown is exquisite. The color suits you well.”
“Thank you.”
The countess smiled at her and motioned to the young lady beside her. “This is my niece, Lady Winifred. She is going to take you around and introduce you to some of the guests. Hopefully your dance cards will be full by the time of the first dance.”
Harriet nodded her head. “It’s nice to meet you, Lady Winifred.” She glanced at Daphne, who nodded her head ever so slightly indicating it was okay.
Lady Winifred came forward and linked her arm through Harriet’s and began to walk towards the opposite side of the ballroom. “Come, I see Lady Sara and Lady Norma among others. They’re fun and know a lot of the young men here. They think if you know Sara or Norma, you’re okay and will ask you for a dance.”
“That sounds too easy,” Harriet said.
“Yes, but it seems to work. What happened during last season? Auntie said you rarely had a dance.”
“My mother. She hovered, thus scaring off any potential dance partners. She dumped me with my cousin to fix the situation because she didn’t have the strength to go through another failed season,” Harriet said.
“I take it she doesn’t see herself as the cause?”
“Of course not,” Harriet replied. “My mother sees herself as perfect.”
By the time they reached the group of young ladies, the small band of musicians were getting ready to go from warming up to playing the first tune. Lady Winifred quickly introduced the group to Harriet. There were five of them and it was hard to hear all their names because of the music. Someone decided they should move farther from the dance floor so they might be able to hear each other. Everyone complimented Harriet on her gown, and she’d done the same with the others.
Since the music had begun, the group caught the attention of a trio of young men. Dance cards were signed including Harriet’s, which was only signed by one of the young men. Having been through this the previous season, Harriet wasn’t sure they truly were interested in dancing or if it was a dare. She desperately tried to remember if he was on Daphne’s list of men to discourage. Her instinct told her he was and that she needed to be vigilant, especially now that he’d signed her dance card. She refused to fall into their trap.
He excused himself and said he’d be back in time for their dance. She wondered about that.
Winifred rejoined her. “Did you have any luck?”
“The man that just walked away he signed my dance card.”
“David Cooper. He’s second son of Viscount Cooper.”
“Do you know anything about him?”
“I’ve run into him at most of the balls. He’s decent as long as he’s not with his friends. It’s as if they torment him into being one of them,” she replied.
