“Is Mr. Paxton-Hill not joining us?” Lady Mandeville asked.
“I’m afraid not,” Aunt Maude answered, but that was all she would say.
Lady Mandeville raised her eyebrows and looked at me, as if to ask whether I knew anything about Alec’s decision.
I offered her a weak smile and shook my head.
The duke’s family home was in Belgrave Square, almost too close to Buckingham Palace Road to take the carriage, but it wouldn’t be fashionable to walk.
As the carriage clattered over the cobblestones, I looked out the window, admiring the front of Buckingham Palace as we drove by. It was strange and wonderful to think that if my father had been able to marry the woman he loved, I might have grown up there. That I might have stood next to the queen during the drawing room presentations, and that I could have one day inherited the throne.
It was all too much to consider.
“There’s something different about you, Clara,” Lady Mandeville said as she studied me. “I do believe that the thought of becoming a duchess has caused your shoulders to lift and your bearing to become more regal.”
She and Aunt Maude shared a knowing smile, but if they saw a difference in me, it was because I finally understood who I was. It began the night of Aunt Maude’s dinner party, when Alec had whispered,“I hope you’ll start to believe that in God’s eyes, you’re more than a duchess. You are the daughter of a King.”Alec hadn’t known and still didn’t know the truth. He had meant that I was the daughter of God, the King of Kings. But he had seen me, understood me better than anyone else, and he valued and loved me as Keira O’Dayandas Clara Day Hill.
If my shoulders had lifted, it wasn’t because I was about to become a duchess, or I had learned that my father was the prince. It was because Alec had fallen in love with me, the real me.
The duke’s home was not as impressive as some I’d seen, but it was still beautiful and in the heart of one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in London. The sun had just set and the first of the evening stars sparkled in the night sky. A footman appeared to help us out of the carriage, and when the house’s front door opened, the butler stood there to greet us.
My heart was pounding hard as I stepped into the duke’s townhome, noting the absence of flowers that had graced all the other homes I’d attended parties in this season.
The décor was dated, but the walls looked like they had been freshly painted, and everything was clean. When was the last time this house had been occupied or held a party?
There were several dozen people already in attendance and more carriages had pulled up behind ours. Many people suspected the duke’s intentions with this party, and no doubt they wanted to be present as a new duchess was selected. We hadn’t known each other long, but Lady Mandeville had assured me that a quick engagement wasn’t unusual, especially with American heiresses who were not necessarily marrying for love.
The duke stood near the doorway, his face a mask of disinterest. I couldn’t imagine how much he hated this ball, especially since he was so used to the quiet of life at Pickering Castle. How desperate must he be to marry for money? He probably hated himself for giving in to the need. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, so he had put it off for as long as possible, no doubt.
When he caught sight of me, something seemed to relax in him for a moment—probably relieved I’d come—and then he stiffened again.
“Your Grace,” I said as I gave him a slight curtsey.
He dipped his head. “Miss Hill, I’m relieved you’re here and I didn’t go to all this trouble for nothing.”
I wanted to tell him I had little choice, but there was no point. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”
“Good.” He nodded toward the drawing room. “The ball will take place in there. I will join you shortly.”
“Thank you.”
He greeted Aunt Maude and Lady Mandeville as I waited and then the three of us walked into the drawing room.
A dividing wall between the front and back drawing rooms had been removed, as had all the furniture, allowing for an adequate space to dance. A three-piece orchestra was tucked into one corner and here, there were a few bouquets to brighten the room and add a nice scent.
People were chatting as we entered, but many people glanced in my direction, their conversation quieting for a moment. Neither the Garfields nor Lily Parker were in attendance, but Annabelle was there with Lord Devan, her arm wrapped through his, her attention focused solely on him. I only recognized a few people, and most of them were aristocrats.
“The prince is here,” Lady Mandeville said in an excited tone. “And he’s early!” She smiled at me. “He seems very eager to see you and the duke engaged.”
Despite the fact that I knew the prince was my father, or perhaps because of it, I was more nervous around him than ever before. I hadn’t seen him since he’d visited to share the truth with me, and I had wondered how I would behave when I saw him again.
He scanned the drawing room, and when his gaze landed on me, he smiled.
I returned the smile, joining the others as I curtseyed.
He approached and stopped in front of me. “I know the duke will want the first dance tonight,” he said to me, “but I am asking if you will honor me instead. I have a previous royal engagement to attend and I cannot stay long, I’m afraid.”
“Of course.” I nodded, wondering what everyone was thinking of his behavior.
