“I’ve never seen so many candles,” Gwen said.
The three ladies stood in the entryway and took in the opulence and frenzied movement of the ballroom below.
“Don’t look so awestruck, Gwen,” Mrs. Colthrust said in her usual tart tone. “You must see to it that every gentleman you meet thinks you are accustomed to this kind of grandeur, and to be surrounded by it is what you will expect once you marry him.”
Louisa smiled at that outrageous comment. She didn’t know anyone who would want to or could afford to live amid such grandeur, except perhaps the King, the Prince, and maybe an arrogant duke or two.
“How will I ever get to know anyone in this crowd?” Gwen asked Mrs. Colthrust. “I’ve never seen so many people in one place.”
“Yes, dear, you have. You’ve been to market day in your village square. I will seek out the people I know well and introduce you. And if the duke keeps his word, he promised to make sure you meet the patronesses of Almack’s, which could be crucial to your making a match this Season. But if he doesn’t show, I know what to do. I’ll find his mother, the dowager duchess, and ask her to fill in for her son. I need to speak to her anyway and thank her for all the help she gave with the merchants. You two need to do the same.”
“We will,” Louisa said.
“Will all the parties be this big?” Gwen asked.
“Don’t be silly, dear girl,” Mrs. Colthrust said. “Can’t you remember anything I have told you these past weeks? Must I go over all the invitations and the names again?”
“Of course not,” Louisa said, speaking up for her sister. “I’m sure it’s not uncommon to be a little nervous and a tiny bit intimidated by seeing your first ballroom. I know I am.”
“I suppose I was, back in the day, too,” Mrs. Colthrust said. “However, Gwen, there will be many parties held in homes. Some will even be intimate dinner parties of less than fifty people. Those are the ones we want you to be invited to as the Season progresses. Gentlemen want to know that the young lady they choose for their bride is sought after by many. It makes the hunt for the right match more exciting. Don’t you think so, Louisa?”
“Yes,” Louisa agreed, though she wasn’t so sure. She had no knowledge of what Mrs. Colthrust was referring to. She took Gwen’s hand and said, “You are beautiful, and you will woo every gentleman you meet tonight.”
Gwen smiled, too. “I need only woo one.”
Mrs. Colthrust continued her explanation to Gwen, and Louisa listened as she looked at the people in the room below. She was awestruck by the many rich colors of fabrics and the elaborately styled gowns. Some of the ladies wore headpieces that were tall, feathered, and beaded while others, like Louisa and Gwen, wore simple ribbons, strands of pearls, or fresh-cut flowers woven throughout their hair. The gentlemen were handsome, too. All of them wore black coats with tails, but their waistcoats were in a variety of bold colors and adorned with either brass or silk-covered buttons.
Louisa realized she was looking at the faces of the gentlemen in the room, hoping to catch sight of the Duke of Drakestone. It was maddening how easily her thoughts turned to him. She hadn’t seen or heard from His Grace since the afternoon he showed up at her house unannounced and tricked her into touching him and kissing him. Her cheeks still heated whenever she thought about that day. She refused to fool herself and say she hadn’t enjoyed his touch and his kisses that afternoon—because she had. And though it pained her to admit it even to herself, she wanted to see him and talk to him again.
“Already, I see many handsome gentlemen,” Gwen said. “I do hope one of them will ask me to dance.”
“Ha! One of them?” Mrs. Colthrust said sharply. “You shall dance with them all. And you, too, of course, Louisa.”
“I will do my share of looking over the young men,” Louisa assured her chaperone. She had thought she’d be looking only for Gwen, but now she wanted to look for herself as well. She needed a kind and considerate gentleman to sweep her off her feet and banish all thoughts of the duke from her mind—and, of course, accept her sisters, too.
“Look, here comes Mr. Newman. His uncle is a baron and quite well thought of in Society. Mr. Newman will be the perfect gentleman to start the evening. Both of you stay calm and behave exactly the way I’ve instructed you, and all will be well.
“Mr. Newman, how are you this evening?” Mrs. Colthrust said in the soft, friendly voice she usually reserved for when she was talking about the Dowager Duchess of Drakestone.
“Quite well, Mrs. Colthrust, and you?”
“Absolutely heavenly. I’m always enchanted by the first ball of the Season. I don’t believe you’ve met my nieces,” she said.
“No,” he said, taking his time to smile at both Gwen and Louisa.
“They’ve only recently arrived in London. And they are, of course, Lord Wayebury’s nieces, too,” she said, and then made the proper introductions.
Mr. Newman bowed. “Ladies, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. And may I add that all of you are looking lovely tonight.”
Mrs. Colthrust laughed softly, flicked open her fan, and fluttered it as she said, “How kind of you to say.”
The conversation continued with Mr. Newman asking how they were enjoying the city. Louisa took a step back and let Gwen answer. She wanted to see how Gwen interacted with the young man. And she wanted to look the young man over, too. He was tall, slim, and had a very youthful-looking face. His brown hair was trimmed short. His eyes seemed a little ordinary and without much sparkle, but when he smiled, he was very pleasant to look at.
“Miss Prim,” Mr. Newman said, looking at Louisa, “am I correct in understanding that you are spoken for by His Grace, the Duke of Drakestone?”
Louisa opened her mouth to blurt out a strong no when it dawned on her that perhaps she should leave that bit of information a little vague for the time being. “At this time, there are still many things to be settled between the duke and me.”
“I see. Well, perhaps, Miss Prim and Miss Gwen, you’ll both save a dance for me later in the evening?”
