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“I . . . I really would rather not have a grand entrance at all, my lord.”

His smile softened. “Then you shall have whatever entrance you wish, but you may be sure that my sister and mother will prepare you in every possible way.” He took her hand. “There may be challenges ahead, but you shall meet them with grace and dignity. And you will not be alone.”

“So if I use the wrong fork at my first grand dinner at Bloxley Hall . . . ?”

“I will pick up the same utensil,” he said. “And if you forget your footwork at Lord Thornfield’s annual ball, we shall publicly blame my clumsy feet.”

Elizabeth laughed. “But what if you are not my dance partner?”

“I hope that I will be.” His grip on her hand tightened fractionally. “As a matter of fact, I hope that you will allow me to officially court you. And since I am significantly more impatient than Lord Bloxley, perhaps you would even consider letting me visit while you are under my sister’s tutelage at Finley Park.”

After the trauma of the last few days, Elizabeth would not have believed such happiness possible. Her heart swelled with love for this kind and noble man who had somehow seen something of value in her even when she was the innkeeper’s daughter.

“I should like that very much, my lord,” she said.

He smiled, and she saw a reflection of her own joy in his eyes. “Then perhaps we should seek out Lord Bloxley,” he said. “It appears we have a new plan to discuss with him.”

Chapter 28

One Month Later

Elizabeth stood at the window of her bedchamber at Finley Park and watched another carriage roll up the long driveway. The late summer evening was warm, without a cloud in the sky, and the excited chatter of the Duke and Duchess of Kelbrook’s arriving guests floated up to her from the portico below. There was less than an hour remaining before she would be required to join them, but for now, she stood quietly, grateful for these last few minutes alone.

Her time in Surrey had passed in an overwhelming whirl of lessons, practices, and memorization. Lady Langton and the duchess had been thrilled to learn of Elizabeth’s newly discovered heritage and had been even more pleased to have her return to join them at Finley Park. Just as Lord Langton had surmised, the duchess had thrown herself into preparing Elizabeth for entry into Society with boundless enthusiasm. She had dismissed Elizabeth’s innate feelings of inadequacy with a brush of her confident hand and had routinely ignored her failings while lavishly praising her every accomplishment—no matter how small.

Lady Langton, on the other hand, had been a calm, unruffled anchor whenever Elizabeth’s life had felt overwhelmingly stormy. When frustrations over her fumbling attempts at the game of whist or discouragement over the innumerable peers she must know by name became too great, she sought out the viscountess, and they would take a walk together. Most often, Lady Langton insisted that they stop at the kitchen to pick up a bag of breadcrumbs on their way to one of the many benches surrounding the vast lawn where they talked quietly while feeding the birds.

Although Lord Bloxley had visited her a couple of times and had deposited an indecent amount of money in a bank account for her, he had made good on his agreement to keep her identity a secret until now. It had been a wise move. He’d ridden up to Bloxley Hall three days ago to tell his mother the news in person and to invite her to a musical evening at Finley Park to meet her niece. Her response had been quick and sure. She’d placed an announcement in the London Times and had written to accept the invitation and to say that she would be hosting a ball in Miss Allerton’s honor in the fall.

Lady Bloxley’s letter had made Elizabeth all the more grateful for the duchess’s insistence upon dancing lessons. Her weekly instruction with a French dance tutor had been a test in endurance, but her practice times with Lord Langton afterward had more than made up for them. Holding his hand and seeing the humor in his eyes when she inadvertently stepped on his toes lightened her heart, but her favorite moments were when they were alone on the dance floor and he held her close.

To her delight, Lord Langton had been a frequent visitor. Over the last month, he’d divided his time between his house in London and Finley Park, but the duchess claimed he’d spent more time in Surrey since Elizabeth’s arrival than he had in the previous two years. When she’d pointed that out to her brother, the viscount had shrugged off his sister’s good-natured ribbing with a comment about her much-improved taste in houseguests and had asked Elizabeth to accompany him on a walk around the gardens.

Over the weeks, they’d wandered the meandering paths at Finley Park often. Lord Langton had told her stories from his youth, and sometimes they’d included experiences he’d shared with his father. Elizabeth had come to feel a special bond with the late Lord Langton. She wished she could have known him, but the more she heard about the nobleman, the more she realized that his son resembled him in far more ways than merely his appearance.

Lord Langton had her tell him about her growing-up years too. Some of the memories were painful, but as she focused on the good things, she developed a greater appreciation for Mary Doyle and for how hard she had worked to protect Elizabeth from her husband and the smugglers. And for the first time, Elizabeth recognized the many times Mary had stayed up late finishing her chores because she’d walked her daughter down to the parsonage for a reading lesson. She’d had a hard life at the inn, and Elizabeth could not help but believe that Mary would be happy that the child she’d raised as her own was far from that place now.

A knock sounded at the door, and the Duchess of Kelbrook entered. She smiled at Elizabeth. “You look lovely,” she said, walking toward her and taking her hands. “Truly lovely.”

“All credit must go to your fashion sense and talented maid,” Elizabeth said.

The duchess had shown no qualms over spending an exorbitant amount of the money Lord Bloxley had given Elizabeth on a new wardrobe. Elizabeth had never seen so many gowns, petticoats, shifts, stays, jackets, hats, and shoes, with their accompanying fripperies, in her life. Indeed, she’d been hard-pressed to know which one to wear this evening. She had eventually decided on a cream-colored gown with a patterned print of tiny pink roses. One of the duchess’s maids had dressed her hair in a mass of curls, and when Elizabeth had opted to forego the hair powder, she’d secured three pink rosebuds to her hair instead.

“I have nothing to do with your natural beauty, my dear,” the duchess said. “Every guest will be charmed.”

Elizabeth took an uneasy breath. “It is time, isn’t it?”

The duchess nodded. “And you are ready. Not only do you look the part of the Earl of Bloxley’s granddaughter, but you also behave like one. You’ve come so far in four short weeks. Even without those great accomplishments, however, your beautiful voice will win over everyone in attendance. Once our guests hear you sing, you’ll be requested at every musical event in and out of Town.”

Making her debut at a small gathering in Finley Hall had seemed like a good idea four weeks ago. Especially when compared to the extravagant production Lady Bloxley would have demanded. Now, singing before a room full of strangers sounded like the worst notion she’d ever conceived.

“Is Lady Bloxley here?” she asked.

Before she went downstairs, she was to meet her great-aunt privately.

“She and the earl arrived a short time ago. He will be here presently to take you to her room.”

“And Lord Langton?”