Page 7 of The Duke's Vice

Her maid chewed her bottom lip before responding. “You have tried your plan, why don’t you give your mother’s plan a try? I’m sure there are plenty of young men out there that want a wife that is more than a household figure. Perhaps there is someone out there that is looking to travel with his bride?”

Beatrice took in a breath and released it. They have had this conversation many times over the past few months.

“All I’m saying is to consider it.” Candace pleaded.

Candace gave Beatrice one more look over before she turned towards the door.

Beatrice’s eyes landed on her overcoat from the night before. “Can you tell my mother I’ll be right down? I need a moment to collect myself.”

Candace hesitated before dipping her head and making her way downstairs.

Beatrice picked up the coat and fished through the sleeves. Nothing but the satin lining. She checked the outer pockets and the inside one. Nothing.

Her heart began to beat and the world slowed down.

My list is gone.

“No. No. No. No. No. This cannot be happening.”

She dropped to her knees on the floor to look underneath her bed and chairs. She crawled over to the closet and rummaged through the bottom of it to see if it had fallen out of the cuffs when she threw it in there this morning.

A sinking feeling in her stomach told her she had lost it, most likely when she was kissing the masked man.

As long as I didn’t lose it anywhere Mama can find it.

Looking at the door, then back to her desk she decided breakfast could wait. She felt naked without her list of things she needed to do before she either wed, or died. To her, the two felt interchangeable.

1. Kiss a stranger

2. Recreate the “opera scene”

3. See the Wild Side of London

Beatrice’s pen hovered before writing the fourth item.

4. Be intimate.

5. Gamble/drink

6. Fall in love

She was supposed to check off number three last night, possibly number five, but in a surprising twist, thanks to a midnight stranger, she crossed off the first item with a smirk on her face.

“One down, five to go.” Beatrice studied her list. She brought her pen down on number six and crossed it off. “No need to fall in love.”

“Ah, there you are. I was about to send a search party for you.” Charlotte’s voice rang out across the breakfast room.

Her mother was dressed up in her finest, already ready for the afternoon’s ball. Beatrice took a deep breath to steady herself and walked into her mother’s embrace.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting, Mama, I couldn’t fall asleep last night.”

Charlotte jumped back with a gasp, inspecting her daughter’s face. “Are you well? Oh, I knew I shouldn’t have let you and Sarah go for a walk yesterday afternoon with the chill in the air. Today is ruined!”

Beatrice bit her lip to stop from sighing. Her mother was notorious for her dramatics. Normally she found humor in her mother’s hysterics, but she was in no mood for it with the afternoon’s ball looming over her.

“Mama, I’m not ill, I just couldn’t sleep.” She said with a shrug.

Charlotte cast a judging look over her daughter once more. “You don’t look ill. Ah! You must be nervous. After all, in Sarah’s letter she said people are starting to tire of Cecilia and you are the one that the marriage mart is leaning towards.” She said with a clap of her hands.

---