Page 3 of His Darling Duchess
Lady Grantleigh raised her eyebrows, and then tilted her head to look past him up the stairs.
Fortunately, the fairy princess had disappeared from view. Stowe gave his aunt a meaningless smile.
“Just tired of standing still waiting for the action to begin,” he said, and she seemed to accept that, nodding and looking at the longcase clock on the opposite wall of the hall.
“Five more minutes and we’ll leave the servants to show the late arrivals in,” she advised. “I know Nathan is eager to claim Lady Aurelia for a dance.”
That was the fairy princess’s name, and Stowe looked down at his aunt, brows raised. “Grantleigh is acquainted with the lady?”
“Indeed; he and Viscount Colesworth have been bosom friends since Eton.”
With more guests to be introduced to, Stowe had to hold his questions in until they dissolved the receiving line and he offered his arm to his aunt to escort her up the stairs, noting that Grantleigh had already hurried up ahead of them.
“Does Grantleigh have an understanding with the Lady Aurelia?” Stowe asked.
“Not yet. She’s only just turned eighteen, and her parents want her to have a full Season before permitting her to become engaged.”
His aunt’s confident tone declared she thought the engagement a foregone conclusion, though, and Stowe thought she was likely correct, even if the daughter of an earl as powerful as Lymsey could probably look higher than a mere baronet if she wished. Grantleigh was well-off and his father had earned his baronetcy in the service of the realm. With ambitions to serve in the Foreign Office himself, Grantleigh was undoubtedly acceptable as a future son-in-law to Lymsey, who Stowe doubtedwas the sort to attempt to marry his daughters off for his own advantage.
The fairy princess would look well on Grantleigh’s arm, too, Stowe thought, her delicate golden beauty a perfect complement to his height and dark good looks.
He wasn’t really sure why the mere idea made him feel so melancholy. Of course, his aunt had declared her intention of introducing him to every eligible lady in London so that he could choose a bride as quickly as possible, but finding out his cousin was all but betrothed to the only one who had thus far intrigued him was something of a blow.
There had been any number of beautiful young ladies - and some not so young - passing through that receiving line, but something about Lady Aurelia had caught his eye. He’d spied her as she handed her cloak off to a footman, her simply cut white dress with a fine, gauzy silver overdress somehow more eye-catching than the flamboyant gowns other ladies had donned in their efforts to catch his eye. Tiny white fabric rosebuds were pinned into her upswept golden hair, a single white pearl dangling from a fine chain in the hollow of her throat.
She looked like the personification of elegance and purity, and the bright liveliness in her brown eyes as she looked about her held his gaze long after he should have turned his attention elsewhere.
He’d determined to ask her for a dance as she proceeded through the line, but close up he was almost struck dumb by just how very beautiful she was, by the depth in those lovely eyes as she looked up at him. He muttered some awkward platitude and she’d moved on well before he gathered his wits enough to ask her to dance.
Now, he couldn’t. Not without cutting in on his cousin’s territory, and Grantleigh already had to live in his shadow quite enough.
The musicians struck the first chord, and as though his thoughts had summoned them, Grantleigh and Lady Aurelia moved to the head of the line of dancers, both smiling, looking just as perfect for each other as he’d thought they would.
“There’s Lady Sarah Mulholland,” Lady Grantleigh nudged him, and Stowe wrenched his gaze from the couple with an effort.
“I beg your pardon, Aunt, but I’ve forgotten which young lady she was.” He kept his voice low, not wanting anyone else to overhear. His aunt laughed gently and rapped her fan on his sleeve.
“The Marquess of Holmsbrook’s youngest. In her second season, but her older sisters both married very well and her father wouldn’t countenance any of the potential suitors in line for her last year. You, though? You’d have a chance. Come along and ask her for a dance.”
He had no intention of doing his aunt’s bidding all night, but she had put a great deal of effort into both organising this celebration for him, saying it was the very least she could do. Without a townhouse of their own, the Grantleighs had been living in this one for several years whenever they were in Town, since his father despised London and rarely left Stowe Park. Without Lady Grantleigh’s efforts, the townhouse would probably be in no fit state to host even the smallest of dinner parties, and while her determination to introduce him to polite society and find him a bride might make him feel a little queasy, he would not repay her efforts with churlishness.
So, he pasted on a smile and bowed to Lady Sarah, requesting the honour of her hand for the second dance even as everything in him yearned towards the fairy princess dancing in his cousin’s arms.
Chapter Two
Relieved Grantleigh had arrivedin the ballroom in time to claim her first dance, saving her from having to stand up with Louis, Aurelia accepted her beau’s arm to accompany him into the line.
“Thank God that’s over,” Grantleigh said with a theatrical sigh.
“Didn’t you enjoy receiving everyone?” Aurelia asked, puzzled. She always enjoyed meeting new people, and had thought Grantleigh rather shared her sentiments.
“I would always rather spend time with you,” he said gallantly, and then had to move to the opposite side of the line, necessitating an end to their conversation for the time being.
It was very flattering, Aurelia supposed, that he felt that way. Still, knowing Grantleigh hoped for a career in the Foreign Office, she thought he had best learn to like meeting people more than he seemed to at present. Undoubtedly there were any number of influential people here tonight whose acquaintance he should be cultivating.
“I have not seen you in some weeks; how do your parents fare?” Grantleigh asked as they paced out the first measure, pressing gloved hands together lightly.
“Very well, I thank you.” She waited for him to compliment her, perhaps say something about her dress. The gown’s simplicity was deceptive; she had spent hours standing utterly still, being poked and prodded and stuck with pins while it was made to fit her to perfection.
