Page 20 of A Tenuous Betrothal
A man and woman stood, Prince Marc at their side. The table was beautifully appointed, and the room boasted a sideboard full of foods to savor. If it weren’t for her mortification over her blunder, everything about the situation would have been delightful, including the woman, who had intelligent eyes and an open smile but appeared not to be won over easily. Nor was Prince Marc, by the look of his pinched face, but Rhi chose not to care about his comfort. Fumbling for a moment with her hands, she curtsied hastily to the room and waited for introductions.
When she rose, Prince Marc dipped his head. “I hope you slept well.” He turned to the couple still standing next to him. “Your Graces, might I present a dear friend of our family, Miss Rhianna Davies? This is the Duke and Duchess of Sumter.”
Rhi dipped low in another curtsy. The prince had told her she would be visiting a ducal estate, but not until this moment did she realize what that meant. She was outranked in every way. And she’d just shown her lack of nobility by her behavior. Curse her temper. Curse her stubborn pride. But curse Prince Marc, too, because there was no need for anyone to be desperate where she was concerned, or talk about it either, particularly not him. She could simply refuse to marry him, and he would be free and clear.
“I’m happy to meet you.” The duchess held out a hand, gesturing Rhi closer. “Any friend of Prince Marc’s is a friend of ours. Come, fill your plate and join me. We must become fast friends. And I must hear all the details of this most intriguing rescue.” Her tone was warm and her eyes were sparkling, so much so that Rhi felt instantly more at ease.
“Oh, thank you. I don’t know how much of the story has been shared...” She joined the duchess and began filling her plate.
“Oh, never enough. We shall have to get your version of things, at any rate.”
And that clinched things. Rhi decided to like the duchess very much. “I must thank you for allowing us to intrude. I do feel quite more myself this morning.”
Prince Marc’s gaze was on her, but she did not look in his direction as she followed the duchess and sat next to her.
“We are so pleased to have guests. It is quite fortunate for all of us, as we will soon disclose. I am in need of a dear friend to pass the Season with, and some diversion as well, while the duke feels an urgent need to voice his opinions in the House of Lords.”
When the men joined them, the group let her take a few bites, but she felt their gazes and knew they wished for news. As she looked from one kind face to the other, even though she wasn’t certain how much the prince had told them, she decided to be open with her story and then seek their advice.
“We recently discovered that an arrangement was made between our fathers. The King of Oldenburg promised one of his sons in marriage to me in the event I was unmarried at my father’s death.”
“Father sent me to Wales the moment he heard, with a copy of the addendum to Mr. Davies’s will in a sealed letter explaining things,” Prince Marc said.
“Things?” The duke spoke up for the first time.
Rhi lifted her hand in Prince Marc’s direction. “That Prince Marc was to return to Oldenburg with me and we would marry.” She took another bite, considering how many details they would want to know. The duke and duchess sat in rapt attention.
“Before we left Wales, we were to set some things in order, and Father wisely sent me with a whole slew of palace servants,” Prince Marc added.
“What! I can imagine the coup. And so here you are.” The duchess’s grin was too wide. Something about the situation was far too enjoyable for her, and Rhi suspected it had everything to do with Prince Marc.
“Here we are indeed, and as I abruptly announced upon entry into the room, I see no need for any desperate pleas for help.” Her gaze flitted over to Prince Marc and then to her hosts as she toyed with her food. “Prince Marc and I have come up with a plan.”
“And this is where everything gets even more interesting.” Her Grace crossed her arms and turned to Prince Marc. “You plan to defy your father?”
“No, not defy him.” The prince sat forward. “But if Miss Davies were to find a man of her own choosing, all parties would be pleased.”
The duchess looked from Rhi to the prince and back twice before she simply placed her napkin on the table at her front. Then she turned to Rhi. “So you wish to participate in the Season, with the idea that you might find a husband that would be preferable to Prince Marc?”
Rhi opened her mouth and then closed it again. “Well, I... I hadn’t planned to compare...”
When the duchess began to laugh, Rhi narrowed her eyes. She knew the woman meant well, but nothing about the situation felt amusing to Rhi. And from the discomfort on Prince Marc’s face, nothing was amusing for him either.
The duke waved a hand at the both of them. “Oh, don’t mind my Sophie. She sees the right of it, even if the two of you cannot.”
“But we shall do all in our power to assist you both.” Her Grace raised her glass. “I don’t mean to sound unsympathetic. I am happy every day I was able to choose whom to marry.”
“And I as well.” The duke nodded.
“So let us schedule the modiste straightaway. I have gowns you can borrow until yours are finished. We’ll sift through our invitations and choose our first event for this evening.”
“Already?” Rhi ran her hands down the front of her skirts.
“Yes. There is no time to spare. I would assume that a few matches have already been made this Season.”
“Goodness.”
“Yes, this is a fast-paced system we have here in London. For those looking, things can be decided upon within a few weeks’ time.”
