Page 34 of The Duke's Last Dance
“Mother, you have said that more often than I feel necessary,” Catherine said. “Please.”
“I am sorry, Catherine, but ‘tis true. He is a handsome man, and for a duke to be paying such attention to you is a compliment to you.” Her mother nodded slowly. “Is he all that he seems when he dances?”
“Yes, I believe so. I did not have a good view of how we looked dancing, Mother,” she reminded her mother. “I was dancing with him.”
She looked out to the floor and found him not on the floor. Instead, he was on the side, talking to a few other men.
“Oh, he was a beautiful dancer with you in his arms, Catherine,” her mother added. “I believe you would make a perfect couple. You look wonderful on his arm, and the financial and political advantages the marriage would give you are worth thinking about.”
“Mother, you know that has never worried me. I am the daughter of an earl; my dowry is large enough to attract most men,” Catherine stated. “The ones who approach me and do not mention the dowry is enough to get my attention.”
“Has he not asked about the dowry?” Her mother smiled. “If so, then you have found a man that cares not about how much money he has. He has enough to keep him and a wife happy for many years, I would believe, if he is not asking about it. Have others asked you about it this Season?”
“No, but I do believe ‘twill come up in conversation,” Catherine replied. “Eventually, everything does come up in conversation, Mother. Has it been that long since you courted Father?”
Her mother laughed.
“You make a good point, Catherine. You make a good point,” her mother said. “It has been many years since we courted, but we still talk about many things. Though, there are things that only come up when the time is right. Sometimes, there is never a good time to talk about something that must be talked about, and sometimes, there is never a good time to hide something.”
“I see…” Catherine did not understand why her mother was telling her this. “Why do you say this?”
“Marriage is a big step in your life, Catherine. I want you to be ready, even if things do not align this Season,” her mother replied, softly glancing towards the Duke. “There are reasons things happen, and if you are meant to be with the Duke of Hestina, then ‘twill all work out. If not, then someone else will attract your interest, and you may not have to worry about it.”
“You wish for me to avoid scandal,” Catherine stated. “Is scandal always a worry when it comes time to marry?”
“Only for the women. Men can avoid more scandal, but it’s harder for them to have scandals to begin with. I believe the only recent scandal I have heard of involves gambling and debt, but I would not know for certain,” her mother said. “You must be careful. Observe the men and how they interact. Who do they interact with? There may be certain people the Duke avoids, and it would behoove you to know why.”
“I do not believe he has avoided anyone here, but I was not paying close enough attention…” Catherine felt a soft blush on her cheeks. “I was too busy dancing.”
“You need not pay attention on the dance floor. That is something else,” her mother stated. “Though I can see you being happy and a wonderful couple with the Duke of Hestina, if you feel there is something wrong…”
“Nothing is wrong, Mother!” Catherine smiled. She knew that her mother was only trying to give her advice.
She could never imagine a man of such standing – either Nicolas or Lord Burton, or anyone else in their circle – having such a scandal. Gambling and such things did not apply to the higher classes; it was dirty and poor people who did it.
Or, at least, that was what her father had told her. She was not to associate with those people, and she wanted to believe that she had done a good job of avoiding the troubled crowds.
“Then why do you blush?”
“I blush because my mother is insinuating that I shall be engaged to the Duke of Hestina before the Season is over,” Catherine replied. “Is that not what you were trying to hint at?”
“’Twas not, but I could believe it,” her mother added. “He is such a gentleman. The thing to do would be to propose by the end of the Season; ‘tis unusually long this year. Long enough to permit a good engagement if he were to start courting you soon.”
“Mother!” Catherine scolded her, and she could not believe it.
Her voice did not carry above the music, thankfully, but it did earn her a glare from her mother.
“I am allowed to voice my opinions on how your love life is going. I approve, whole-heartedly, of the man, Catherine. If he were to ask you to court him, I would have no issues with it. I know your father would approve as well; Lord Burton approached him before we came and asked to fill the first two dances on your card.” Her mother smiled.
“I see… that would explain why he was so easily granted those dances.” Catherine nodded slowly. “I wonder who else filled my card. It was full when Father showed it to me earlier.”
“I would not know; your father wishes to keep it a surprise for both of us, Catherine,” her mother said, shaking her head.
“So… the Duke…”
“The Duke is a man that I would be happy to see you marry, Catherine,” her mother continued on that conversation. Catherine happily let her.
While she was not happy that her mother was so insistent that she give the Duke a chance, it did not deter her. She wanted to see how it went, and the butterflies he gave her continued despite everything else telling her that maybe she ought to slow down.
