Page 4 of The Mysterious Miss Lydia
His brows drew down and he gave in to temptation, reaching out for the newspaper—but his father snatched it up first.
“This rioting business is none of your concern anymore, Luke,” he snapped. “We’ve been over this.”
Luke’s jaw hardened. It was one thing to demand that Luke step in to fill the role his brother left vacant, but his father was bullheadedly unwilling to see that Luke’s career prior to his brother’s passing hadn’t been some simplistic, meaningless hobby. And he couldn’t just walk away from his old life as if it had never happened.
But Luke’s mother was already intervening before he could argue.
“Now, now, dear,” she said to her husband. “Luke’s doing his part to learn about the estates.” When it seemed her husband might interject, she hurried to add, “And he just agreed that he’d find himself a wife this season, didn’t he?”
Startled, Luke turned to see his mother beaming at him with a pride. “Yes, a wife and home is precisely what you need to acclimate to this new life.”
Luke’s lips parted but no sound came out. Wasthatwhat he’d just agreed to?
“And a good thing you’ve finally come around, too,” she continued. Her gaze took in the crow’s feet he could no longer ignore and the hint of gray at his temples. “After all, you’re not a young man any longer.”
He shifted with a frown. “I’m not an old man, either,” he muttered.
But his comment went unnoticed as his mother launched into all the ladies who’d make a fine viscountess and, eventually, countess.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. This change was all happening too quickly. He’d never been outright opposed to marriage, but a happy home life had never coincided well with his job. And no one had cared that he’d preferred to remain free and untethered so long as he was still just the spare.
He let out a harsh exhale. There were many, many perks to being the spare, a fact he’d taken for granted.
“A good wife will be an asset to you, dear,” his mother said. And she was so earnest, he couldn’t bring himself to protest.
“Of course,” he murmured.
“So, you’ll do it then?” She beamed and his father was regarding him with a noticeable lack of disdain.
2
Lydia’s friend Mary stopped walking in the park to clap her hands together in delight. “It will be such an adventure, Lydia. Just imagine it!”
Lydia merely smiled. She was no stranger to adventure...in books.
In fact, one such book was currently tucked under her arm, just waiting until she could steal a moment alone to dive back into the intriguing story of Elsbeth and Demetrius and their dashing escape from swashbuckling pirates.
In real life, however, she had no inclination toward adventure or intrigue or...anything that had to do with interacting with others, really.
And a masquerade was certain to involve socializing, and a lot of it.
The very thought made her heart stutter and her blood run cold.
“It does sound like fun,” their friend Eloise said when Lydia stayed silent.
As both Eloise and Mary had married recently, they no longer lived at the school, and Lydia was grateful for their visit this morning, which had led to this outing to the park.
Miss Farthington, the headmistress of their finishing school, was walking behind them, two maids following a short distance behind her.
Lydia smiled contentedly as Mary and Eloise continued to chatter on about the masquerade Lydia’s parents were hosting, discussing the gowns they’d wear and who would be there.
How her mother would have loved to have a daughter like Mary or Eloise. One who actually enjoyed balls and soirees.
And masquerades.
She hadn’t realized she’d wrinkled her nose until Mary laughed and threw an arm around her shoulders. “Lydia, dear, you don’t have to look quite so horrified. It’s just a party.”
Eloise gave Lydia a hopeful smile. “And you can wear a mask. That ought to help you overcome your shyness, don’t you think?”
