Page 4 of The Duke's Indecent Match
Her friend.
It still felt like a dream come true.
Delilah Voight, dowager-baroness, was another new friend.A little older, more experienced in theton, and somewhat scandalous, but a friend.Kalina’s mother had been hesitant about her at first, but the lack of welcome after her father’s family had refused to acknowledge him meant they were grateful for anyone who did not give them the cut.They could not afford to be picky in their friends.
Kalina was very glad because she enjoyed Delilah’s acerbic commentary and insights into the Society she’d been thrust into.
As a child, she’d listened to her father’s tales about England.As a young lady, she now knew how much he’d romanticized his home country.He had been correct about some things, though.
Theton’slack of acceptance was as much to do with her grandfather’s rejection of them as anything else.Though there were some who muttered unflattering commentary about her mother being Indian, others were fascinated by the ‘exotic’ but veered away rather than displease a marquess.Kalina was grateful to those like Lady Astrid who had decided to champion their cause, though she was uncertainwhythey had done so.
She kept waiting for some terrible motivation to be revealed, but as yet, there was none she could see.Lady Astrid had no need of Kalina or her family for anything.She had her own wealth, her own status, and she was betrothed to a duke.Sometimes, Kalina wondered if she was Lady Astrid’s good deed for the year.
If she was, she had no choice but to accept the charity or wallow in social exile.A state to which she did not intend to ever return.
That she sincerely liked Lady Astrid and enjoyed her company, as well as the others who had reached out a hand of friendship, made it a far easier pill to swallow.
Kalina had just finished changing from her wrinkled traveling dress to a dark pink twill day gown with the assistance of her maid, Margaret, when there was a knock at her door.
“I have it, miss,” Margaret said immediately, bustling to the door.Margaret had been with Kalina since India, and she’d been happy to return to England with the family.She was a few years older than Kalina and very protective, especially when it came to men.It was a man who had convinced Margaret to travel to India with him, only to abandon her not long after they’d arrived.Before him, she’d been a seamstress, which was how Kalina’s mother had found her.She still liked to sew but had decided that being Kalina’s lady’s maid suited her best.
Cracking the door open at first, Margaret immediately nodded and stepped back.
“Her Grace, the Duchess of Clarence,” she announced grandly, beaming proudly as if Kalina had done something particularly impressive by bringing a duchess to her bedroom door.
“Kalina,” Tiffany, Duchess of Clarence, said as she stepped into the room, past Margaret, who curtsied deeply as the duchess went past.Kalina bobbed a quick curtsy as well, despite Tiffany’s small shake of her head and deep sigh, before she embraced the other woman.
“Tiffany,” Kalina said, smiling.Behind Tiffany, Margaret was beaming like a proud mother hen again at hearing her charge use a duchess’ given name.She had told Margaret that the others had accepted her to such a degree, but she supposed it was different to witness it firsthand.
She and Tiffany exchanged cheek kisses in greeting.
Truthfully, Tiffany had been her first friend before Lady Astrid.Which might be why she had an easier time thinking of a duchess by her given name than she did a marquess’ daughter.That and Lady Astrid was even more formidable than most duchesses.It was incredibly difficult not to think of her asLadyAstrid.
Tiffany was the Duke of Bolton’s sister as well as being the Duchess of Clarence, but somehow she did not have quite the same presence as Lady Astrid.She had a quiet beauty, with a heart-shaped face and high cheekbones that were the classic cream and pinks Kalina had learned the English favored.Her hair hovered between blonde and brunette, depending on the light she was standing in, and her hazel eyes were full of kindness and warmth.Today, she was wearing a cornflower-blue gown trimmed with delicate lace.
She was a gentle soul, and the friend Kalina felt the most kinship with, despite having the greatest difference in social standing.
“Astrid told me you’d arrived, and I had to come see you immediately,” Tiffany said, her eyes sparkling.“Did you enjoy the trip?”
“Other than the length of time shut in the carriage, yes,” Kalina said with a laugh, gesturing to Tiffany to come sit down on the window seat that looked out at the front drive.Now she could understand why the gentlemen had been watching from the floor above her.The view was quite lovely, as well as providing a glimpse of those arriving for the house party.“After the trip from India, I did not think it would be so bad, but on the ship, we could still walk about rather than being forced to sit for hours upon hours.”
Margaret nodded her agreement from where she was busily unpacking Kalina’s things, not bothering to pretend she was not listening to the conversation.Kalina smiled.
“How odd to think that a journey from a country half a world away could be more comfortable than from the city to a country home,” Tiffany replied, leaning forward with interest.“Were you able to walk about the entire ship?”
As Kalina described the voyage from India, she could not help but think how very strange but nice it was to sit in a window seat, speaking with a friend.England truly was everything she’d dreamed.
If she could marry a duke and give her father the position he needed to force his family to recognize him, her dreams would be complete.
There was one duke in particular… but she must be pragmatic about the situation.Just like the English.Her parents had married for love of each other, but she would marry for love of them.Both had been estranged from their families, and it pained them greatly.She could not fix her mother’s relationship, but she could do this for her father.
Any duke would do.
Nathanial
Walking into the drawing room, Nathanial was struck by the lack of eyes that veered toward him.As an unmarried duke known to be in need of a good fortune, he was in need of a wife, and the entiretonknew it.Not every lord was willing to hold their nose and marry their daughter to a fortune hunter, duke or not, but there was a long line of those who were.
He’d ended up feeling the hunted at every ball and soiree he’d attended thus far this Season.
