Once a Duchess(28)

 

“I certainly hope so, for your sake,” Emily stated. “The row Her Grace had with Lady Castlereagh was enough to get a lesser lady blackballed altogether.”

 

Caro’s tiff with the redoubtable grande dame had put the slightest damper on Naomi’s Season. Lady Jersey granted Naomi her voucher to Almack’s Assembly Rooms, but not even that formidable Patroness could persuade Lady Castlereagh to allow Naomi the waltz.

 

“His Grace and Lady Lucy are a fine looking couple,” Emily observed, her attention turned to the dancers. “I suppose there will be an announcement quite soon.”

 

Noami’s hands froze in midair and she wrinkled her nose. “An announcement?” She lowered her voice, careful to make sure no flapping ears overheard. “Surely you don’t mean an engagement?”

 

Emily giggled. “What a funny thing you are! Of course I mean an engagement. What other sort of announcement could there be?”

 

Frowning, Naomi looked back at her eldest sibling and the elegant woman in his arms. “I wasn’t trying to be funny. What makes you think they’ll marry?” she inquired of her friend.

 

“Well,” Emily said in a low, gossipy whisper. “Everyone knows they have an understanding.”

 

“I don’t know that,” Naomi said. “No one has mentioned any such thing to me.”

 

“Of course not; you’re His Grace’s sister.” Emily shook her head and looked at Naomi as though she was the veriest goose. “Last year,” the other young lady continued, “the duke only danced with hostesses and dowagers — never with eligible young ladies. But this year, he’s danced with Lady Lucy at least once at every ball — sometimes twice, which must mean there’s an understanding.”

 

On the dance floor, Lucy said something to Marshall. Behind her cold smile, there was a hard glint in her eyes that Naomi could not care for. An uneasiness crept up her spine.

 

“Just because they’ve danced — ” she began.

 

“The wedding will certainly be an elegant affair — the event of the year!” Emily looked toward the blazing chandelier and sighed dreamily. “You’ll make sure I have an invitation, I hope?”

 

All this talk of weddings made Naomi decidedly uncomfortable. “Marshall already married,” she said flatly. Heat flushed her cheeks, as happened whenever she sidled up against the shameful topic of the divorce.

 

“But he has to marry again,” Emily countered. “There must be an heir.”

 

That had not occurred to Naomi; it was unexpectedly upsetting. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. “The waltz is a wretched dance,” she declared bitterly. “Spinning round and round in circles must be the stupidest, most tedious thing in the world, and would certainly make me dizzy.”

 

At the final chords, the dancers all fell into bows and curtsies — Marshall and Lucy included. They came off the dance floor, headed right toward them.

 

“I believe I am sick, just from watching all that foolish spinning,” she told Emily. Before her brother and his lovely companion reached her, Naomi whirled and ran to the withdrawing room as fast as her slippered feet could carry her.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Six

 

 

Isabelle couldn’t contain her giddiness as she contemplated the pleasure of shopping for leisure. A mere two months ago, she would have waved away such frivolity as nonsense. Indeed, at that time, any purchase made out of anything other than dire necessity had been quite out of the question. Now, however, she could think of nothing she would rather do than walk down Bond Street with Lily, with no aim to her morning beyond procuring a new pair of kid gloves.

 

The sun burned off the morning’s clouds, bringing in a lovely afternoon. A light breeze found its way through the London streets to tug at the tendrils of hair peeking out of Isabelle’s fetching new bonnet, straw with silk flowers in a bunch at the brim, matching the lilac spencer she wore over her white muslin dress.

 

A gentleman Isabelle didn’t recognize doffed his hat and bade them a good afternoon. She noticed the color in Lily’s cheeks as the man continued down the street.

 

“Who is that?” Isabelle murmured.

 

“Mr. Reeves,” Lily answered, a small smile spreading over her full lips.

 

They stepped into the shop while Lily’s footman waited outside. Display tables were spaced at close intervals around the narrow space. Some showcased tempting kid slippers, but Isabelle headed right for her desired target.

 

She lifted a pair of oyster gloves from among a grouping of white and near-white ones. “What do you think of this pair?”