Marrying the man wouldn't be the end of the world, but she had let Lord Locken's words go to her head. What if one of these younger men fell in love with her, and she him? What if . . . her happy ending was about to begin?
Juliet turned away from the window and surveyed her appearance in the mirror. They hadn't funds for new dresses, but she'd had some of her mother's things made over. Today, she wore a pale peach dress befitting the season, and its remade bodice was lower cut than she usually wore, but it followed the height of fashion. Although she was unused to seeing herself presented in such a way, she must act as if she were comfortable in such an outfit when she was surrounded by the others.
By the time the fifth carriage had arrived, Juliet left her bedchamber to join everyone downstairs. The drawing room contained several ladies and a few gentlemen. John was in the front hall, and as soon as he saw her, his smile bloomed as he strode to greet her. "Dear sister, I'd like you to meet my friends from London."
Her brother's wide smile was only a show, this Juliet knew. She returned an equally delighted smile, then turned toward the guests to be introduced to each one.
Lord Locken wasn't among them, and although she didn't know any of the men, their attention was a heady feeling.
"I'd like you to meet Mr. Laurence Talbot," her brother said.
Mr. Talbot's dark green eyes seemed friendly, and his smile quick. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last."
"He owns a whole fleet of ships," her brother continued, clapping the man on the back.
Mr. Talbot chuckled. "Perhaps not a whole fleet, but I own my fair share."
"Oh, do you sail on them?" Juliet couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to marry a man who was a seaman. Would he take her along on adventures?
"Not much anymore," Mr. Talbot said. "You see, my mother has been ailing since my father's death."
"I am sorry." Juliet appraised the man, who obviously cared for his mother. He might not be as handsome as Lord Locken-but who was? A man's dedication to his aging parent was a characteristic to hold in high esteem. "Where is your favorite place to travel?"
"Before you regale her with too many tales," her brother cut in, "I must introduce her to the others."
Mr. Talbot bowed and moved off.
Another gentleman quickly replaced Mr. Talbot, then another, and another, until Juliet's head spun with all the introductions. The women were friendly as well, and Juliet hoped she'd fool them all by acting as if a houseful of guests was a regular occurrence.
"I've heard much about you, Lady Juliet," another man was speaking to her, and she tried to focus.
Her brother introduced him as Lord Owen Brooks. His pale blond hair was tied in an orange ribbon, matching his rather flamboyant jacket. His smile was welcoming as he gazed at her, and she decided she liked him, although he seemed to be young-perhaps only a few years older than herself.
"Lord Brooks has recently returned from a tour of the continent," her brother continued, as if the men were best of friends.
Juliet couldn't help but wonder what type of interactions and business dealings her brother had had with some of these gentlemen.
"You are enchanting, my lady," Lord Brooks said, grasping her hand and bringing it to his lips.
Rather forward, she thought, but what did she know? She'd have to see if he flirted in such a way with all the women.
More guests arrived, and it seemed the entire house was brimming with people even though only seventeen had been invited. Lord Stratford made eighteen, and with her and her brother, there were twenty in total.
Juliet had much to learn about socializing, and she decided that upon this first day, she'd listen more than she'd contribute. So she moved among the women, welcoming them, asking them where they were from, then letting them carry on the rest of the conversation. The longer she spent among the women, the more comfortable she felt in her low-cut bodice, especially since hers was modest in comparison.
"Southill Estate is so quaint," one of the women cooed. She'd introduced herself as Lady Diana Allen. Her hair was a deep red, and the jewelry at her neck and ears looked to cost more than the entire estate.
"I'm afraid I haven't traveled all that much," Juliet said with a smile. "But I've heard tales of the grand estates."
"Oh, goodness, I could tell you a few stories," Diana continued, and the others around them tittered. "Locken is magnificent."
The woman referred to Lord Locken's home.
"And to think that you will be duchess there one day," another woman said, this one a dark brunette named Lady Penelope Burke.
Diana's cheeks pinked. "Oh, hush, Penelope. He has not yet proposed."
Her friend giggled. "That will change very soon."
Juliet looked from Penelope to Diana. Did they mean . . .?
"All right, we'll let you in on our secret," Diana said, leaning forward and speaking just above a whisper. "When Lord Locken insisted that I come to this house party, I told him I didn't want to impose."
Penelope leaned closer as well. "And that's when he told her it would be a very important occasion, but her presence was needed to make it so."
Diana clasped her hands together, a pleased smile on her face. "I had to agree after that."
Penelope stifled another giggle. "Everyone knows that he's about to propose. It's all the gossip in London."
Diana smiled. "Our fathers are cousins, and since we've been children, it's been alluded to."
"That might be true," Penelope said. "But you are also in love with him."
Diana's cheeks went even pinker, and Penelope turned her smile upon Juliet. "It's the sweetest story, really-oh. There he is now."
Juliet didn't need to turn to know that Lord Locken had entered the room. She heard her brother greet him and Lord Locken's answering reply in that low voice of his. She kept her back to the entrance of the drawing room, feeling that she wasn't ready to face him quite so soon after learning he'd invited his fiancée-to-be to the house party.
Juliet wasn't quite sure why the thought made her feel peevish. She wished Diana and Penelope would continue talking about . . . about anything else, but neither of them said a word as they kept their gazes on the man across the room.
"He's coming over here," Penelope said, nudging Diana.
Diana merely smiled and lifted her chin in acknowledgment.
Moments later, Lord Locken stepped up to Juliet's side. She couldn't avoid looking at him now, and when she did, he greeted her with an appraising smile and those dark brown eyes of his not missing a thing. Suddenly, Juliet wondered if she'd tucked away his note far enough into her bodice, because his gaze had dipped low, if only for an instant.
"I hope you are well, Lady Juliet," Lord Locken said, bowing over her hand. He didn't kiss it like he had the last time she'd seen him, but she could hardly hold him to such a familiar greeting. Especially in front of his future wife.
He turned to the other women. "Lady Diana, Lady Penelope, I trust your journey to Southill Estate was pleasant."
"Very pleasant," Diana said, her eyes bright, her cheeks once again pink. "You were correct. The countryside is beautiful this time of year, and this area is charming."
Juliet couldn't blame Diana for blushing around Lord Locken. Juliet was on the verge herself, so it was with a bit of relief when her brother chose that moment to clap his hands together and announce luncheon would be served on the garden terrace.
Diana immediately slipped her hand into the crook of Lord Locken's arm, and it seemed by the time Juliet realized everyone was pairing off, only John was left.
"Sister," he said, extending his arm. "Shall we lead our guests?"
She swallowed and nodded. Then she and John walked through the grand hallway and out onto the garden terrace. Chairs in groups of four were situated around small tables set with linen, china, and silverware. The luncheon had been laid out on a long table, buffet style, and the ladies helped themselves first.
Juliet filled her plate, although she knew she could eat very little of it. Being around Lord Locken again had made her feel fluttery inside. As luck would have it, Juliet ended up at the same table as Diana and Lord Locken, along with the friend Lord Locken had traveled with, Lord Hudson.
Juliet smiled at Lord Hudson as introductions were made. He told her of his estate a day's travel from Southill and of his love for both reading and hunting. She listened attentively, as a dutiful hostess, but in truth, it was hard to fully concentrate on Lord Hudson when Lord Locken was sitting at the same small table. She must get used to his presence. He'd be here for two weeks, after all.
Victor turned his head as Southill tapped his glass to capture everyone's attention.
"A game of lawn bowling has been set up on the north lawn," Southill said, "and for those who would rather walk through the gardens, you are welcome to the more sedate activity. As for me, I'll be on the lawn."