Danette traced the edge of the missive in her hand. The Marquess of Dodsworth was to be her husband. Well, he would be if he made it to the altar and said yes when the vicar performed the ceremony. It was hard to tell what he’d do when the time came. She tried to recall what she’d heard about the Marquess of Dodsworth, but her mind drew a blank.
Honestly, she didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. For one, it could mean he had a good reputation. But then, it could mean he was so horrible no one dared speak his name in public. She shook her head. No, that was silly. The Ton would definitely be vocal about a scoundrel. The gossip would be too hard to resist.
Danette glanced up from the missive to her mother, who came into the small drawing room. “Mother,” she began, standing up from the settee, “do you know of a gentleman whose title is the Marquess of Dodsworth?”
Her mother gasped. “The duchess matched you with a titled gentleman?”
“I’ve been engaged to titled gentlemen in the past, and none of those did any good.”
Her mother’s enthusiasm dimmed. “That’s true. I’d forgotten.”
“How could you forget I was rejected twice after securing proposals?”
“Oh, I didn’t forget that part. I just forgot they had titles. I don’t even remember who they were.”
“I do. Lord Garrett and Lord Simpleton.”
“That’s right.” Her mother chuckled and then shrugged. “I suppose they weren’t all that memorable if I forgot their titles. All I remember is one had a large nose. Every time I saw him, I couldn’t stop staring at it. In some ways, it was hypnotizing. When he laughed, I swear those nose hairs swayed.”
Out of respect to Lord Garrett, Danette forced back the urge to laugh. He was a titled gentleman with a good reputation after all.
“Did you just get the missive from the duchess?” her mother asked once she stopped laughing.
“Yes. It came while you were resting. I was reading.” Though it wasn’t necessary, Danette motioned to the settee where a copy of the biography of the Roman Caesars was resting.
“It’ll be good for you to marry so you can do more than read.”
“I don’t read all the time. I go to balls.” Not that she ever danced. After being jilted the second time, she didn’t see the point. Dancing wasn’t all that fun when the gentlemen had no romantic interest in her. “I also visit with Regan, and you know she’s anything but boring.”
“Yes, I know. She’s a sly one, always trying to create mischief.” Her mother’s eyes twinkled. “She brought you out of your shell. When you were a child, you didn’t dare speak to anyone until she came along.”
Danette smiled. “Well, she likes to involve me in her schemes. You know it’s because of her I even went to see the duchess about getting a husband.”
“And I applaud her for that,” her mother said. “It’s about time you gave love another chance.”
“This isn’t a love match, Mother. None of them were going to be love matches.”
“I knew you were settling for Lord Garrett and Lord Simpleton. Maybe they knew it and decided not to marry you because of it.”
Danette hadn’t considered that before, but then, did it really matter when titled gentlemen were far more concerned with getting an heir than a wife who’d love them? “At least with the Marquess of Dodsworth, it’s understood the marriage is one of convenience.”
“Is it?”
“Why else would a gentleman go to the duchess?”
Her mother shrugged. “I suppose it makes sense. The quickest and easiest way to secure a marriage is to have one arranged for you. It could very well be he doesn’t want to deal with the hassle the Season brings. But I rather fancy the idea he’s looking for a love match. The duchess would best know the lady who’d lead him down that path, what with her pairing up couples based on mutual interests and all. I think when a gentleman and lady share a lot of things in common, they can’t help but fall in love.”
“I didn’t realize you were such a romantic.”
“I can’t help it,” her mother replied and sat on the settee. She picked up the book and thumbed through it. “I loved your father. He was a good gentleman. Because of him, I have you, and every time I look at you, I think of the love we shared because it was that love that created you.”
Danette grimaced. She would rather not think of her parents together in that way. It seemed sacrilegious somehow.
“I want you to have what your father and I had,” her mother said. “There’s no sense in settling for second best when you can have the best. I think this has promise. The duchess selected this gentleman for you. It’s fate.”
“If it is, you can thank Regan for it.”
“I will. Perhaps you should name your child Regan if you have a girl as a way to thank her.”
Danette sighed. Her mother was ever the optimist, believing this engagement would be different from the others. “Let’s wait and see how things go before we start naming children that might be born.”
“I wish you wouldn’t be so glum. You were always a sad child.”
“I wasn’t sad.”
“You’d look at the bad in everything. It could be a nice sunny day, and you’d worry your hat would blow off your head and the sun would make you burn. If it was cloudy, you worried it would rain. For once, I’d like you to see the good in things.”
“That’s not fair. I do see the good in things. It’s just that I can see the bad, too. There’s nothing in this world that is all good or all bad.”
“Maybe I should clarify.” Her mother took a moment to think over her words before saying, “For once, I’d like you to anticipate the best. Pretend things will actually work out.”
“And be disappointed when they don’t?”
The words flew out of Danette’s mouth before she had time to think, and by the exasperated expression on her mother’s face, she could tell it wasn’t what her mother wanted to hear. But what else was she supposed to say? Did her mother really want her to lie?
Her mother finally shot her a pleading look. “At least give the marquess a chance. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”
“I don’t willingly push any of the gentlemen away.” Danette wasn’t sure what she did—or didn’t do—to make them end engagements with her, but there had to be something wrong with her. She’d be surprised if the marquess would actually marry her. But, to set her mother’s mind at ease because she could tell her mother worried she might do something to intentionally push him away, she said, “I’ll be nice when it comes time to meet him. I promise. I won’t say a single negative thing.”
“Good.” Her mother patted her hand. “We should get you a new dress. Something pretty. Maybe a nice pink color to bring out the color in your cheeks.”
Well, Danette did love getting new dresses. Browsing through the designs at the seamstress’ shop was one of her favorite pastimes. It was so enjoyable, in fact, she had a difficult time seeing anything that could possibly go wrong. No, it wouldn’t be until she met the marquess that she might spill something on the new dress or rip it. How could she be a marchioness if she was clumsy enough to ruin a beautiful dress?
As if her mother could read her thoughts, she frowned at Danette.
Face growing warm, Danette hurried to tuck the duchess’ missive into the writing desk. “I’d love to get a new dress. Can we go now?”
“Yes, but I want you to remind yourself this dress will not get ruined when you meet your intended. It will remain as beautiful as the moment you first put it on.”
“It’s absolutely frightening you know me so well, Mother. One would swear you can read my mind.”
“You can’t hide things from a mother. A mother knows her children better than she knows anyone else. Now, come along. We’ll have a good day, and this will be only one of many good days you’ll have in the future.”
“Yes, Mother.” And Danette promised herself she would try to believe this. Really, she would. Or, at the very least, she’d do her best.
***
A panicked Danette found herself knocking on Regan’s townhouse door two days later. Usually, Danette didn’t come uninvited to anyone’s home, even that of her dearest friend’s. But the missive she’d just received led her to it. She clasped the reticule in her hands and prayed Regan was there. At this time of day, her friend should be, but who knew if she’d be out with her husband on a nice day like this? Sometimes she hated sunny days. All they did was make people want to spend the day outside.
The footman opened the door, and before she could speak, he smiled and said, “Lady Cantrell will be glad to see you. Please, follow me.”
Relieved, Danette went with him to the drawing room.
“It seems you two have a special connection,” he told her. “She’s upstairs getting ready to visit you.”
“Then it’s a good thing I came when I did.”
“Indeed.” He chuckled. “What may I have the butler bring you today?”
“Nothing to eat.” She didn’t know if she’d ever eat anything until after the whole ordeal with the Marquess of Dodsworth was over. “I’ll just have Earl Grey tea.”
“As you wish.”
He left the drawing room, leaving her alone to fret over the missive that just came to her door. With trembling hands, she undid the strings of her reticule and pulled out the piece of parchment with an elegant design along the edges. The marquess had wonderful taste. From the swirls in the design, she surmised he was a pristine and detailed gentleman. He probably fancied beautiful things and was full of charm and grace.
Oh, he was going to meet her and decide she wasn’t for him. She just knew it. This piece of parchment was nothing like her. Her place was in the background, not at the center of attention. She was the type who was plain and ordinary. This missive was anything but that.
The butler brought the tea and asked if she needed anything else.
“No, I’m fine,” she replied. “Will my friend be much longer?”
“I don’t think so. The footman’s announced your arrival just moments ago.”
“Thank you.” She rubbed her stomach. Would the butterflies never stop their persistent fluttering? “I don’t mean to be impatient.”
“No one thinks you’re impatient,” he assured her with a kind smile.
She tried to return his smile with one of her own, but she was far too nervous to make it work. She settled for nodding instead.
After he left her alone, she finally managed to make her legs move so she could sit on the settee. There. That was better. Maybe now she could relax, even though it was only a little bit. She released her breath and read through the missive for what had to be the twentieth time. The gentleman had nice writing. Nice writing on nice parchment. Everything about him seemed too good to be true.
Hearing footsteps approaching the drawing room, Danette looked up from the missive, and Regan came breezing into the room as graceful as always. Everything came so easy for Regan. She wouldn’t worry one bit about an impending marriage to someone as perfect as the marquess. But then, she didn’t worry about anything. She merely did whatever she wished, and things naturally turned out in her favor. If only Danette could do the same.
“I was wondering if you met your betrothed yet,” Regan said, sitting next to her and picking up the teapot. As she poured tea into their cups, she glanced at the missive in Danette’s hand. “Is that from him?”
“Yes.” Danette cleared her throat. “He wants to meet me before the wedding.”
“Lovely!” Regan turned to her, her eyes twinkling in excitement.
“It’s not lovely. It’s awful. What if he decides he doesn’t want to marry me after finding out how boring I am?”
“Don’t be silly. You’re not boring.” When Danette frowned, she added, “Would I have a boring friend? Me? Regan? The lady who prides herself on keeping life interesting? Believe me, I wouldn’t waste my time on boring pursuits.”
“I didn’t mean I was boring to you. I meant I might be boring to gentlemen. There’s a reason why the two who proposed left. I think they didn’t find me all that interesting.”
“I forbid you to talk this way. Now, let me read the missive. It’s the only way I can get an idea of who he is.”
“You mean, you don’t know anything about the Marquess of Dodsworth?” Danette asked, doing her best to hide her disappointment.
“No. Malcolm said he knew who the Marquess of Dodsworth used to be, but he died of his injuries.”
Danette hadn’t heard anything about this. “When did he die?”
“I think a little under a month ago. The title went to his next of kin.”
“Who is that?”
“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t have the vaguest idea. All I know is that Malcolm’s friends thought the world of the gentleman who was the Marquess of Dodsworth. In fact, Lord Steinbeck even took an entire week to mourn his passing.” Regan rolled her eyes. “If you knew Lord Steinbeck, you’d be amazed he has the capacity to experience any compassion. I suppose it means the old marquess was good enough to meet his standards.”
Danette took a sip of her tea as she considered her friend’s words. Then, lowering the cup to her lap, she asked, “Doesn’t Lord Steinbeck think highly of Malcolm?”
“Oh, he does. And the feeling is mutual. The two practically worship each other.” Her eyes lit up, and she grinned. “This is wonderful! When you marry the Marquess of Dodsworth, we can go to dinner parties at Lord Steinbeck’s together.”
“But you just said the Marquess of Dodsworth that Lord Steinbeck liked died.”
“Yes, but the title has been passed to someone who was related to him, and that means the new marquess is probably just as arrogant as Lord Steinbeck.”
Danette’s stomach tightened in dread. “Arrogant?”
As if realizing her mistake, Regan’s face went red. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound horrible. Malcolm can be arrogant, too. He has a tendency to think everything he does is of the utmost importance. But even with that being the case, he has a sweet side to him. He treats me very well. I’m sure the marquess will be the same for you.”
Danette wasn’t all that thrilled with her friend’s attempt at making up for the slip, but she did have a point. Her friend’s husband did believe he was one of the most important people in London. However, as her friend had pointed out, he was good to her. Danette didn’t think it was possible the two would have enjoyed a happy marriage since Regan had been deceptive in the whole matter, but theirs was one of the few love matches in London.
Regan read through the missive while Danette sipped her tea. The marquess hadn’t written much. He’d been short and to the point, simply letting her know the duchess had paired them up for an arranged marriage and that being the case, he wished to meet with her so they would have a chance to get to know one another before the wedding. She didn’t know how much Regan could deduct from it. Danette thought there was more to gather by his choice in parchment and his script.
After a couple minutes, Regan put the missive down. “He doesn’t sound arrogant. You are relieved of that trait in your husband.”
Surprised, Danette asked, “He doesn’t?”
“No. He sounds like a humble gentleman who doesn’t mince words but is considerate of others. What a shame. I don’t think he’s Lord Steinbeck’s type.”
Amused, Danette smirked. “I thought the marquess was to marry me, not Lord Steinbeck.”
“You know what I mean. I was hoping Lord Steinbeck would like him enough to invite him to dinner parties so you and I could spend the evening together.”
“You see me often enough as it is. You don’t need me going to dinner parties with you.” She glanced at the hallway. “Where is Malcolm?” She knew Leonard napped this time of day, but she thought Malcolm should be up and about.
“Oh, he has another investment plan, so he ran off to White’s to tell Lord Steinbeck, Lord Dunnaby, and Sir Willoby all about it.” She rolled her eyes. “Those four are like children with candy when they discuss money. I hope your husband will be able to restrain himself every time he sees a pound.”
“I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.”
“When will you tell him to meet you?”
“I suppose any time before the wedding will work.” Ideally, it would be right before the wedding, but from the missive, it was apparent the marquess had his heart set on meeting her sooner. She exhaled. “I think I’ll tell him to pick a day and time, and I’ll be ready to meet him.”
“That might be best. Who knows if he’s busy?” As an afterthought, Regan asked, “Did the duchess tell you what he did before he became a marquess?”
“No. I don’t know anything about him except he’s the best match of all the gentlemen she’s met with.”
“Well, she probably figures it’ll give you two something to talk about if he has to tell you what he’s been doing up to now.”
“Probably.”
“Besides,” Regan added, “it doesn’t hurt to have a little mystery. If you know everything ahead of time, where’s the adventure? Isn’t this exciting? You get to meet the perfect gentleman for you, and you have so many wonderful things to learn about him.”
Danette couldn’t share her friend’s excitement for embracing the unknown. She’d rather jump ahead to next year and find out what was going to happen. Then she’d be adequately prepared for what was to come.
“Will you let me know how things go after you meet him?” Regan asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.
Danette nodded. “Yes. Of course, I’m going to come right over here after I meet him. You have to make sure you’re not doing anything the day I meet him.”
“I promise to wait patiently for you right here.”
“Good. And make sure Malcolm and Leonard aren’t around. I’d rather it be just the two of us, in case I do something to embarrass myself and need a shoulder to cry on.”
Regan shook her head. “Danette, how many times do I have to tell you it doesn’t matter if you’re not perfect? No one is perfect. We all do things to embarrass ourselves at one time or another.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You see the humor in everything. If you tripped in front of an entire room full of people, you’d laugh it off.” Danette wished she could be more like her friend, but she didn’t know how to be carefree and easygoing about things.
“At least you’ll be meeting the marquess in the safety of your own home. No one else will see you trip, and if you trip just right, you can end up in his arms.”
Unable to resist the urge to chuckle at her friend’s joke, Danette did so, and she felt much better. Was it any wonder why she came right over here to see Regan when she got the marquess’ request to meet with her? There was no one else who could make her feel better, no matter the situation.
“What would I ever do without you?” Danette asked.
Regan smiled and gave her a hug. “I often think the same when it comes to you. We’ve been through a lot together, and we’ll always be there for each other. I have a feeling things with the marquess will work out.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Of course, I am. I have a keen sense about these things. The duchess and her friends know what they’re doing. They wouldn’t match you up with him if you weren’t an ideal match. Just promise me you’ll give him a chance.”
“I will. I promise.” And in a very short period of time, she’d be meeting him face to face. With a glance at the missive, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of gentleman was her ideal match.