The Duke of Bodmin was nothing if not a gentleman.
In the panic caused by the dowager duchess fainting, Andie was able to return to the party without notice as Frank stayed behind and attempted to reattach his collar without a mirror. Once their mother was settled, Will quietly returned to assist him.
“I see nothing’s changed,” Will said as he took over from Frank, attaching the collar with little trouble.
Impatient to find Andie, Frank retorted, “You’re one to talk. You were worse than the rest of us combined.”
Will lowered his voice as he handed Frank his rumpled cravat. “I never fucked an heiress on a seventeenth-century fortepiano. You do realize that’s the oldest one in the world?”
Of course he did. He was the one who insisted they buy it. “I dimly recalled.” Frank took the cravat and rapidly tied it. “How long do you suppose I have before her father shoots me?”
“Months. He’s in St. Croix on business, but I’m sure her brother will oblige.” Will crossed his arms with a sigh. “Meet me in the study when you’ve straightened yourself up.”
Once Will had left, Frank drank a glass of water and combed his fingers through his hair. Whatever came next was bound to be wretched, but he needed to find Andie first to be sure she was all right.
The party was much as he’d left it. If anything, more people were there, and no one seemed to have any idea that anything out of the ordinary had taken place. He found Andie sitting beside the drinks table with Lulu, happily chatting to his daughter about something he couldn’t quite hear. Seeing them sitting together hit him in a way he wasn’t expecting; he’d long since accepted he would probably never marry, but the thought of having a family with Andie and Lulu was too divine to bear.
As if she could hear his thoughts, Andie looked up and smiled.
Frank’s view of her was cut off quite suddenly by her brother Alexandre stepping between them. Though he smiled pleasantly, his eyes were intense. “Frank! It’s been an age. Let’s go talk somewhere a bit more private, shall we?”
Six days.
It had been six days, and Andie hadn’t heard a word from anyone.
Alone in her room, she stood by the window, watching the street for any familiar faces. While her mother still didn’t know exactly what had happened—Lord Bodmin had only privately told Alex that there had been an indiscretion with his brother, but he thankfully did not go into detail—she thought it best for Andie to remain at home until they had decided on the best course of action.
Apart from Lord Bodmin, no one really knew anything, but speculation could be just as damaging. Fortunately, when the dowager duchess had come to and started muttering about her supposedly dead son and the opera singer, the other guests had simply assumed she’d lost her wits in the fall.
Andie missed Frank. Tonight was supposed to be their first real performance together. He’d arranged for a stage to preview their new show after the military parade that night. Would he find someone to fill in for her, or would he cancel?
“Love is patient…” Andie hummed to herself, hearing his voice singing in her head.
A light knock interrupted her thoughts.
Alex came in, an enormous striped hatbox under his arm. He set it on the edge of her bed and joined her at the window. “How are you feeling?”
Andie crossed her arms. “Lonely. Frustrated. I have a show tonight I should be rehearsing for, you realize.”
“You don’t have to go to that,” Alex soothed. “There will be other parts.” From the look on his face, it was clear he thought he was being helpful.
“I want this part. I want to see Frank,” she insisted. “What exactly did you discuss?”
Alex sat in the chair at her dressing table, clearly uncomfortable. “Bodmin declared that Frank ought to marry you. I said it was quite out of the question. He can’t hope to keep you in the manner to which you are accustomed. Naturally, your dowry would be substantial, but that’s not the point. We’ll not force you to marry a villain who would take advantage of you.”
She looked at him, incredulous. “Oh, Alex, what have you done? He didn’t take advantage of me; I took advantage of him! I’m in love with him, you idiot!”
Her brother’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious.” He looked at her, trying to ascertain if she was joking. “But he’s so…odd.”
“So am I!” she shouted. “What did he say to all of this?”
Still dazed, Alex inclined his head and continued. “He said he was more than willing to marry you, but that he appreciated you’d have to give up a great deal. He said he would never ask you to make such a sacrifice, and we considered the matter quite settled. He’s not to see you again.”
Andie’s scream was so loud, it cracked the glass on her dresser.
Alex blinked at her, his hands over his ears. “What was that for?”
“Did it not occur to any one of you to ask me?” Andie balled up her fists in frustration. “Frank Creighton is the only man I would consider marrying. Do you mean to tell me that you and Mother would support the match if I wanted it?”
“Of course.” He shrugged. “It’s not ideal, obviously, but he is Bodmin’s brother. If he makes you happy…”
“Deliriously,” she snapped. “Now, will you help me fix this?”
“Fine!” Alex threw up his hands in surrender. “But seriously…”
Andie looked at him.
“Frank?” He dodged the pillow she threw at him. “I thought it was just a lark. Isn’t he fifty?”
“Forty-two.” She finally turned her attention to the striped box. “I’ll be thirty in September. I’m not a child anymore, Alex.” Andie removed the lid to find a letter sitting on top of several layers of tissue paper. “What is this?”
Alex shook his head. “I have no idea. Clement said it arrived for you this morning.”
Flipping the letter over, she popped the sealing wax, and a small metal object fell out. Confused, she read the note.
Dear Miss Archer,
Dad’s miserable. Please come back. I’ll be at the Vauxhall bandstand tonight at 8. I have enclosed a lockpick in case you need it.
With love,
Lu CC
A lockpick. Lulu had sent her a lockpick.
Andie covered her mouth to suppress her laughter as tears sprung to her eyes.
“Is it from Frank?” Alex asked.
She shook her head, removing the tissue paper. Inside the box was a magnificent midnight-blue gown spangled all over with silver stars. It looked just like Lulu’s drawing. Andie gathered it to her chest. “If tonight goes the way I very much hope it will, it’s from my daughter.”
In the end, Andie didn’t have to look for Lulu.
Within minutes of arriving at Vauxhall with Alex and her mother, Andie had located the bandstand and was on her way there when a slight figure charged out of the crowd. There were plenty of people in military dress, but no one looked quite like Lulu. Tonight she had accented her gold empire-waist gown with costume armor on her shoulders like a short spencer and a steel helmet with an open face. It was probably left over from a medieval play, but without the visor, it looked Greek from a distance.
Andie had never been so happy to see someone in her life. Lulu rushed to hug her, then paused to take in the dress. “It fits. Good. Come on, we’ll have to hurry if you don’t want him to see you.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” her mother asked as she and Alex caught up.
Lulu stopped midstride, taking in the magnificence that was Sidonie Archambault. She was wearing an elaborate gown in the exact shade of pink as their foil-wrapped chocolate boxes. Her hair was styled like Madame Pompadour’s. Well out of fashion, yes, but Madame Archambault dressed exactly as she wanted, and when it came to hair, bigger was always better. Lulu gaped, hardly able to take it all in. Awkwardly, she curtsied. “Are you the queen?”
Sidonie laughed, genuinely delighted by the question. “Andromeda, dear, who is your charming friend in the marvelous dress?”
Andie watched the exchange with no little amusement. These two would clearly have much to talk about in the coming years. “Mother, this is Lucrezia Creighton-Crowley, Frank’s daughter. Lulu, this is my mother, Madame Archambault, and my brother, Alexandre.”
“You must call me Sidonie.” Her mother embraced Lulu like a long-lost child. As Lulu led them through the park to a smaller stage, her mother chattered happily about the new shipment of arms and armor they had received at the British Museum, offering to take Lulu as her guest.
Andie smiled at Alex as she took his arm. Her brother only laughed and shook his head.