Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Atough year had passed since the arrival of Uncle Josiah and his family. It was by far the hardest period of Marina’s life, as she fought herself each day not to wallow in self-pity. Yet, tonight another ball invited Marina to have hope of finally finding a suitor.

“Hopefully, you have more eyes on you this year,” Charlotte said, eyeing Nancy as she prepared for the ball. Nancy had been unable to attract anyone that met Uncle Josiah’s standards the prior season. She briefly had a man desperately wanting to court her, but it was a mere moment before Uncle Josiah had chased him away.

“Yes, Mama,” Nancy replied, keeping her answers brief, but Marina noticed the determination shining in her eyes.

Nancy would never admit it, but she knew well her mother thought of her as the unfortunate event that happened when giving birth. She’d always wanted two sons, and Nancy didn’t fit the image her mother wanted of the perfect family in high ranking. But tonight, she would be able to prove her worth in the only way a woman can.

Marina and Nancy were getting ready for the ball together. Nancy was pleased to fit into a much tighter corset than Marina bothered to wear, despite Marina’s worried look on her face as she yelled “Tighter!” to the maid helping her put it on.

“My lady, this can’t possibly be any tighter,” Penny told Nancy. “Just give me a second,” Nancy said, heaving for breath. “Alright, pull!”

She took a large gulp of air, sucking in her stomach with all the might she had. As the corset closed another inch, Nancy was finally pleased.

“You said you’d be wearing the darker pink, if I am correct?” Charlotte asked Nancy.

“Yes, Mama. If you also agree it to be the most fitting dress for me tonight. I want to make a good impression,” Nancy responded to her mother, picking up the bold pink dress and handing it to Penny.

“Just don’t sound as desperate while talking to the men tonight as you do at the moment,” Charlotte said sternly to Nancy, causing her to bow her head in embarrassment. Charlotte turned to Marina’s mother, giving a fake smile before asking, “How about we enjoy a cup of tea while the girls continue to prepare?” Marina’s mother nodded, following behind Charlotte.

Marina was able to notice Nancy’s anxiety from miles away and took it upon herself to make her feel better. Nancy’s mother only heightened her angst, and Marina didn’t want to see Nancy enter the ballroom in such a mental state.

“Maybe I should’ve worn a pink dress as well. I think that’s the key to attracting the male gaze judging by your appearance. I’ll just have to accept you’ll steal any of my possible husbands tonight,” Marina joked, receiving a firm glare from Nancy.

Her glare quickly switched to a smile. “I am the Earl’s daughter now, after all. You can’t possibly expect me to settle for anything less than all of the men’s attention,” Nancy joked back, tossing her hair in a dramatic manner. The two of them shared a quick laugh.

“The periwinkle suits you very well, Marina,” Nancy commented. Marina was taken aback by the comment, not used to Nancy having nice words to say about her. Nancy had always been quite competitive with Marina, but now that her father was the one in power, Marina couldn’t help but wonder if Nancy no longer had the desire to be the better cousin.

“Penny, do help me with my hair please,” Nancy asked, taking a seat in front of the mirror. Penny had been assigned to be Nancy’s main attendee while a newer member of staff, Leilah, assisted Marina.

For a while, Leilah thoughtlessly brushed through Marina’s hair, making Marina anxious about the ticking clock. She couldn’t afford to have a bad hairdo at the ball, after all, she was growing older and time was running out. Men seemed to prefer the younger women to take as their wife. Marina couldn’t afford to continue without a husband. Her life, as well as her mother’s, depended on a good suitor.

“I was thinking about adding some pearls to my hair. Don’t you think that’ll be fitting, Leilah?” Marina said in an effort to bring Leilah’s attention back to the task. Leilah’s eyes flickered to meet Marina’s in the mirror.

“Excuse me, my lady. I couldn’t help but admire your hair. You look exactly like a Grecian goddess, and I hope that the men can see the same tonight,” Leilah replied. Marina smiled at her in the mirror, but from the corner of her eye she could spot Nancy turning around in her seat. Nancy’s hair had an orange hue to it that Marina had always admired, but Nancy yearned for Marina’s chestnut shade. A flicker of jealousy crossed Nancy’s eyes before she turned back around and made Penny continue.

After a while Marina and Nancy emerged all dolled up from their quarters and waited for the carriage to arrive. Marina went to stand beside her mother, who was clearly pleased by Marina’s appearance. “I daresay, you’ll be the talk of the ballroom tonight,” her mother said, taking a step back to have a good look at Marina. “Like moths to a flame.”

Uncle Josiah made no comment about any of the ladies in his presence, instead keeping a stern eyebrow on his face as he waved for the carriage to hurry up. Uncle Josiah, Charlotte, and Nancy entered the first carriage whilst Marina and her mother awaited the second approaching one. Marina’s heart couldn’t help but flutter at the anticipation of the moment. It would be the first ball without her father to keep an eye out for her.

“Isn’t the weather just perfect?” Marina’s mother asked, her bonnet pulled tightly to her face. Marina was unsure what her mother meant by that, as she saw clouds rolling in for a possible episode of rain, but she decided to remain quiet on the matter. It seemed her mother was trying to strike up a conversation.

“Mama, are you holding up all right amidst this all?” Marina asked, her tone strained with an underlying seriousness. Marina’s mother barely heard the question, just giving her an inquisitive look. “Mama, are you feeling all right after Uncle Josiah and his family moved in last year?” she continued, leaning closer so no one could hear, even though the cobblestone clattered beneath them so loudly that she doubted the man controlling the horses could hear a syllable. “So much time has passed and I’ve barely had a chance to speak to you privately.”

“Yes, dear. I’m just fine,” was all her mother answered, causing Marina to give up on her attempts.

“Find a good suitor tonight, would you?” Marina’s mother said in a cold tone, as if Marina was in charge of walking up to men and offering them a dance. She had no hand in finding a good husband, she simply had to stand about and hope to be seen by the male species. Nonetheless, she replied, “Yes, Mama. I’ll try my best tonight. For our greater good.”

The carriage started to turn upon a smoother road than the cobblestone, letting Marina know that the time had come. Soon she’ll have to be stepping from the carriage in an orderly manner, even the slightest oddity could throw her off the marriage roster. From here on forward, every step she took had to be perfection.

At the entrance of the ball, Griffin Northwood, the Duke of Darrington saw the new Earl of Lyford enter. With him was an older lady he gathered to be his wife, as well as two young ladies. One, he knew was Nancy Bosley. The other he had never seen before.

For a moment, the woman held his gaze captive, as she was looking around, as if scared. She was a vision, that much was true. A distracting vision he would do well to avoid.

He retracted back into the crowd, shaking the lady out of his mind and making himself unnoticeable. He only had to wait for the right moment.

“Anyone you might have an eye on tonight, Your Grace?” a man with a fuzzy patch above his lip asked Griffin.

“Why, I am not a man who actively seeks out a match. But I couldn’t help but notice the fair lady the new Earl of Lyford had brought in today,” Griffin replied, throwing a look over his shoulder at Nancy Bosley drinking punch alongside the creature of distraction.

“My goodness, wouldn’t that be fit,” a man chuckled across from Griffin. “Though I do see the appeal, Your Grace. I can’t help but notice the strikingly beautiful lady standing beside her.”

Griffin shifted his gaze to the lady momentarily, before deciding to forget her. He had prepared several nights in advance for this very ball. All his attention had to be on Nancy, and he was slowly preparing himself to ask her for a dance.

“Gentlemen, I’ll have to excuse myself from the conversation. Have a good evening,” Griffin said, giving a bow before turning away from the group of men. He knew all their eyes were fixed on his back as he made his way toward the lady of interest and couldn’t help but feel his nerves increase with every step. He was quite aware of the striking stature he had, and made an active effort to carry it effortlessly.

Before he knew it, he stood before the figure in a pink dress, offering her a dance. A toothy smile on his face.

“This punch is rather strong, won’t you say?” Nancy asked Marina after taking a sip. Marina chuckled, her hands empty of any drink. “I sampled it earlier. Be slow with the drink, otherwise, I might find you waltzing with the chandeliers in an hour.” The girls had a good laugh between themselves.

Just as Marina was pulling out a small fan from her reticule, she saw a rather distinguished man approach them. Marina felt a nervous sensation numb her hands and nearly dropped her fan, but it soon washed away as she saw him near Nancy.

She noticed the man to be the Duke of Darrington, a well-known figure from her father’s circle.

“Good evening, my lady. Might I steal you from your friend for this dance?” he asked in a way that almost charmed Marina as well. Nancy didn’t hesitate to answer. “It would be a pleasure, Your Grace.”

Marina watched as Nancy linked arms with the duke, strolling toward the crowd of people awaiting the new dance. Nancy shared a look of excitement with Marina, silently conveying her amusement with the situation. Marina gave Nancy an excited smile in exchange, but couldn’t help but feel an unwelcome knot in her stomach.

Marina felt no sense of jealousy toward her cousin, in fact, she was delighted to see Nancy enter a dance with a gentleman so quickly. She knew Nancy was even more desperate to attract a suitor tonight and Marina was happy to see Nancy do just that. However, she certainly felt a strong sense of worry overcome her as she found herself standing in solitude by the bowl of punch.

She tried to appear natural in her stance near the punch bowl, but couldn’t help but fix her eyes upon the duke dancing with Nancy. He was certainly good looking in Marina’s eyes, but also had great status amongst the men. Uncle Josiah would be more than pleased if he courted Nancy.

The duke twirled Nancy around with flawless effort, occasionally giving her a heartfelt smile. If that was what Marina had to compete with, she’d have to take action quickly.

After standing unaccompanied for several minutes, she had no choice but to return to her mother, who had minded herself near the quieter parts of the ballroom. On her way, she was surprised when a strange man intercepted her. She thought him to be a lot older than her, probably well in his late forties or early fifties. He had an odd smell to him, not repulsing but certainly not pleasant.

“Alexander, Marquess of Wycliffe,” the man introduced himself, giving a lengthy bow in front of Marina. Marina found the man a bit peculiar, but reciprocated his greeting with a small curtsy. He immediately offered Marina a dance, and she had no choice but to join him.

During her dance with the marquess, she hoped that the spectacle would attract other men to lay an eye on her. At this point, she would be happy for any other man to approach her besides the odd-smelling marquess in his fifties. Hypothetically, if they were to get married, his age might be a benefit. If he died much earlier of old age than Marina, that could mean her spending her remaining years with no husband and a good inheritance.

“You must be the new Earl of Lyford’s daughter?” the marquess asked Marina as they danced, nearly making Marina stop in her tracks.

“No, my lord, that would be my cousin Nancy. I’m the daughter of the late Earl of Lyford,” Marina replied, hoping it wouldn’t cause the strange marquess to pity her.

“Oh, excuse my mistake,” he briefly commented. His expression changed and he fell quiet. Marina realized quickly that she wasn’t the one he was looking for.

After the dance, the marquess was quick to fade into the crowd. Though Marina was in no sense fond of him, she was struck with another wave of worry about her future. She needed a suitor, even if it meant being with the marquess in hopes that he would kick the bucket sooner than later.

Marina walked over to her mother and Charlotte who were sitting in the corner. She couldn’t help but feel ashamed, especially when she looked her mother in the eye, knowing she was her mother’s last hope for a future outside Uncle Josiah.

“No luck yet?” Charlotte asked in a nosy manner, almost as if she was basking in Marina’s failure. Marina had no choice but to laugh it off, knowing her aunt wouldn’t leave this topic until she eventually found herself betrothed. She had some mild conversation with her family but was surprised to see Nancy still joyously conversing with the duke on the far side of the ballroom.

It didn’t appear to be a typical conversation between the two. Instead, they looked deeply engaged and intrigued with one another.

“Nancy has finally achieved a lifelong dream,” Marina thought. She glanced at Nancy again, happy one of them could complete their night’s task, only to find the duke looking her dead in the eye.

They stared at each other for much longer than intended. At a point, Marina even turned around to see if he was looking at someone else, but saw no one else. At her bewilderment, he gave her a large smile. It was a smile Marina could never forget.