Chapter Seven

Georgie could not recall the last time she had been nervous sitting at the pianoforte.

Perhaps never.

She wanted to impress Lord Edgethorne, though. If Georgie did one thing well, it was play her pianoforte. And she would put heart and soul into her selection now.

She chose to play a selection by Mozart, tamping down her nerves as she placed her fingers on the keys. The first few notes sounded shaky to her ear, but then she did what she always did—gave herself over to the music. Soon, she was caught up in all the drama of the piece, experiencing the highs and lows intended by the composer.

When she finished, her fingers stilled, hovering above the keys before she placed her hands in her lap. She turned, her gaze moving directly to Lord Edgethorne's. He wore an astonished look, which pleased her.

And then he smiled.

She had thought both his smile and laugh rusty, thinking he hadn't found much humorous during his time away at war. One smile he had given her had already tickled her insides, but this one was absolutely brilliant. Georgie rose and rejoined the group, taking her seat again next to the marquess.

"That was quite moving, Lady Georgina," Lord Edgethorne said, awe in his voice. "You play superbly. I have sat in many drawing rooms, hearing ladies play, but you are far and above any performance I have witnessed."

"Thank you, my lord," she said demurely, secretly pleased by his effusive praise. "Mirella is also an excellent pianist. Perhaps you would also care to hear her play for us?"

Her gaze met his, and Georgie went warm all over.

"Yes, I would be delighted to hear Lady Mirella play, as well," the marquess said.

Her sister rose. "I am quite accomplished, my lord, but I should have been the first to play. It is always difficult to follow my sister."

Mirella went and sat at the instrument and began to play one of her favorites. Usually, Georgie was very attentive when her sister performed for others, but her head was lost in a swirl of jumbled thoughts, a swirl of confusing emotions.

Lord Edgethorne's presence was doing strange things to her. She was feeling an odd exhilaration within herself, simply being seated next to him. She caught a whiff of his cologne, something she never noticed about other men. He wasn't other men, though.

He was different.

And Georgie was going to pursue more than a friendship with him.

She had asked him to tea with her family because she liked him. She knew he most likely did not have many friends in town, having been away at war for several years. She had thought he and James were of a similar age and might get to enjoy knowing one another. But Georgie wanted to know the marquess for herself. She wanted to pursue what she was feeling.

If only ladies could be suitors for gentlemen instead of the other way around.

Somehow, she realized that the music had stopped. Mirella returned to her seat.

"You play delightfully, Lady Mirella," Lord Edgethorne complimented. "I would be hard pressed to say which of the two Strong sisters who performed this afternoon did better. I would call it a draw. Only know that you both are incredibly talented. I feel privileged to have listened to your performances."

Mirella chuckled. "Thank you for the kind words, my lord, but I know my sister is the better pianist."

"I should take my leave," the marquess said abruptly. "I do not wish to overstay my welcome."

He rose, and the entire group followed suit.

James said, "If you are interested at all in business matters, Edgethorne, perhaps you might like to come to our shipping offices tomorrow and see what goes on there."

"Oh, yes," Sophie chimed in enthusiastically. "We would be happy to show you around."

Georgie watched Lord Edgethorne and felt he seemed to be withdrawing within himself.

"Thank you for the kind invitation, both for tea today and to tour your business. I will not be able to take advantage of it, however. I am set to leave for Edgefield tomorrow."

"So soon?" she asked, knowing her question was out of place.

The marquess turned to her. "Duty calls, my lady. You must remember that I am new to all these responsibilities. As a second son, I was destined to spend my entire adult life in the military. I still have much to learn about being a marquess and all that comes with it."

"I understand better than most men," James said. "We must get together sometime and talk, my lord. I, too, am fairly new to my title and am learning about the vast responsibilities I hold. Fortunately, my cousin Caleb is my steward at Shadowcrest, and I know the estate is in good hands under his direction. At some point, though, Her Grace and I will need to take a tour so that we might visit the other properties which I have inherited. I need to meet the people on them and see what they are like."

James turned to Sophie, taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers. "That will not take place anytime soon, however."

Mama said, "Well, you do have the upcoming Season to get through before you could think about traveling throughout England."

Sophie nodded subtly at her husband, and suddenly Georgie knew what they were about to reveal.

"It will have to wait for some time because I would not want to be away from my wife—and child—for any length of time."

Mama and Mirella squealed joyfully.

Georgie beamed at the couple. "I am going to become an aunt! How wonderful for the two of you—and us."

Hugs were exchanged, and Lord Edgethorne offered his own congratulations. "I hope that you remain in good health, Your Grace, and you give birth to a healthy child."

Sophie smiled gently, one hand going to her belly. "It is early yet. The babe should not come until mid-September. I will be about three and half months along when the Season begins. Because of that, His Grace and I will go to as many of the early events in April and May as we can. We want Georgie and Mirella to meet as many eligible bachelors as possible while we are present. Once June comes, however, we may cut back on our attendance at ton affairs."

"I couldn't be more pleased," James declared. "I had no idea how wonderful I would feel sharing our news with you."

"Again, Your Graces, congratulations on the upcoming birth," Lord Edgethorne said. "I suppose I will see you once the Season begins."

James offered his hand, and the two men shook again.

"It was delightful to make your acquaintance, Edgethorne. We are lucky to have you as our neighbor. Do let us know when you are in town again. We would like to have you for dinner. Perhaps we might even attend some ton events together."

"Thank you, Your Graces, for your kindness to me today."

Their group watched their guest as he left the room. The moment the door closed behind him, Mirella turned to Georgie.

"How on earth did you get to know him?" her sister demanded. "He is most interesting, but I hope he was not terribly offended when he first arrived."

"Yes, Georgie, dear," Mama said. "You should have let us know."

She looked at them blankly. "Know what?"

"About his severe injuries, dearest," Mama said gently. "We would have been better prepared when he came through the door if we had known. It is a pity such a handsome man will carry the scars of war his entire life. I fear he will be gossiped about openly once the Season begins."

"It won't matter to most, Mama," Mirella pointed out. "After all, he is a marquess. Most likely a very wealthy one, based upon the house he inherited. There will be plenty of girls making their come-outs who will try and look past his injuries in order to become his marchioness."

Sophie looked to Georgie and said, "Just as your sister has done. You do not see the wounded army officer, do you? You see the man."

Her cheeks filled with heat. "I suppose I do, Sophie." She turned to Mama. "I did not think to mention his injuries, Mama. I should have prepared all of you for his appearance, but Lord Edgethorne has a good heart. He is a kind man."

Her mother stepped to Georgie and embraced her. She kissed her daughter's cheek and pulled back, saying, "Then I have most certainly done my job as a mother if you look for the good inside of others, and you do not judge them on their physical appearance."

"Do you really think others will talk about Lord Edgethorne, Mama?" she asked, concerned.

Mama nodded. "Unfortunately, Polite Society seizes on the smallest tidbit and gossips ferociously about it. The fact that Lord Edgethorne is a second son and assumed the title would already give them fodder enough. Seeing he has been severely injured at war and bears the scars of battle will cause incessant chatter."

Her mother looked to the others. "Because we know him now, we must take Edgethorne under our wing. Introduce him to others. If Polite Society sees how accepting we are of the marquess, I hope they will follow suit."

Mirella spoke up. "Will it help since James is a duke, Mama?"

Mama nodded. "Dukes—and duchesses—set the tone at many ton events. While I do believe there will be much gossip about Lord Edgethorne, if James, Sophie, and I accept him and treat him with ease, others are bound to follow suit. Not all," she cautioned. "There will always be that element of Polite Society which chooses to look for the worst in others."

"But he cannot help the fact that he was hurt in battle," Georgie protested. "He gave everything he had for king and country."

"You are innocent in so many ways, Georgina," Mama said, something Georgie's hair. "Not everyone looks for the good in others. There are more than their fair share of those who prefer to seek out the bad. And yes, Lord Edgethorne will be judged harshly by them, simply on his compromised appearance. I hate to address this, but James and Sophie—even though they are a duke and duchess—will also suffer from some of this gossip."

"Why so, Mama?" Mirella asked. "You just said dukes and duchesses are the leaders of Polite Society."

"They are, and James and Sophie will take their places amongst the ton. Once others get to know them, they will see the kind of people they are, and the Seaton influence will spread from there." She paused. "At first, however, I do believe it will be an uphill battle. Rumors will be swirling about where James was all these years and if he truly is the rightful heir to the dukedom. Sophie, on the other hand, will face judgment because she has not stepped away from Neptune Shipping.

"One thing Polite Society does not ever speak about is their money and where it comes from. Yes, they all know about one another's wealth—or lack of it—but to speak about how this wealth came about is something which is deemed inappropriate conversation. There will be a handful who will think Sophie is dirtying her hands by keeping an active role as the owner of Neptune Shipping, much less going into the office and running the business herself."

Mama sighed. "We know how wonderful they are, and Polite Society will find that out for themselves. I just want everyone to be prepared for a bit of gossip regarding their status."

"Who knew that our family would be embroiled in scandal before the Season ever began?" Georgie mused. "And here we are trying to help Lord Edgethorne. Perhaps he shouldn't associate himself with us, after all."

"We will leave that up to Edgethorne," James declared. "He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and wasn't judgmental about us being involved in our shipping lines. What I am most concerned about is not the marquess. My concern is for Georgie and Mirella. We want you to make the match you wish to make."

Mirella sniffed. "I do not care what Polite Society says about James or Sophie. You are family, and I will defend you always."

Georgie slipped an arm about Mirella's waist. "I feel the same. If we have no suitors because they believe the Strong family to be scandalous, so be it. I want to find a man who can love me for me. One who can ignore the maelstrom surrounding us and make a commitment to me as a person. If he loves me, he will also love my family. I could not look fondly upon any gentleman who did not do so. I will not let anyone separate me from this family, nor will I tolerate anyone who cares to blacken the Strong name. If I catch anyone gossiping about us—or even Lord Edgethorne—I will call them out and then have nothing to do with them."

"It is hard to go up against gossips, Georgie," Mama cautioned. "While it is noble of you to want to defend the Strongs and Edgethorne, it would be wise to simply walk away if you overhear such gossip. You cannot change the mind of people like that, and if you confront them? They will only sharpen their claws and blacken your reputation. My advice is to ignore anything unseemly. Continue to hold your head high. Your conduct and demeanor will speak volumes and win over the majority of the ton."

"But Mama—"

"Your mother is right," James said. "While loyalty to our family is important, I do not want you to involve yourselves with any of the gossip. People will come to know us during this upcoming Season, and either they will like us, or they won't. I agree with Dinah. Most of Polite Society will be welcoming to Sophie and me, most likely because we are a duke and duchess since rank can be so important to so many."

He looked from Georgie to Mirella. "I also want to emphasize to both of you that we are not expecting you to find a husband this Season. Sophie has told me sometimes girls take more than one Season before they settle into a marriage. I want you to go into this come-out with an open mind. Have fun! You are young, and this is a wonderful time in your lives. If the right man comes into it, so be it. You will know him. But I don't want you to feel as if you must force yourself to align with a suitor. Pippa and I have made love matches, and I cannot imagine any kind of marriage other than that for the two of you."

"I agree," Mama said. "I am speaking as one who made the marriage my parents wished me to. You have no pressure to act. You may take as long as you need to find a husband who pleases you. James is right. Enjoy all the social affairs. Both of you, especially Mirella, enjoy dancing. Have fun at the balls. The routs and garden parties. Get to know as many people as you can. The wider the circle you come to know, the more likely your chances are for finding that special someone."

"I hope you will take your own advice, Mama," Georgie said. "You married the man your parents insisted you wed. Actually, you married a title and not a man. You deserve happiness, Mama. We all do."

Georgie swallowed. "And so does Lord Edgethorne."