Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

V ictoria wrung her hands tightly in her lap. She could admit to being more than a little nervous. But she only had herself to blame. She'd refused to attend any more grand balls and be paraded in front of London's bachelors, instead insisting that she was far more suited to small private events. The Duchess of Mowbray had somewhat reluctantly agreed, and so here she was, attending a formal dinner party.

Seated beside her in the Mowbray town carriage, her mother reached out and placed a hand over hers. "You will be fine. Just remember, keep any conversations light. The weather. Any good plays you have recently seen. And of course poetry. Just don't be too critical about the food, this is a social event."

I loathe poetry. I haven't seen a play in two years. And who really cares about the weather. And if the food is terrible…

Victoria clamped her lips shut. It was one thing to think such thoughts, giving voice to them quite another. She was going to have to learn to be patient and endure.

"Yes Mama."

On the opposite side of the carriage sat her father. The Duke of Mowbray offered her an encouraging smile. His hopeful glances reminding Victoria that tonight wasn't just about her—her parents were still trying to make their way back into society. A party at the home of one of the few friends who had stood by them during the scandal would be yet another step in the right direction.

Over wine and a selected eight-course menu, the Duke and Duchess of Mowbray planned to further charm their way onto the social invitation lists of London's elite.

While her parents worked their own agenda, she was meant to be occupied in achieving the ends of hers. Securing a husband. The Duke of Saffron Walden was to be among the guests tonight, and Lady Anne had made it clear that Victoria's sole reason for being at the dinner was to meet and charm the bachelor noble.

With no sordid history to speak of, and an apparent pleasant demeanor, he was considered somewhat of a catch. Matthew had heard no salacious gossip about the duke and had given his sister his tentative blessing.

"Now I want you to spend the first two courses just listening, taking in the ebb and flow of the conversation. A successful society matron is one who learns to read the room. To help smooth over any issues at the first sign of them," instructed the duchess.

Victoria's gaze settled on her evening gown. It was dark blue with matching ribbons fluttering down from the bodice. Another new piece. She wondered how much of her dowry would be left if her mother kept spending money at this rate.

She actually liked the gown, and now that she and her mother were working hand in hand with one another, Victoria felt more confident about her manner of dress. The darker shades worked well with her long brown hair. Hair, which was currently set in a high, tight chignon with two whispers of curls either side of her face to soften and gentle the look.

Tonight was the first time she had a real sense of being in control of her search for a suitable husband. She could only hope that the Duke of Spice lived up to his spotless reputation.

"Victoria?"

Her mother's loud use of her name stirred her from her thoughts. "Yes Mama," she answered without thinking.

"I want you to eat and drink sparingly this evening. Sample as little of each course as is polite. If you are still hungry when we get home, you can ask cook to find you something in the kitchen."

Her father hummed his disapproval. "Is that really necessary?"

"Yes. Victoria is here tonight to capture the attention of a duke, and she won't be able to do that if she is focused on her plate."

She was to eat like a sparrow and leave the rest on her plate for miss manners . But if the means justified the end, she would stick to the plan.

Outside the window of the carriage, the early evening of London drifted by, and Victoria watched the sight with interest. A whisper of rain had fallen a little while earlier, and the light from the gas lamps now glinted in the puddles along the road and pavement. It made for a pretty tableau.

Hope sparked in her heart. Maybe tonight was her night. The duke might be all she hoped for, her future soulmate, or at least a man who would come to understand her. She wasn't na?ve, knew that these things often took time. The marriages of her two older siblings had survived rocky starts, perilous beginnings that had seen love forged in the fires of danger.

All I have to do is go to a dinner party or two. Poor Gideon was facing a duel to the death in Rome. Augusta almost lost Flynn to the hangman's noose.

The carriage slowed and came to a halt. Victoria glanced out the window, shifting back in her seat as a footman opened the door. Her father climbed out first, then turned and offered his hand to his wife. "Enchanting," he whispered.

The duchess sighed. "My love."

Victoria blinked back a tear at this unexpected tender moment between her parents. Their marriage had always been a battlefield, but passion had long kept them together. She still didn't fully understand what had happened between them for her mother to give up the fight for their love, but now seeing the smile on her father's face and the break in his voice, all she could do was send a prayer of thanks that her mother had changed her mind. Had come home.

She was still gathering her thoughts when her father reached out a hand to her. "Victoria, will you please join us?"

Formal dinner parties were not Robert's forte. Not unless he could corner some business acquaintance and talk the spice trade to them. An evening where he couldn't secure a new contract or agreement was, in his opinion, an evening wasted.

This evening's hostess had fortuitously sent him a copy of the guest list. Mrs. Stevenson had been clever in inviting a number of people whom he knew were good company. From what he'd heard, getting the Duke of Spice to accept a private invitation to dine was considered quite the coup amongst the matrons of the haut ton .

Personally I would be the last noble I would ever want to sit at my table.

Unbeknownst to his hostess, Mrs. Stevenson had presented Robert with an even better reason to attend her home tonight. He'd been delighted to see Lady Victoria Kembal's name on the guest list and had quickly sent Mrs. Stevenson his note of acceptance.

The need for revenge was a familiar one, and he was powerless against its temptation.

The chit has it coming to her.

Robert was wearing his most enchanting smile as he stepped into the foyer of the elegant Mount Street townhouse that evening. He bowed to the hostess, then shook the hand of her husband, thanking them for their gracious invitation. He pretended not to see the excited grins Mister and Mrs. Stevenson exchanged with one another upon his arrival.

Yes, I am a duke, and I am at your home.

After a few minutes of small talk about the weather and the price of stocks on the London exchange, Robert moved further into the receiving room. Whisky glass in hand, he slyly searched for his prey.

A thrill of anticipation shot down his spine as his gaze finally landed on Lady Victoria Kembal. She was standing to one side of the room, a middle-aged couple situated either side of her. He immediately recognized the Duke and Duchess of Mowbray. The tall Clifford Kembal, with his shock of salt and pepper hair, was paying close attention to his wife. Lady Anne, whom Robert had met a few times over the years, seemed a little ill at ease.

I wonder if this is one of her first times back in society since her return.

He found it odd that despite all the gossip about her own family, much of which had featured in the Morning Herald , Lady Victoria still saw fit to pen numerous letters to the newspaper.

Tonight he intended to permanently change her mind about sending unsolicited correspondence. By the end of the dinner, the stuck up little miss would know exactly the price that not minding her own business had cost her.

"S and W, how are you?"

Robert turned at the voice. He accepted the bow of his fellow guest with good grace. "Good evening."

He was determined that his manners tonight would be utterly spotless, right up to and including the moment he tore Lady Victoria Kembal to pieces. He would leave her dignity in shreds, while at the same time giving her nothing to pin her hat on for complaint against him.

"I haven't seen you at a social gathering in some time. Thought you'd retired permanently to your estate," said the other gentleman.

Robert gave a light laugh in response. "No. Not retired, just busy. But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so I thought I'd venture out this evening." He nodded in the direction of his quarry. "I'm glad I did, there are some pretty young ladies here this evening."

The other man nodded. "Not thinking of finally taking on a duchess are we, S and W?"

Robert waved his words away. "One day I must, but right now I'm still enjoying my bachelor years."

Victoria recognized him the moment she set eyes on that face. The gentleman over the other side of the room, the one who was stealing the occasional glance her way, was the same man she had run into in the supper room at the ball the other night. The rude one.

She glared at him.

He smiled back.

"Victoria?"

Her mother's voice roused her from the silent battle she was conducting with the stranger across the way.

"Yes Mama."

Lady Anne moved closer, and while she brushed an invisible piece of lint from her daughter's shawl, leaned in and whispered, "A young lady does not make faces at other people in polite company, especially not when that other person happens to be a bachelor duke."

Her heart stilled at the words ‘bachelor duke'. Please no. He can't be.

The duchess continued with her ministrations, touching Victoria's pearl choker to make it perfectly straight. "That is the Duke of Saffron Walden. You were meant to be introduced to him at the first of the balls we went to the other week, but your paths unfortunately did not cross. If there is one person whom I would like you to make a favorable impression on this evening, it is His Grace."

Her heart began pumping at a fast rate as the Duke of Spice approached. Victoria swallowed deep. Lady Anne might well be pinning her hopes on a union between her daughter and this man, but she didn't know they had already crossed swords.

He made a beeline straight for where Victoria and her parents stood. "Your Graces." As he bowed to her mother, Victoria did a mental calculation. Lady Anne was a duchess and a duke's daughter, so somewhere in the mess of social graces, she might actually outrank him. "Mowbray," he said to her father, who replied with a droll. "S and W. Long time."

Victoria held her breath.

"And who would this delightful creature be?" He bowed low to Victoria, who dipped into a perfect curtsy.

Lady Anne was all smiles. "This is our second eldest daughter, Lady Victoria."

The smile Victoria painted on her lips was painful. It was hard to smile when you were gritting your teeth.

"And what a lovely young lady you are. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Victoria." When he bowed once more, she could have sworn she heard her mother sigh with relief. If the duchess got her way, she'd be booking the reading of the church banns by the end of the night.

All this left Victoria wondering if the Duke of Saffron Walden had indeed forgotten their first meeting. Or perhaps he did remember her but was simply being polite. For all she knew, he might not have thought too much of their earlier encounter. Had simply brushed it off as an unfortunate incident.

Her senses were on edge. Instinct whispered for her to take great care with this man.

A dinner gong startled Victoria from her thoughts of ducal motivation. "My lords, ladies, and gentlemen would you please make your way into the dining room," announced the head butler.

She moved toward her father in the full expectation that he would accompany her into this evening's proceedings, but a strong male hand touched her upper arm, halting her progress. "Lady Victoria, would you please grant me the honor of walking you into dinner?"

Lady Anne didn't give her daughter the opportunity to say no—she took a hold of her husband's arm and batted her eyelashes at him. "Clifford, you promised you wouldn't leave my side this evening."

The love smitten Duke of Mowbray bent and kissed his wife on the cheek. "And I intend to keep that promise, my love."

Victoria's cheeks burned with deep embarrassment. Her parents had just shown one another real affection in public. Those things were not done in polite society.

Of course this was all part of a ploy, a way to have the ton talking about the duke and duchess and how love had conquered all, but she still didn't know where to look.

It was with a growing sense of trepidation that Lady Victoria Kembal took the Duke of Spice's arm and allowed him to escort her into dinner.