Prologue

Prologue

L ady Selena Brooks stared out at the sea of dancers on the floor. Their laughter floated over her in waves of merriment. An emotion that she couldn’t feel and hadn’t experienced in longer than she could recall. She had, in a lot of ways, been alone her entire life. Her uncle had taken her in as a small child. Not because he had cared about her, but because it had been expected. The previous Earl of Foxcroft, her uncle, had been a wastrel. He’d run his estates into debt and left the responsibility of salvaging it to his son. Selena didn’t believe for one moment her uncle had done anything out of the kindness of his heart.

When her father had died, Selena had been left a small inheritance. He hadn’t had as much as an earl should have as he was the second son, but it should have left her with a sizable dowry. Her uncle had gambled it all away leaving her with nothing. Now here she was, in her second season, and without any prospects. A wallflower soon to be a spinster if nothing changed. Her gowns had seen better days. Many had been repurposed and redesigned, but there was only so much that could be done. The material on several of her dresses were starting to become threadbare and wouldn’t be able to be used much longer.

She was ready to accept defeat. Attending balls and soirees were not helping her cause. There would be no gentleman offering for her. It was time to let that dream die and find a new purpose for her life. Having a family and a home of her own would never happen. No gentleman wanted to take a chance on her. Not with what she had to offer. Apparently, it wasn’t enough for them to only take her. They wanted her to have connections and a dowry to offer them. It also didn’t matter that she was a beauty. That wasn’t arrogance on her part.

Selena looked just like her mother, and during her mother’s debut, she’d been the most sought after debutante. But she’d fallen in love with her father and wouldn’t consider any other gentleman. They’d had a love match. Selena remembered that clearly. They had died when she was only ten years old, but before that, her life had been a happy one. She had known joy once. Then it had been ripped away from her and she’d been miserable ever since. In some ways, she had never shaken free from her grief.

Intending to return home after another disastrous evening, she left the ballroom. She was in a hallway leading to the front entrance when a conversation froze her in place. Selena ducked behind an alcove hid from view.

“Have you heard?” a woman said.

“You’ll have to be more specific, Lady Darby,” the other woman said. “I’ve heard a great many things.”

“The Earl of Foxcroft might actually be a considered a good match soon.” She laughed. “Or so my husband has told me. Imagine that—to no longer be a fortune hunter. He’s grown his coffers by doing scandalous things. Can you imagine? Doing trade. No gentleman does such things.”

They were rude old biddies… Selena ground her teeth together. David was not a fortune hunter. That would imply that he hadn’t worked to build the family fortune again. He wasn’t quite th ere yet, though. That was why Selena tried to be as frugal as possible.

“He should have married an heiress,” the other woman said. “That’s what is done when an earl becomes penniless.”

What the hell did they know? David wasn’t some dandy that was all right with taking a wife just for her money. Selena had far more respect for her cousin because of his integrity. He had wanted to do this on his own and he’d come so far. Another year, maybe less, and he’d be completely financially stable. He’d already told her that he intended to fully restore her dowry. Not that she cared. She wouldn’t want any man that only considered her after she had money to offer for the prospect of marriage.

“Did you see that cousin of his?” The lady said in a dismissive tone. “Why does she bother attending a ball in what is clearly an unfashionable gown? It’s pitiable.”

And that was why she was done with society. Women like this made her even more miserable with each passing day. She couldn’t handle it anymore. It would be far better to retire from the ton forever. She held back a sigh. As much as Selena would like to do that, she knew she couldn’t. David felt guilty for not being able to provide for her. He believed he was at fault for her disastrous seasons. Selena didn’t have the heart to disappoint him. So she’d do one more season. Her third season would be her final one.

“It’s a shame,” the other woman said. “She’s a pretty girl. If she’d had a dowry, she’d have been married in her first season. But being a poor orphan didn’t help her debut.”

She had to leave. She couldn’t listen to this for one moment longer. They were in her path to exit the house. There was no helping it. Selena would have to hold her head high and walk past them as if they were not gossiping about her and David. She took a deep, fortifying breath, and then slid out of the alcove.

Selena forced herself to keep a slow, steady pace as she walked down the hall. The two ladies glanced up when they noticed her and thankfully remained silent as she passed by them. Once she reached the front entrance, she had a servant retrieve her shawl for her. She fidgeted as she waited for him to return. When she had her, shawl she wrapped it around her and then left the foyer as quick as possible.

As she had no chaperone, it was easy to slip out of the house and head home. David had escorted her to the ball, but he had been chatting with someone he wanted to do business with. He would be livid she’d left without him, but he’d forgive her. He always did. Her cousin was a dear man. Nothing like the other gentlemen of the ton. Even if one suddenly paid any attention to her, she wouldn’t be able to trust it. She didn’t want a fickle man as her husband. She’d much rather be a spinster than be married to a man she could never respect.

Society had stolen every chance she had at happiness. The entire lot of them could go to the devil. She didn’t need any of them, and by jove, she would prove that to them all. More for herself than anything.