Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

" W e must always remember…It would be best if we made sure to be…"

"Mama," Olivia interrupted her mother, the Dowager Countess of Tottingham's incoherent rambling gently. "Do desist with your worrying."

"I…I am not worried, love."

"Yes," Olivia continued in the same, soft-spoken way, "you are. Just look at your silk handkerchief. You fretted so profusely throughout the carriage ride here that you nearly tore it to pieces."

The dowager glanced down at the fine handkerchief she was clutching then sighed in a beleaguered fashion. "It is just…I feel as though perhaps we are jumping into matters too quickly. I have not had enough time to prepare you for a situation such as this one and…"

"You have done plenty," Olivia assured her. "And what knowledge you did not supply, I am sure I have gleaned from my extensive reading."

"No." The dowager shook her head minutely. The Dowager Countess of Tottingham was a prim, elegant sort of lady. She had large, blue eyes that some remarked were the color of forget-me-nots, and she usually wore a very serious expression, much like the one gracing her face at present.

She made it a point rarely, if ever, to debate with others. But on this occasion, as she and her daughter were on the verge of entering the Dowager Countess of Langford's lavish country estate and spending the week at a house party, she seemed to think it incumbent upon her that she must provide her daughter with some last-minute words of wisdom.

"Books…novels…they do not discuss what is meant to happen at soirees such as these."

Olivia giggled girlishly. "Mama, I know right well that you have brought me here so I might find myself a husband."

All the color blanched from the dowager's face. "But how could you possibly know?"

Feeling quite sympathetic and recognizing her mother's embarrassment, Olivia replied simply, "I wrote to Rose. She said the Dowager Countess of Langford is famous for her week-long house parties. According to my dearest cousin, the dowager fancies herself quite the matchmaker, and she takes it upon herself to unite the couples who missed their chance of finding happiness during the Season in London."

Once more, Olivia's mother took up the wringing of her handkerchief, and her thin dark eyebrows furrowed. "But that is just the problem, my love. I have kept you from Society all these years because…"

"Yes, I know," Olivia whispered as they entered the grand foyer and suddenly were surrounded by a throng of people.

Olivia reached out and curled her hand around the crook of her mother's elbow, locking the two of them together. "If you have told me once, you have said it a hundred times. The members of the ton are not to be trifled with lightly. They are corrupt and…"

"Shh…" Mama hushed her. "We do not wish for them to overhear us."

"No one is listening to us," Olivia pointed out. "No one is even looking our way. We are simply outsiders, and so everyone else is…"

"But we must not remain outliers," the dowager countess interjected. "It is imperative that you make your match this week."

"I shall try," Olivia replied. "That is what I want…to find a loving, charming husband who will…" Mama made a sound in the back of her throat, indicating there was something she wished to say, but she was loath to interrupt once more. "What?" Olivia asked after pausing for a beat, giving her mother the chance to intercede as she so evidently desired. "What is it?"

"You must not put such a premium on finding love," Mama said in a quiet, barely audible tone as she towed Olivia away from a pack of young ladies who were gathered near a spray of white and pink roses.

"You do not want me to fall in love?" Olivia blinked owlishly at her mother, astonished by such an announcement.

Fretting with her handkerchief, Mama explained, "Love may and in most cases does come after the marriage takes place. For now, you should content yourself with finding a gentleman you can tolerate."

"Tolerate?" Olivia nearly choked on the word. "If that is all I am meant to feel for my husband, I think you were right before. I do not know nearly enough about a situation like this." She stopped walking right in the middle of the hall and ground her heel into the marble floor. "Perhaps we ought to go back to the carriage, and you can…"

"Darlings!"

Olivia winced when she heard the greeting because she knew at once that there would be no escaping now, nor would she and her mother have leave to continue their conversation. It was the Dowager Countess of Langford, and she might feel slighted if Olivia and her mama tried to slip away at this juncture.

"How long has it been?"

Turning slowly, Olivia laid eyes upon the Dowager Countess of Langford. She was a grand woman who not only exuded gregariousness and amiability but she had also been gifted with a superb flair for fashion. She beamed at the pair of them and held her arms wide, beckoning them forward.

"Dear Agatha," Mama said as she strode forward and greeted her friend. "It is so nice to see you again. And I must thank you for the invitation to stay the week. Olivia and I have both been looking forward to this occasion immensely and…"

"Tish-tosh," the Dowager Countess of Langford interrupted airily, "I saw the two of you whispering secretively just now, and I can read the look on your face, my friend, just the way I did when we were younger." She tapped the tip of her gloved finger underneath Mama's chin. "I know that you are nervous, and I imagine Lady Olivia is as well."

Olivia curtseyed to the dowager, feeling as if that was not just a proper greeting but also showed her agreement on the subject. She and her mother were, in fact, quite unsettled.

"But all shall be well soon enough," the dowager countess continued. "The ladies and gentlemen are congregating in the drawing room at present and…"

Olivia could not help but interject, "You mean there are more people here?" She darted a furtive glance around the crammed hall. "This is not your whole party?"

The dowager countess' eyes sparkled, but she did well to conceal her mirth. "Not the half of it, darling. Now…" She crooked both elbows, inviting Olivia to take one arm and her mother to grasp hold of the other. "Let us adjourn to the drawing room. There are a fair number of gentlemen to whom I wish to introduce you, Lady Olivia. And as for the ladies, I am quite certain you will make fast friends with several soon enough."

Olivia inhaled deeply then nodded her acquiescence. "Lead on," she encouraged. "I am ready."

The Dowager Countess of Langford snickered. "She is just as you were when we made our debut together," she said quietly, aiming the words at her friend but being thoughtful enough to continue including Olivia in the conversation. "So bright…so full of spirit. It is a pity you have kept her closeted in the countryside all these years."

"Yes," Mama murmured, "we were just discussing the matter. I am concerned I have not prepared her for this event."

"Nonsense," the dowager chirped. "I shall introduce her around, and before long, the other ladies will teach her everything she needs to know." Then, she paused and sent a sly wink at Olivia. "That is, unless a gentleman takes it upon himself to give you a proper education first."

Olivia had not a single notion of what the dowager countess meant by making such a statement, but her cheeks flushed with mortification just the same. She knew so little about courting rituals and how a lady and gentleman were meant to interact, but she recognized the cheekiness in her mother's friend's comment anyway.

Wanting to say something, perhaps ask for some sort of clarification on the matter, Olivia swallowed hard. She was just about to open her mouth and retort when they came upon the drawing room, and Olivia realized the dowager had not been fooling.

There were dozens of young ladies, gentlemen, and members of the peerage gathered inside the room. Olivia was gob-smacked. All the ladies were dressed so elegantly and the gentlemen…well, they looked very fine, too. It took a tremendous amount of willpower for Olivia to stop herself from gawping at several of the others who were most sumptuously attired in the finest fabrics she'd ever beheld.

"Come," the Dowager Countess of Langford insisted, towing both Olivia and her mother onward. "Let us find you a gentleman with whom you may have a conversation."

Olivia gulped, all at once feeling parched. "I…I…" she faltered. "But I know no one here. Would it not be considered uncouth if I simply walked up to a gentleman and engaged him in conversation?"

"I shall introduce you," the dowager answered.

"But…but…" Olivia normally had such control over her words, but the thought of approaching any of these debonair gentlemen and sliding into easy conversation with them was enough to make her palms perspire.

"Agatha," Mama whispered with a hint of gruffness edging her tone. "Do go easy on my dear girl. You know she is not yet accustomed to…"

"Ha!" The dowager tipped her head back and gave a sparkling laugh, clearly delighted with her friends and their country charms. "There is no need to tut-tut, my dears. I shan't embarrass you further. But I assure you, by weeks' end, all sense of propriety shall be flung right out the window."

Once again, she shot Olivia a wink, and this time the lascivious meaning was clear. It was enough to make Olivia's pale skin blush crimson, and she lowered her chin, praying no one saw her immediate reaction to the dowager's more colorful words and insinuations.

"Come right along," the fine lady continued, not waiting for Olivia's countenance to return to its normal shade. "If you will not speak to a gentleman, mayhap you will feel more at home after falling in with a circle of friends."

She pulled Olivia and her mother to a corner of the room where six ladies were clustered near one another. The young woman at the heart of the gathering was tall with fair skin, cornflower blue eyes, and inky black hair. She wore a gown made of soft white muslin and tiny pieces of baby's breath dotted her curls, giving them a fresh, jubilant look.

"There," the Dowager Countess of Langford said, nodding her head discreetly at the young lady. "Once I introduce you to her, she will make you feel quite at home, Lady Olivia. I am sure of it."

Before Olivia could say anything or indicate how she was feeling about joining this group, the dowager raised her voice slightly, calling the attention of the young ladies toward her. "Ladies, ladies…" She waited for the group to conclude with their tittering. "Might I introduce a dear friend of mine?"

"Of course," the leader of the group cooed. "We are at your disposal, my lady."

"Very well." The dowager stepped further forward and then nodded her head deferentially to Olivia's mother. "This is the Dowager Countess of Tottingham."

Respectfully, all six young ladies dropped into curtseys. A satisfied smile quirked the corners of the Dowager Countess of Langford's mouth. Then, she nudged Olivia, urging her to step forward. "And allow me to present her daughter, Lady Olivia."

Once again, as if the movements had been choreographed, the ladies graciously welcomed Olivia by curtseying. She returned the gesture.

"Good morning," she murmured, keeping her chin low and looking from one young woman to the next. "I am so very happy to make your acquaintance."

"Charming," the young lady in the center whispered in a syrupy sweet voice. She took a step toward Olivia, narrowing the distance between them, and as her blue eyes flashed merrily, the dowager countess concluded the introductions.

"This is Lady Abigail, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Emerton."

At that, Lady Abigail lifted her head high, and her gaze morphed from being graceful and courteous to haughty and proud. Olivia was taken aback by the slight change in the young woman's demeanor.

"And this is Lady Poppy…and Miss Sampson…" One by one, the dowager countess introduced Olivia to all of the young ladies until she reached the last in their circle. "And I do believe you have met Miss Templeton previously, but I shall do the honors of reacquainting you."

"Yes," Olivia said, glad to recognize one amongst the number. "I do recall meeting Miss Templeton before."

"Very well." The dowager countess, still holding tightly to Mama's elbow, nodded approvingly. "You ladies enjoy yourselves. Take every opportunity to mingle with the gentlemen now because who knows what will happen in the future." She giggled, and the young ladies responded by tittering, but Olivia did not join in the chorus. Rather, she eyed the others and wished that her cousin, Rose, was in attendance.

Rose would know what to make of all this. She would be able to guide me through the festivities this week.

Once her mother and the Dowager Countess of Langford had glided away, Olivia scooted into the circle, standing close to Miss Edith Templeton. Because she did not know what to say, she simply stood still and listened to the others, but she was stunned by what she heard.

"Look over there," Lady Abigail said, jutting her chin at a pair of gentlemen who were stationed near the mantelpiece. "I heard tell that Lord Paulson has developed quite a gambling habit, and it is said that he's run up debts all over town."

In response to this bit of gossip, the other ladies giggled.

Whether Lady Abigail was intrigued by the woes of others or because she took pleasure in being the center of attention, she continued whispering about those who were congregated elsewhere in the room.

Tapping her gloved finger to the left side of her chin, she indicated a young lady and gentleman who were over by the windows. "Do you see Mr. Gareth and Miss Beauchamp?" All the young ladies nodded, eager to hear more. "I understand that Mr. Gareth made an offer of marriage to Miss Beauchamp, but she turned him down."

Lady Poppy gasped. "Why? They seem to be so well-matched."

Lady Abigail's eyes sparkled mischievously. "If my sources have not misled me, I believe Miss Beauchamp determined she could not marry Mr. Gareth because she has already set her cap at another…one who is more prosperous and…shall we say…experienced?" She giggled, as did the others, but Olivia remained mute because she was befuddled.

Does she mean to say Miss Beauchamp will not accept the gentleman because she has fallen in love with a rake? Oh, the poor young woman.

She cast a sympathetic gaze toward Miss Beauchamp, but as far as Olivia could tell, the young lady was fully engaged in her conversation with Mr. Gareth. The two were behaving quite agreeably, and had Lady Abigail not inferred otherwise, she might have concluded that the two were very happy being left to their own conversation.

"Ah…" Lady Abigail reached out and grabbed hold of the arm of the lady standing nearest to her, Miss Sampson. "Speak of the devil, and he appears." Pops of color rose to Lady Abigail's cheeks, and it was apparent she was enchanted by the idea of laying eyes on the roguish man who had captured Miss Beauchamp's heart. Because Olivia could not help herself, for she did have a curious nature, she allowed her eyes to follow Lady Abigail's line of sight.

"But that's Lord Frontershire." The words popped right out of Olivia's mouth.

"Yes," Lady Abigail cooed. "It is him. I was so hoping he would be here."

"But…" Olivia protested, "I have met him. He is friends with my cousin Rose and her husband, Benedict, Viscount and Viscountess Dewsbury. They never mentioned his…his…"

She could not bring herself to accuse him of being a rake. She had encountered Lord Frontershire once before, and while they had not particularly made merry with one another, she did not think his reputation ought to be tarnished by such idle gossip.

She recovered her wits and proceeded to explain, "All I know is that my cousin and her husband think very highly of him."

"But what would you know of his affairs personally, Country Mouse?"

Olivia had been stupefied moments before when Lady Abigail began gossiping about others, but now, she was completely caught off guard.

"What?" she squeaked then silently chastised herself for behaving in just the manner Lady Abigail might have expected.

A sardonic smile slid onto Lady Abigail's pretty face as she turned to allow the full power of her gaze to rest upon Olivia. "I have not seen you about town," Lady Abigail began. "And since the dowager thought it best to introduce you around, I can conjecture you know few people here. So, how is it that you have come to be so intimately acquainted with the Charming Rake?"

"Hmm…?" Olivia mused. "The Charming Rake?"

"It is what those in the ton affectionately call Lord Frontershire." Lady Abigail tapped her finger aside her nose. "I should think one so knowledgeable as yourself…one so eager to defend him would…"

"I am not aiming to defend Lord Frontershire. I only meant to say that my cousin is his friend and…"

Lady Abigail laughed prissily. "Then you have no knowledge of your own to share, which is a pity." She leaned forward and whispered in a conspiratorial manner, "You will soon learn that it is impolite to argue when you have no grounds upon which to stand." She straightened up, then gave Olivia a supercilious look. "And as you learn how to comport yourself in Society, perhaps someone will teach you or your lady's maid how to style your hair."

Miss Sampson gasped, but Lady Poppy giggled. Olivia's hand flew to her hair, and she touched her own locks which were the color of thick, dark treacle.

"What is wrong with my hairstyle?"

Lady Abigail stepped nearer and picked up the one loose curl that hung down the curve of Olivia's neck. She fingered the fine strands and then dropped them back into place. "The style…with your tresses hanging down around your shoulders is so… childish. So informal. It is as if you forgot to finish your coiffure before dashing from your room." Her eyes widened infinitesimally before she teased, "Or perhaps a curl slipped free while you were dallying with one of the gentlemen. Could it be that you know Lord Frontershire better than you say?"

Affronted, Olivia stepped as far back from Lady Abigail as she could get without drawing a massive amount of attention to herself. Hundreds of retorts sprung to the tip of her lips, but Olivia had been schooled by her father and mother to hold her tongue and not engage with others who were antagonistic by nature.

"You should not say such things," Miss Templeton said, rising to Olivia's defense. Her thick brown curls were piled neatly on top of her head, and she patted them as she spoke. "It is inappropriate and churlish. Anyone can see that you are just trying to provoke Lady Olivia. But to what end? You only just met her so…"

"Quiet," Lady Abigail snapped, shooting Miss Templeton a look that was shaded with loathing. "Everyone here knows that you are only taking Lady Olivia's side because you are nearly as backward and awkward as she." She scoffed. "It is no secret that your father is practically destitute and…"

"My father is a viscount and…"

"A viscount?" Lady Abigail guffawed loudly. "He may as well be a penniless baron."

That is enough!

"If you have no wish to mingle with us, Lady Abigail, then we have no wish to stay." Olivia looped her arm through Miss Templeton's. "We shall not take offense at your harsh words, but rather, we'll leave you now with our wishes that the rest of the week should find you in better spirits because you clearly are disgruntled at present."

Lady Abigail's whole countenance changed once more. Gone was the simpering sweetness she'd shown the Dowager Countess of Langford. And the rambling gossip disappeared too, only to be replaced by a lady with malice gleaming in her eyes. "I am not disgruntled, Lady Olivia. I merely speak as I see fit."

"Oh," Lady Olivia retorted, "that is a shame, for that means we must part ourselves from your company permanently." She tipped her head to the side and granted Lady Abigail a pitying look. "I do hope your manners improve throughout the week, but if they do not, we shall not be around to see your folly."

"My folly? My…" Lady Abigail continued speaking, but Olivia had heard plenty.

She and Miss Templeton hastened to get away from the circle of young ladies, and once they were on the other side of the room, nearest the doorway, Olivia breathed a sigh of relief.

"I do apologize to you," Olivia said to her companion. "I meant to get away from Lady Abigail, but I should not have dragged you along with me if you wished to stay."

Miss Templeton snorted. "I do not enjoy spending time with Lady Abigail or any of her friends, but Lady Olivia…you should not have done that."

"No?" Her eyes flicked back to the spot where Lady Abigail stood, and she saw that the gaggle of young women had huddled together. It was difficult to know what they were saying, but based on the way they had surrounded Lady Abigail, it was evident they were comforting her, telling her she was not to blame and likely belittling Olivia.

"No one speaks to Lady Abigail in such a manner. She will surely tell others of your impertinence and…"

"Let her tell people of what I said. Repeating my words will only cast a pall over her own behavior. And besides, I have no wish to consort with gossips or their friends." She turned her gaze back to Miss Templeton. "If you should care to rejoin the ladies, I will not begrudge you."

Miss Templeton smiled slowly. "I think I would like to remain here…with you. I was seeking a way to escape from Lady Abigail's tyranny, and now, I see you are the person to stand up to her."

Olivia shook her head. "I hope that is the last of my encounters with Lady Abigail. I am determined to only spend time with people this week who are worthy of my attention." She beamed at Miss Templeton genially. "Like you."

"But are you really here just to make friends?" Miss Templeton inquired. "Have you not come to this party, like the rest of us, so you might find yourself a handsome husband? The Dowager Countess of Langford arranged matters so conveniently."

"I am not concerned with convenience," Olivia replied. "My mother taught me to value propriety, and my father nurtured my mind, demanding that I never settle for something simple just because the complex was out of reach." She paused and squared her shoulders, feeling a stirring of confidence surge through her body. "I will not be belittled by Lady Abigail, nor will I enter into a marriage contract just because a gentleman happens to share this house with me this week."

"Then what will you do?" Miss Templeton ventured.

"I am determined to marry someone I love," Olivia concluded. "No other circumstances will suffice."