Regency Romance: An Intriguing Invitation (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance) (24 page)

Marie painted a picture of herself in her mind as a side show clown and felt
very heavy
in her heart. She could hear her sisters upstairs. It was time for her to get ready, as well, but she was delaying it. Her sisters took a lot longer than she did, with all of their lace and layers. They did their hair up in fancy dos and painted their faces. Marie didn’t do those things. It was a waste of time. She kept her dark hair back in a bun and only used a bit of powder to add color to her whole face and some pencil around her eyes at the insistence of her older sister, Lucinda.

Marie began to take the stairs up to the room where her sisters were talking and laughing. She wished she could get in on the fun but had felt like the odd girl out
since
the beginning. She had one younger
sister,
and her four other sisters were older than she. They were all beautiful girls, with slender bodies and
pretty
smiles. They wore the nicest clothes their father, the Earl of Weatherton, could supply. He had offered her the same
opportunities,
but she had chosen more practical wear and was less enthusiastic about the Season when it came around. She had found no
interesting
men to come courting her and would rather have played the piano and sang for the guests than dance with them.

Her father had given her permission to do just that before the Season started. It was her second time
around,
and she had spent several
miserable
weeks during the first one being forced to fill up her card every time she went to a ball and dance with some decent and some
hideous
men.

She reached out and turned
to the knob
to enter the room where her sisters were readying themselves for the ball.

“I suppose we will all have to dance with Duke Arlington and that deplorable Earl George.” She heard Angela saying.

“George Wright?” Lucinda asked, pulling on the ties to Angela’s corset to tighten them.

“Yes, that’s just who I
mean,
” Angela confirmed.

“He’s not a bad sort.” Lucinda continued. “I won’t mind dancing with him.
At least,
he doesn’t step on your toes!”

“It’s
simply
amazing how many men have no clue about dancing!” Another sister, Caroline, standing by the window looking out, said to no one in particular.

Marie took her spot in the corner, where her dress was hanging. She pulled it down from the hook and held it out in front of her to scan it. It was new, something her father had picked up for her while abroad in the Americas. He had picked up similar dresses for each of her sisters and had each of them styled slightly differently so they would have their
own
unique look.

She liked hers. It was
a deep
, rich purple that
offset
the color of her eyes, which had a slight purple tint mixed in with the blue. Her pale skin and indigo eyes were in sharp contrast
with
her almost-black hair. She felt like it made her look like a ghost.

Her younger sister, Jenny, was watching her and approached from a few feet away. “Do you like the dress papa bought for you, Marie?”

Marie looked up at her. Jenny was smiling at her, which prompted her to smile back. “I do.” Marie nodded. “I like it very much. It’s
very pretty
.”

“It is pretty.” Jenny reached out and stroked the fabric. “Papa always picks the best fabrics for us, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, he does.”

A voice from behind her made Marie turn. “I don’t know why he bought you
a dress
at all.” It was her second-
to-oldest
sister, Madeline. Madeline was due to
be married
off
this year. If she
weren't
soon, she would be considered a spinster, not just to the masses but in her
own
mind. Marie was aware that Madeline was unhappy about that situation and confused as to why it was happening at all. Marie wasn’t surprised. Madeline had the personality of a coiled snake about to strike. She had learned nothing in finishing school and insisted that everything
be
her way or no way. That didn’t go over well with the men that Marie had met so far.

“Why would you say that?” Jenny asked before Marie could say anything. Not that Marie would say anything. She was used to Madeline’s word jabs.

“Because all she’s going to do is sit
behind
the piano and play, making eyes at all the men around her instead of
actually
dancing with them and attracting one.”

“I don’t think you are one to talk about attracting men, Maddie.” Jenny took a step so that she was in between Madeline and Marie. “You have not been very successful at that yourself.”

Madeline huffed and put her nose in the air before turning to pull on a small waist jacket. “
At least,
I put some effort into it.”

“Marie has plenty of time. She doesn’t have to choose quickly and get it
over with
. It’s an important decision and must
be made
wisely.”

Madeline had turned her back to Jenny, fastening the small buttons on the jacket.

Jenny turned back to Marie and reached out to help her pull the gown over her head. “You don’t listen to a word Maddie says, Marie. You know what you’re worth. Don’t settle for anything less.”

Marie nodded, looking at Jenny with a soft smile. “I won’t.”

Jenny was a year younger than Marie but wiser in many ways. She had already found the man she wanted to marry but was too shy to tell her father. At just 17, she knew he wouldn’t approve of her choices and especially when he knew who it was – Jonathan Bligh, a nearby farmer who was just now trying to put his father’s farm back on its feet. Jonathan was 20, his father had died only months
before,
and Jonathan was working his fingers to the bone to save the only home he knew.

Jenny had been in love with Jonathan for as long as she could remember and they had made a pact to get married as soon as she turned 18. Now it was only a few months
away,
and she was anxious.
She
was
a wise
girl,
and Marie approved of Jonathan. She hoped their father would, as well, when the time came.

“Somebody needs to tell Duke Arlington what
he’s
worth,
” Madeline said, joining their sister, Caroline, at the window, where they both looked out over the grounds and at the bright blue sky dotted with just a few white clouds.

“Are you interested in
Duke Arlington
??” Caroline stared at her with wide eyes, a shocked expression on her face.

Madeline screwed up her face in disgust and then laughed abruptly. “No, dear sister. Not at
all
. The Duke’s problem is that he thinks he’s worth
more
than he is. Someone needs to bring him down to the ground, in my opinion. A man that ugly shouldn’t be trying to win over the hearts of pretty women.”

“That’s a cruel thing to say,
Madeline,
” Marie spoke up.

Madeline turned to stare at her. “You wouldn’t know a thing about it, little girl. You spend all of your time hiding behind your piano. If you aren’t even going to
try
, I’m not going to give you any sympathy. And you shouldn’t speak when you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Stop it, Maddie.” Lucinda shook her head at Madeline, sitting to pull on her boots and lace them. “You
are being
very foul today. What’s wrong?”

Madeline turned her narrow eyes to Lucinda and shook her head. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with
me
. What’s wrong with
her
? She is never going to get married at this rate!”

“Madeline, why does it matter to you when Marie gets married?” Lucinda had stopped in the middle of
lacing
one boot and was staring at her older sister. “You are not yet there yourself. You should be worrying about what is going on in your
own
life instead of berating Marie for the lack of action in hers.”

“Beth was married when she was Marie’s age.” Madeline sniffed.

Lucinda raised her eyebrows at the mention of their oldest sister and gave Madeline a disgusted look. “Maddie, you are several years older than
Marie,
and
you
aren’t married. Please don’t continue. You are only making a fool of yourself.”

Madeline huffed in embarrassment and stomped out the door, one hand holding on to her skirts so she could walk quicker and the other one clutching her folded fabric fan. Before she reached the door, she had flipped it open and was fanning her
heated
face. She gave them all one more
defiant
look before flying out the door and slamming it behind her.

Jenny turned back to help Marie after watching the scene unfold. She was shaking her head. “I can’t believe that girl sometimes. It seems she is living in her
own
world most of the time.”

“And she is the queen
there,
” Marie added.

Jenny pulled Marie into a quick hug. “She’s going to be very lonely for a long time if she continues to live there. You’re going to be fine, Marie. God will provide your man in due
time
.”

Marie smiled at her. “I know. I’m not worried. I don’t feel sociable most of the time
anyway
, why would I want to share that with a man? I
really
don’t feel I
need to
. At least, not right now.”

Jenny took her sister’s
hand,
and the two of them sat on a long cushioned bench so Jenny could apply a bit of makeup to Marie’s eyes and face. “You like to be alone, don’t you, Marie?”

Marie shrugged. “I don’t mind it.”

Jenny squeezed her hand. “When you
are attracted
to a
man,
and you fall in love, you will feel more sociable, I bet. There’s nothing like love to make you glow like a firefly.”

“Is that so?” Marie smiled at her sister.

“It is.”

“That must be why you are always glowing then.”

Jenny laughed and pulled Marie into another hug. “You are a sweet, sweet sister, Marie. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Do you think you will do any dancing tonight at all?”

Marie pressed her lips together and looked down. “I…I’m not sure. Maybe with Cornelius, at least.”

“Well, if you feel like dancing and not playing the piano or singing for everybody, you let me
know,
and I will find someone for you to dance with.”

“That feels like cheating.” Marie giggled. “I should be waiting for someone to ask me who hasn’t been encouraged to do so.”

“Nonsense!” Jenny laughed. “How will they ever know about you from behind that piano? They probably all think you came with it! You have to meet them somehow and what better way than through a recommendation from me? I know everyone!”

The girls laughed. It was true that Jenny was a social butterfly. But Marie was
fairly
certain
that everyone knew she
was betrothed
to Jonathan. Everyone except their father.

Chapter Two

When she entered the
ballroom
, Marie felt instantly out of place. She was familiar with many of the men there. They were standing around and sitting at the tables, drinking and talking to all the women. They seemed comfortable and happy. Most of them did,
anyway
. They were handsome and
rich
and knew what they wanted.

She wished she felt that same security.

She made a beeline for the
large
piano set apart from the orchestra where she would take her place for the evening. Madeline was right that Marie spent her time there and rarely got up. She danced during her first Season and saw no need to this
time
. Her sister had been wrong, however, when she said that Marie never got attention
behind
the piano. Several times, men had come over and offered her a drink and asked to be placed on her dance card. She usually declined, stating that she was here to play the piano and not to dance. The rejection
was usually taken
with an air of nonchalance and the men would just nod and go off to find another victim.

She slid into the piano bench and lifted the cover from the keys. She eyed them lovingly and softly ran one finger over them. She smiled to herself.

“You have a
very nice
smile, you know.” She heard and looked up abruptly into the eyes of her good friend, Cornelius Argabright. He was smiling from ear to ear.

“Cornelius! How are you this evening?” She lifted one hand, which he took and touched with his lips before releasing it.

“I am good, Marie, thank you. How are you?”

“I am looking forward to playing some beautiful music tonight.”

“Oh? So I assume it’s more of the usual for you, then.”

She caught the compliment and blushed. “Thank you, Cornie.”

“You do play such beautiful music. I suppose you have plenty of room on your card. Care to dance with me once this evening?”

She bit her bottom lip and grinned at him. “I would like that. Are you booked much tonight?”

He laughed. “I have all the ladies after me, Marie. You know that.”

She eyed him. He was rich and handsome and very
popular
. The masses had expected her to marry him someday but it wasn’t in the
cards,
and they both knew it. They were good friends but would never be anything more than that. Cornelius was the only man Marie had ever felt comfortable with but her feelings for him had never grown any further.

As for him, he knew he was an eligible bachelor in every sense of the word and therefore, kept his options open.
He
liked
Marie,
but she was not the woman he would marry. He was still looking for that woman and was confident his choice would be the right one. In the meantime, he enjoyed spending time with his friend.

“I do.” She finally replied. “So you just let me know when and I will have someone play while I dance.”

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll be back to fetch you for the fifth.”

“All right.” Marie smiled at him. “I’ll see you then.”

Cornelius bowed dramatically and took a few steps backward before turning around and disappearing
in
the crowd. She watched him as he left. Her eyes
were diverted
to his left, where Duke Arlington had just stepped into the room. His face was distinguishable because of the long scar that traced the side of his face
on the left side from
his eye down to his chin, where it
was buried
under a trim dark brown beard. She had
been told
the scar came from a fencing duel he had been in when he was a younger man in his early 20’s. She wondered if it was true. She watched him eyeing everyone around him. He was standing with a group of men. They were all talking and laughing while he stood with a solemn face, as usual.

Marie couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. She knew that he was brash and often
rude,
but she felt like he had a reason for that. He had been rejected by women all his life. How did they expect him to be? It wasn’t just the women who were being cruel. He didn’t promote kindness when he snapped at people and gave them dirty looks.

She began playing, running her fingers over the keys lovingly. She
began
with the Grand March, the typical opening for each ball. It was a time for anyone who wanted to be seen to dance around the floor, catching the eye of prospective matches. She always enjoyed the Grand March because she was able to look at all of the people without being mixed in with them. She had found the dancefloor to be hot and exhausting last Season. Her area of the ballroom was well-ventilated, having a large set of double glass doors directly behind her piano, doors that were often kept open slightly to let in a gentle breeze.

She moved into a Waltz second and again, kept her eyes on the dance floor, watching her sisters twirling about with their suitors. They all laughed and talked to the men without a problem. Even Madeline had a smile on her
usually
plastered face.

During a break between songs, the Master of Ceremonies announced
a game.
During the next song, a fun galloping dance, the partners were obligated to switch after a few spins around the floor, allowing the couples to get to know more of the group on an individual level and only for a few minutes. It looked fun to
Marie,
but she was still glad she didn’t have to be involved. That kind of movement would surely have made her feel faint.

She didn’t play a great deal during the dance. Her part was simple and allowed her to watch the couples on the floor. She settled her eyes on Duke Arlington because the constant movement would have confused her brain. He was stone-faced most of the time. She noticed that he went through her four sisters one after the other, not paying much attention to any of them. The knowledge of open rejection was
obvious
on his face. Two of her sisters smiled at him and danced freely, enjoying the movement and the fun. Jenny kept her eyes down as she danced with him but looked
shyer
than anything else. She responded to the Duke when he spoke to her, making him smile a little. That gave Marie a sense of relief. When they separated, he bowed to her and kissed her hand. He turned then and
was confronted
with the disdainful face of Madeline.

Once again, Marie found herself feeling sorry for the Duke. She wished she could talk to him and ease his pain.
She
didn’t believe the scar made him an unattractive man. She felt that it distinguished him from the others and should
be worn
as a badge of honor. He had
obviously
been defending his beliefs over something or there would not have been a duel. Even if it was
a duel
over a woman, surely that still meant that he was a loyal and honorable man who would put himself on the line for a woman he loved?

She didn’t understand why she seemed to be the only one who thought that about him. She noticed that Madeline did not smile when she was dancing with the Duke. In fact, she kept her eyes and face turned away so that she was not looking at him. Marie could tell that the Duke was saying a few words to
her,
but Madeline did not appear to respond to him.

Duke Arlington spun her in a circle
violently,
and she almost lost her footing. Marie lowered her head and tried to hide a small grin. It was
only
what Madeline deserved. She
was being
rude to the Duke.
She
could tell when he separated from her that when he bowed low to her, he said a few angry words that made Madeline’s face screw up tight. She turned on her heel and stalked away from him into the arms of another man who swept her away to dance.

Marie watched the Duke looking after her retreating sister with a look of rage on his face. He turned away and walked off the dance floor, apparently looking for a drink.

She sighed. She wondered how she could draw the Duke’s attention to her. It was his ballroom they were occupying, which made it even more unsettling that her sister had treated him with such disdain. No one else in the room behaved that way to the Duke.

She spotted Cornelius as he was headed toward her when the music stopped. She stood up from the bench and moved away from it to stand next to the grand piano. She gestured for him to come to her. He stopped on the way and grabbed two glasses of white wine, one of which he handed to her when he got closer.

“How are you getting along, Marie? Enjoying yourself? I do like your playing. You play so well.” They smiled at each other.

“Thank you, Cornie. I do like to play. How have you been this evening? Found your lovely lady yet?”

He narrowed his eyes and grinned slyly. “I think I have my eye on a lady, yes. How about you? See anyone from afar?”

Marie blushed and moved closer to him so that she could speak in a soft voice. “I have. And I need your help.”

“I can’t play the piano for
you
if that’s what you’re going to
ask,
” Cornelius replied with a laugh, knowing she would never have asked such a thing. She laughed
with
him.

“No, no. You know better than that, Cornie. No, I want you to talk to him for me. I want to know if he’s noticed me at all back here. Or if he saw me last Season. I was dancing then.”

“We’ll be dancing together soon. Do you want me to talk to him before then? And who is it we’re talking about
anyway
?” Cornelius gazed around the room, trying to guess who his young friend could be
interested in
.

“Duke
Phillip,
” she whispered.

He leaned closer to her and spoke out the corner of his mouth. “Did you just say Duke Phillip, my dear? Are you interested in becoming an Arlington?”

The thought sent a chill of excitement through Marie that she tried very hard not to show. She assumed her friend noticed
anyway
because he chuckled deeply.

“
Aaah
, so it is that way. Well, dear, I will go and have a chat with our host and steer him in your direction. How does that sound?”

“Oh, Cornelius, you are a good friend!” Marie threw her arms around his
shoulders,
and he leaned over to hug her back.

“It’s not a problem at all.”

“And who is it that you are
interested in
? Point her out to me right now so I can sing your praises to her.”

Cornelius laughed. He turned and scanned the room and then pointed to a woman in
a blue
silk and lace ball gown that fit her form beautifully. She had several braids intertwined
through
her long yellow-blond hair and a slender face with big eyes. “There she is. Lady Jane Caldwell. She is a
very nice
woman. I look forward to spending the rest of the Season with her, frankly.”

“Oh do you? Well, I will certainly pray that that happens for you.” Marie gave him a big smile.

“And I will talk to the Duke and see what he thinks about visiting the piano for a few minutes.” He scanned her from head to toe. “You do look very
pretty
tonight, by the way. I love your dress. It compliments your eyes well.”

Marie blushed. “Thank you, Cornie.”

He smiled. “If you can show the Duke that
look
right there, I know he will fall for you.”

Marie giggled softly and nodded. Cornelius bowed to her and kissed her hand. “I will see you for our dance, my dear.”