Regency 03 - Deception by Jaimey Grant

the girl had gotten over that
strange clumsy streak. Now she was just absentminded.
    It was Wednesday night and the vouchers for Almack’s
had arrived just that morning for the two of them. Even Ellie was
excited although she told herself she had no reason to be at her
age. She was a spinster of five and thirty, not a green girl in her
comeout year.
    Smoothing down the satin skirt of her dark blue
gown, she hoped she looked as well as she felt. It was amazing how
a pretty new dress could make a woman feel as if anything was
possible. Perhaps she would meet someone.
    Not at this rate, she thought glumly. First, Aurora
had forgotten her fan so they made their way back. Then, her
reticule turned up missing. They returned all the way home only to
find that it had somehow gotten pushed between the squabs of the
coach and had been with them all along. Her shawl didn’t match her
gown of apple green watered silk and her shoes got splattered with
mud when she wasn’t watching where she was going.
    Damn the rain anyway, Ellie thought with
unaccustomed pique. Aurora was hurrying back to the coach and
thankfully nothing befell her to delay them more. As it was, they
would only just make it.
    The doors to Almack’s closed at eleven o’clock.
After eleven no one was admitted. The patronesses were adamant in
this rule. Would they make an exception for the Prince Regent? Miss
Ellison thought not. They had refused the Duke of Wellington
admittance when he had arrived after eleven.
    ~~~~~~
    They finally arrived. Ellie was disappointed. So was
Aurora. After everything the ladies had heard, they were expecting
nothing less than Valhalla. The marriage mart looked more like a
cattle auction than the grand place it was touted to be. The
dancing area was actually roped off and the couples promenading
around the edge looked like nothing short of animals being put
through their paces.
    The food was simple fare, intended not to distract
from the principal entertainment, the dancing. Nothing stronger
than orgeat or lemonade was offered to drink. Aurora wondered why
the gentlemen bothered to come. Unless, of course, they were
actually looking to get leg-shackled.
    When Aurora voiced her dismay to Verena and Connor,
who had kindly escorted Aurora and Ellie that night, Lord Connor
just laughed and pointed out that she had best not say such things
within hearing of the patronesses else she’d find herself a social
pariah. Which made Miss Glendenning laugh. Until she saw Lord
Greville.
    He was dancing with the most beautiful auburn-haired
siren Aurora had ever seen. Even as she felt a sinking feeling in
her stomach, she was consumed with the sudden desire to dunk the
beauty’s head in a fountain. Alarmed and dismayed, she attempted to
stifle the feeling. It was amazingly like jealousy.
    “ Who is the beautiful lady dancing
with Lord Greville?” Aurora whispered to Verena. She refused to
call that particular lady young .
    “ That is Miss Weatherby. Her
father is a baron and looking to get her off his hands,” the other
woman replied with unusual cynicism. “I don’t know her well, just
that this is not her first season. I suppose Bri’s cousin is
interested in Miss Weatherby’s dowry. It’s said to be quite
large.”
    “ Bri’s cousin?”
    Verena turned to look at her friend. “Did you not
know?” she asked in surprise. “Levi Greville is Bri’s cousin.”
    Northwicke escorted his lady onto the dance floor
before Aurora had a chance to reply to this shocking revelation.
Why had no one told her?
    Then she saw that nice Lord Delwyn that she had met
before. He walked toward her and she smiled brightly as he bowed
and asked her for the next set. She saw the look of pique on Levi’s
face as he watched them, so she said yes.
    Thankfully, the movements in the dance made
conversation nearly impossible. Aurora wasn’t sure she would be a
very good companion at that moment. She enjoyed the dance,
nevertheless, and thanked Lord Delwyn prettily