A Captivating Lady's Love Storm - Bridget Barton Page 0,1

you to speak with him before the Duchess comes to get you into her carriage.”

Marianne nodded and hurried downstairs. The duchess, Lady Katherine Barrington, was a cousin of Marianne’s, at least ten years her senior, who was to be her chaperone on this first official foray into society. The role ought to have belonged to her mother, but Lady Ellen Amesbury had died giving birth to Marianne, and she had never known her mother aside from the paintings hung in their country estate and the stories her father told her.

Chaperoning her to her first evening out in society was the sort of the thing that Lady Katherine was made for. She had the wisdom of a few years on Marianne, the wit to cover over uncomfortable situations, and the love of fun required to sustain Marianne’s energy.

Marianne paused downstairs and knocked on the door to the library, slipping in at her father’s invitation.

“Marianne,” Lord Amesbury said quietly, standing from his position by the fireside and setting his sherry glass down. He smiled, looking at her with warm eyes. “You look lovely indeed, just like your mother used to.”

She smiled happily and curtsied before coming into the room and standing in front of him. “I hoped you would like it, Father. Will you be proud of your only daughter going out in society in such a fashion?”

“I would indeed,” he said. A certain sadness came into his eyes. “I am happy to see you so well adapted to this new chapter of your life,” he said quietly, “but I cannot help mourning the loss of my little girl.”

“You know full well that I will always be your little Mari,” she teased him. “No grand ball will change that.”

“Perhaps not the ball itself, but the outcome that we desire might,” he said quietly. “The reason for introducing you to the Season in the first place is so that you might mix society with young lords and ladies that will shape the rest of your life, hopefully, the trajectory of your marriage. I know it is what is best for you, but I find myself struggling with the thought of you slipping away into the company of some young man forever.”

“You should take comfort in the knowledge that I would never choose a husband that did not fully satisfy your requirements,” Marianne said gently, reaching down to take her father’s hands in her own. “I care about your opinion far too much.”

“Are you nervous about tonight?” he asked with a smile.

She nodded, excitement welling up inside of her. “I confess I feel a bit ill with nerves but assured that such things are normal, and I am as excited as I am frightened.”

“You have always behaved in ways that made me proud to call you my own,” her father answered quietly. “You are a very proper and accomplished young lady, and though I know you have natural nerves, I hope it soothes them somewhat to be assured that I have confidence you will continue to act properly in all things.”

“Not all things,” she said with a half-smile. “I believe that dancing is rather expected at these sorts of events, and you know full well how inadequate I am in that regard.”

Her father’s eyes showed compassion. “You were always harder on yourself than you deserved. You will not be required to dance every dance, and you will have time to recover between turns around the floor. Just be certain to rest and not push yourself too hard.”

They looked at each other, doubtless each remembering the incident that had encumbered Marianne’s ability to dance well; she with only a faint recollection, he as though it happened just yesterday.

“I told you earlier that you reminded me of your mother,” her father went on in a lighter tone. “It is not just because you have her wild hair and grey eyes, I assure you. You also have her spirit and kindness, and I want you to remember that tonight. There is more to a person than their wealth and status—feel free to fall in love, my dear, but I would have you marry not only for society but for the will of your own heart. Your mother and I found a love match, and I believe that you deserve the same.”

“I thank you for your care, Father,” Marianne assured him. “But I do not believe my very first night in society will result in a romance. I am not so quickly caught up by the manners and