Three Years Ago

“May I have the honor of a dance, my lady?”

Lady Lavinia Andrews, daughter of the Marquess of Feverton, looked up at the request. It shouldn’t have surprised her to receive it. This was a ball, after all, and the whole reason she had come here was to meet gentlemen and to dance with them. She knew her father would be happy that someone was finally taking an interest. After a quiet first hour at the ball, it had begun to seem as if no one would.

And yet, if Lavinia was honest with herself, she would have to admit that she would rather they didn’t. She had been standing beside the wall and sipping a drink, watching the ladies in their beautiful gowns, wondering what it would be like to be one of them, but she didn’t truly feel as if she was one of them. She didn’t belong here. She wasn’t sure she ever would.

The gentleman in front of her seemed friendly enough. He was smiling and holding out his hand. She realized that she hadn’t yet answered his request. “A dance would be lovely,” she said—not because she thought it would, but because she knew it was what her father would have wanted from her. He was very strict, and he was determined that she would make a match this season. If she didn’t find someone herself, he was sure to find someone for her—a dreadful thought.

“My name is Lord Haverhill,” he said. His smile broadened. “I noticed you from across the room. You’ve been standing here all night. Haven’t you seen anyone that you wanted to dance with yet?”