A Match Made in London (The School for Spinsters Book 1) by Michelle Willingham

Author:Michelle Willingham [Willingham, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2023-04-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Damian stood waiting near Persephone, and with every moment he waited, he felt more foolish. He knew Violet was right. The duke’s daughter was indeed playing him. Were she not a wealthy heiress, he wouldn’t have considered marrying her. But he owed it to his family to wed an heiress.

He didn’t want Melanie to wait another year before her debut. She deserved to find a husband who would adore her. Instead, she was trying to decide what else they could sell in the household.

And he, of course, was trying to sell himself to the duke’s daughter. He decided to bring Persephone a glass of lemonade, and when he arrived at her side to offer it, she gave a false smile. “Aren’t you a thoughtful gentleman, Scarsdale. But I’m not thirsty just now.” She turned to another suitor, ignoring him.

He felt foolish holding the lemonade, and it made him realize that he was literally at the lady’s beck and call. And she treated him no better than a servant. To be truthful, she probably thought of him in that way.

This couldn’t go on. He’d been patient, allowing Persephone time to make her decision. But he’d had just about enough of her teasing.

He saw Violet standing at the edge of the ballroom, and he crossed over to see her. She appeared shaken up, as if she’d seen a ghost. “Here.” He handed her the lemonade. “What’s wrong? You look upset.”

“It’s nothing,” she admitted. “Lady Ashleigh recognized me, that’s all.” She took a sip of the lemonade. He sensed that there was more, but she wasn’t going to admit it.

“Ashleigh won’t tell anyone you’re here,” he promised. A subtle warning would likely take care of the problem.

“Thank you for the lemonade,” Violet answered. She finished it in silence, studying him. “What about you? Is everything all right? Y-you seem upset as well.”

“I am.” His anger was on edge, mostly anger at himself. He’d believed he could coax an arrogant debutante into marrying him, when the truth was, she was simply enjoying the game. Persephone could have any man she wanted, and she knew it. And she was savoring the attention for as long as possible.

“Do you want to walk through the gardens?” he blurted out. “I need time to think. And I need someone who will be honest with me and tell me that my idea is idiotic. If I even think of an idea.”

“I can do that,” she said with a light smile. “But you can do nothing to compromise m-my reputation. It would hurt y-you, as well.”

“Fortunately, no one even knows who you are. Now let’s go somewhere we can talk.” He offered his arm, and as they passed a servant, she gave him the empty glass.

They walked across the terrace, and he nodded to Mr. Gregor and Mrs. Harding as they continued down the stairs into the gardens.

“Now what’s happened?” Violet asked.

“You were right,” he confessed. “Persephone is playing all of us. And I have a feeling that she’s enjoying it.

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