Page 37 of Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Duchess (Wallflower Season #3)

Chapter One

“ I have said it once already, Brother, and I shall say it again — if you do not leave me be, I will cause a scene larger than anything that you have ever seen before.” Scarlet Draton was not in a mood to be trifled with.

Her large blue eyes glared up into the eyes of her brother, narrowing to slits as she dared him to call her bluff.

Her voice was a low whisper, her words pointed like daggers.

The ballroom that they stood inside of was filled to the brim with people.

All of the revered and respected members of the ton were in attendance at this evening’s event.

It was the sort of place that hungered for a scandal, for something to gossip about with so many prying ears that wished for amusement that it was nearly sickening.

Scarlet glanced down to the hand on her gloved bicep and then back up to her brother pointedly, waiting for it to be removed. Her lips pursed in warning as the silence stretched between them, a tense battle of will.

Scarlet won as she usually did.

Edward’s hand fell from her quickly. The tall man made a humming noise in the back of his throat, showing his displeasure as he started to adjust the fit of his coat while glancing around the room. It seemed that none of those hungry eyes were trained in their direction just yet.

“That was precisely what I thought,” Scarlet answered the question that was not asked, gloating over her victory. “As we have only just recently restored our family name, I should not think you wished to tarnish it again so quickly.”

“Must you keep throwing that in my face?” Edward spat.

“I do not recall you having ever offered me an apology for your behavior. In fact, I seem to recall you apologizing profusely to our mother…and even to our dear sister Violet. However, I was not offered an apology for your gallivanting around the town like a drunken buffoon. Not a single contrite glance…no, no, all that I was given was a marriage speech.” Scarlet’s tone betrayed just how hurt she was over the whole thing.

“I know that you think that just because I am young that I do not see, but I assure you…I saw everything. ”

Edward looked almost intimidated by her confession. “Whatever you believe that you saw, I am certain that you were mistaken. Do not speak about things that you know nothing about.”

“If that is true, how about you educate me?” Scarlet countered.

“Children!” their mother, Helen, interrupted softly to cut through their bickering.

She placed a soft hand on both of their forearms and leveled them with a serious look.

As the dramatically inclined woman was rarely the voice of reason in any situation, both of her children fell quiet to pay attention to what she might say next.

“This is not the time or place for conversations like this. This is a party . Certainly, both of you are capable of enjoying yourselves and having a good time. This squabbling is beneath you both, honestly.” She heaved a long-suffering sigh and patted them once.

She gave them a look as if to say, ‘ I expect you to do better,’ before removing her hands.

“I cannot stand to see my children fight. At the end of the day, you must — oh, oh, hello Lady Eleanor!” Helen paused mid-conversation to lift her hand and wave to a friend of hers that she caught sight of across the room.

“Excuse me; behave yourselves,” she whispered as a parting word before leaving their sides.

Scarlet shifted petulantly from one foot to the other, her arms crossed in front of her.

“For what it is worth, dear sister, I am sorry,” Edward broke the silence with his whispered apology.

“It is a little late for that, do you not think?” Scarlet did not wish to let go of her anger so easily.

She did not want to allow him to think that a single phrase could undo the hurt in her chest. After a moment of deliberation, she paused and exhaled slowly as her weight shifted to one foot.

“Brother, because of my great love for you, I shall forgive you just this once — so long as you can promise me that you will not meddle in my affairs any further.”

“I clearly mishandled the situation between us. I was not thinking…you seemed so unaffected—” Edward tried again.

“What would you have me do, Brother? I could never fault you for the pain that you were in. I understood why you felt the need to mend your heart in any way that you could after what you were forced to endure. I am your sister, and I love you…so I would do anything not to be a larger problem for you…and I would like it if you could extend that same courtesy to me once in a while.”

“I have not rushed you…I thought that you enjoyed the courtships?”

“Have you not rushed me? Brother…I have hardly had a moment to myself over the past year with all of your constant prodding about my preferences for a husband. This would have been the first conversation that you and I have shared since Violet was married that did not solely revolve around me finding a husband! If you wish to be rid of me so swiftly, then at least be honest about it!”

“What? No that is not—”

“What else am I supposed to believe? It feels as if you have simply reduced me to nothing more than livestock for the highest bidder! You find some man with an arbitrary trait that you believe me preferential to and just shove me at them, time and time again! You have no care for what I truly want!”

Edward scoffed, “Now you are getting carried away with yourself; do you not think?”

“Of course, the moment that you become the slightest bit uncomfortable with what I have to say, you accuse me of being dramatic.” Scarlet was so angry that she could hardly even look in her brother’s direction.

“There was a time in my life, Brother, where I nearly idolized you. After father passed away, you were the only man I had to look up to, to seek guidance from—”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She knew how those words would wound Edward, and yet, she could not keep from speaking further.

“He would never have treated me this way. I understand that it is my duty to find a husband, but the legacy of our family is secure, our reputation has been mended — Violet saw to that, no thanks to you.”

It was cruel, but some part of her hoped that if she insulted him deeply enough that perhaps he would let her be. She hoped that some part of him would simply walk away and allow her to finish the rest of the ball in peace.

She could not abide him pretending to be the kind, doting brother that everybody presumed that he was.

They all brushed his former scandal under the rug.

He thought that he and Violet had been so careful in keeping things from Scarlet that she did not know Violet ran the entirety of their family after Edward had been left at the altar.

Was it so wrong to wish to be loved in the same way that her sister was? At the very least to be respected the same? Perhaps it was simply too much to ask.

“Scarlet, that was never my intention, you must understand that all that I have ever wanted was for you to be happy. It is my duty as your eldest brother and the head of this family to ensure that you find a prudent match!” Edward started softly and gathered up his self-importance as he spoke.

“As you say, Brother. We both know that I must do as you wish, so why do you not—” Scarlet’s words were cut off by a flash of movement across the room.

Their mother, known for her elaborately bright and designed gowns, was not exactly difficult to spot.

For a moment, the flash of movement interrupted the argument that the siblings tended to have most days now.

Scarlet was grateful for the interruption.

She knew that it was too much to hope to have the same version of her brother that Violet had been graced with for so many years.

He would never see her as the strong, capable, intelligent woman that they all knew Violet was.

In their eyes, she was nothing more than an impulsive, childish sort of woman. She was so much more than that.

“Where, exactly, is Mother going?” Scarlet asked with a sigh. There was just no point in repeating herself, and she would rather her brother leave her alone even if only for a little while. The doting brother act was vexing her.

Edward turned on his heel, his hazel eyes scanning over the sea of bodies between where they stood and where their mother was attempting to make a hasty exit.

It seemed like something out of a fairy tale.

Helen glanced over her shoulder, her hand poised on the arched doorway as if waiting for somebody to jump out and attempt to stop her from doing whatever it was that she was attempting.

It did not seem as if anybody else around her were particularly concerned with where she went, for it was known throughout the ton that Helen had a terrible reputation as a prolific gossip who tended to embellish even the smallest of rumors.

Where she went had stopped fascinating people shortly after her husband had passed.

Yet, her children were very concerned as to where their mother appeared to be sneaking off to in the middle of a very pleasant ball.

“I do not know, but I shall find out. You say here and finish out your dance card.”

Scarlet’s eyes narrowed. “No! If there is something the matter with Mother, then I should very much like to know!”

“Nonsense, she is more apt to tell me her thoughts than you…it will be to the benefit of all of us for you to remain here.”

She supposed that she deserved that. Scarlet had insulted her brother first after all.

Yet, it still stung. She had always felt as if her mother was closest to her other siblings.

Like they all belonged to some sort of club that she wasn’t supposed to be a part of.

Always on the outside of the dance floor looking in.

“Surely, you have at least noticed the strange behaviors that she has been exhibiting as of late,” Scarlet attempted once again to be included.

“You know how Mother can be.” Edward waved a hand dismissively as he started to walk away, but Scarlet grabbed hold of his sleeve to stop him.

“That is not at all what I mean. I do not refer to her normal eccentricities but to the new patterns of behavior. She has become reclusive again, keeping more to herself as best as she can…humming and singing songs under her breath. The last time that she did such things was when I was a child. Surely, you have noticed?” Scarlet asked, but Edward looked at her like she was crazy.

“You do not think anything of her holing up in her chamber pouring over poetry day and night? She has written so many letters that she has used up three quills just this week, Edward. Three quills. ”

“Since when do you have time to pay so much attention to Mother’s affairs?

I should think you have more important things to do.

Things like dancing. Leave Mother to me, Scarlet; that is final.

” Edward said with what was likely supposed to be a kind, soft expression before turning his back to his sister.

“Do not cast me away! I wish to be included, Edward! I am perfectly capable of handling family affairs. I wish to be involved in whatever is happening with her!”

“You do not even like her,” Edward dismissed once more.

Scarlet recoiled from the dismissive words. Her pain at the implication that she did not love her mother the same as her siblings did injure her deeply. Of course, she loved their mother.

If Edward sought to wound her for speaking to him so harshly earlier, he had accomplished his goal.

“That is not true!” Scarlet said firmly.

“She is my mother. We might not always see eye to eye on things, but I do not wish her unhappiness. Until recently, she was lamenting about how alone she felt, how tired her days were making her feel for want of inspiration. Then, nearly overnight, she starts giggling and dashing around like a schoolgirl? Surely there is something that you know, and you just do not wish to tell me?”

Edward appeared to be finished with the conversation, no longer interested in entertaining her perceived rebellion for a moment longer.

He stepped away from her and turned his back with a parting, warning glance.

He made it only about three steps before he appeared to change his mind, spotting somebody else in the crowd entirely.

“In fact, there is somebody that I mean to introduce you to.” Edward spun back to face her. “Someone that I have met only recently, but from the moment that I met him, I had the feeling that he was exactly what you were looking for.”

Scarlet was at a loss. It was as if the whole end of their conversation had never even happened.

“Come now, Sister, and I shall introduce you to the Baron of Weston.”