Page 8 of An Unwanted Widow for the Duke (The Unwanted Sisters #3)
Chapter Five
“ Y ou look incandescent—but then you always do,” Daniel praised, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
“Why must you use that word?” Wilhelmina asked, knowing full well he was teasing her love of books and language.
“So, you’d rather I say ‘lovely’?” he replied innocently.
“Good heavens, no. The English language contains far more fitting adjectives, and many are unjustly overlooked,” she said, patting his shoulder affectionately. “As for you, Brother, you look as though you have just been knighted. Truly, you are quite splendid.”
What Wilhelmina could not admit was how much she cherished the days when she could speak freely with Daniel.
For a time, her half-brother had been away, seeking to find himself.
Yet they all knew it was difficult for him to remain, given their father’s lingering resentment over his first wife, Daniel’s, Elizabeth’s, and Marianne’s mother.
Lately, Wilhelmina had noticed Daniel making a conscious effort to remain civil, not only toward her but also toward the twins’ mother, Lady Grisham.
“I feel like that would send tongues wagging.” He chuckled.
“Oh, so you’re admitting you’ll be getting more attention tonight?” she teased. “More than my poor, lowly gown could manage.”
“No, Mina,” Daniel said in a conspiratorial tone. “Your dress could spark a war.”
Daphne giggled at their brother’s silliness. “I rather think it would win hearts instead,” she said, glancing at Wilhelmina with admiration.
Victoria grinned, bold and unrestrained. “He’d better keep his compliments in check, or he might find himself in competition with every gentleman in the room,” she quipped, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
A few lords approached, two of them clapping Daniel on the back. Wilhelmina could only assume that they were the business partners her brother had been talking about.
“Lord Grisham.” Lady Grisham interrupted the little reunion with a forced smile, addressing her stepson formally. “Please do introduce us to your companions.”
The sisters exchanged glances. If there were one word to describe their stepmother, it would be perseverance, particularly in matters concerning young ladies and their prospects.
Lady Grisham had clearly taken note of the new arrivals’ confident bearing and refined attire. These men had clearly been raised in comfort.
“Lady Grisham, Sisters, allow me to present Lord Alcott, Lord Welles, and Lord Bertram,” Daniel announced. “They are my business associates.”
“Hopefully, you have said nothing bad about me, Grisham,” Lord Bertram remarked smoothly, his dark eyes settling briefly on Wilhelmina. He looked five years her senior.
“Gentlemen, may I present my stepmother, the Dowager Marchioness of Grisham, and my sisters, Lady Slyham, Lady Daphne, and Lady Victoria,” Daniel continued, bowing slightly.
Wilhelmina felt a quiet satisfaction. Daniel never referred to them as his half-sisters. Among themselves or before others, they were treated as simply his sisters and nothing less.
“Charmed, ladies,” Lord Bertram offered, inclining his head in an exaggerated bow, lingering on Wilhelmina with a look that bordered on flirtatious.
“I must confess, Lady Slyham, it is… most diverting to find a dowager who still carries such youth and charm. One could almost imagine you have been preserved just for the enjoyment of certain gentlemen.”
Wilhelmina’s eyebrow rose. “How considerate of you to imagine my purpose, My Lord,” she said coolly, each word an icy blade. “However, I should hope that not all gentlemen assume every lady exists solely for their amusement.”
Victoria snorted, flashing a daring grin, while Daphne stifled a gasp. “Mina!”
“What Lady Slyham means, My Lord,” Lady Grisham interjected hurriedly, “is that she is flattered.”
Wilhelmina noted the careful avoidance of any maternal possessive. Her mother stopped referring to her as her daughter in front of the ton. In her mother’s eyes, she had now become the Dowager Countess of Slyham. For Lady Grisham, rank stood firmly above their familial connection.
And Wilhelmina had always resented that.
“I highly doubt that, My Lady,” Lord Alcott said with a wide grin, his eyes twinkling at the sisters’ lively reactions.
Lady Grisham drew herself up to her full height, stepping back with a huff and a pointed glare at the young women. “Girls,” she instructed, her voice crisp. “Stand properly. Daphne, Victoria, cease your fidgeting.”
“I am not fidgeting,” Victoria protested, folding her arms with bold defiance.
Wilhelmina shook her head in quiet disbelief.
When Lady Grisham had managed Elizabeth’s Season, she had been tyrannical. She hadn’t softened much during Wilhelmina’s Seasons, but she had been pleased when Robert had proposed to her.
But now that Wilhelmina was widowed and childless, perhaps her mother considered her a disappointment.
“You were not, Vicky,” Wilhelmina whispered dryly. “Merely restraining yourself from leaping at them.”
“Mm,” Victoria murmured, her eyes narrowing at Lord Bertram.
Daniel cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow at Wilhelmina. She squared her shoulders, now standing perfectly.
“Lady Slyham, it is positively delightful to see you here at Lord Edgecomb’s musicale,” Lord Welles said, stepping closer with a polite smile that barely touched his calculating eyes.
Wilhelmina tried not to flinch. The man was one of her brother’s associates and outwardly polite, but there was a certain gleam in his gaze that set her on edge. She reminded herself to tread carefully.
“One cannot help but wonder,” he continued, his tone soft, almost conversational, “whether a lady in your… situation might find herself entertaining new prospects?”
“That is rather forward, Lord Welles,” she warned, a flash of indignation in her eyes. “We have just been introduced, might I remind you.”
Are people already speculating so freely?
She recalled Lady Farnmont and her circle; no doubt they thought she had returned solely to seek a husband.
“My Lady,” Lady Grisham interjected hastily, “Lord Welles meant no offense. My Lord, my daughter is not accustomed to such… remarks. Isn’t that right, dear? Consider it a compliment. You are still a young, accomplished woman. Your life need not be confined by widowhood.”
Wilhelmina’s gaze flicked to Lord Welles, noting the faint satisfaction on his lips. His words were honeyed, yet there was an undercurrent. Suggestive, probing.
A snake with a cravat .
She scoffed. “Was that what it was? A compliment?”
“I trust your sister’s sharp tongue keeps you in check, Grisham?” Lord Welles drawled with a sly tilt of his head, his eyes lingering just a moment too long on her.
“I am right here, Welles,” Daniel said firmly, though a faint smile tugged at his lips. “And yes, her tongue is as honed as her mind. A lady must possess the means to protect herself from those who think themselves superior.”
Lord Welles chuckled softly, the sound smooth but almost oily. “A novel perspective, Grisham. One might think your Grand Tour has altered your judgment on certain… delicate matters concerning the fairer sex.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened. Wilhelmina caught the tension and knew she had to intervene before the conversation slid further into uncomfortable territory.
“Well,” Daphne said nervously, glancing around the group. “I believe the quartet is about to begin. Perhaps we should all take our seats?”
Lady Grisham gave her a tight, approving smile.
And that was how Wilhelmina knew that Daphne would be Lady Grisham’s favorite this Season.
“Excellent suggestion,” Daniel agreed, inclining his head to his business associates, who nodded politely.
Then, he looped Wilhelmina’s arm through his—a quiet reassurance. She exhaled softly, relieved that she would not have to rely on the other men.
“Thank you,” she whispered, leaning slightly against him. “Saved by the strings, it seems.”
Daniel raised a playful eyebrow.
As they moved toward their seats, Wilhelmina met her mother’s glare head-on. Lady Grisham’s eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, flicked between them, but Wilhelmina returned the look, maintaining her calm.
“I had thought, after Lizzie and I married, that Mother would stop scheming,” she muttered under her breath.
“Yet here she is, parading us about like prized broodmares. If I’m being honest, I am grateful that her attention has shifted toward me and not the twins.
They are still too young to be drawn into this. ”
Daniel gave a low chuckle. “One of those nights when I am grateful she is not my mother. No offense, Mina.”
“None taken,” Wilhelmina assured. “But don’t be surprised when she turns her sights on you once she realizes you have yet to marry.”
“For what reason? Surely she does not wish me to produce heirs before the rest of you are well settled.”
Wilhelmina had not considered matters in that way. She had only worried about her own Season, the discomfort of marrying someone she did not respect or care for.
Her thoughts drifted briefly to Robert, her late husband. Her best friend. She had believed, once, that she had everything with him: friendship, laughter, shared ambitions.
Well, not everything. Not a real marriage. Not one born of romantic love. But she’d given up on that notion for a while now, and Robert was her dearest friend.
“Ha! You will fare well when it is your turn to find a wife. You are tolerable among men,” she said with a teasing grin.
“High praise from my dowager sister,” Daniel replied with mock solemnity.
“Ugh,” Wilhelmina groaned. “I feel ancient whenever my full title is mentioned. Perhaps we should omit it entirely?”
They chose the velvet-backed chairs near the front, conceding silently to Lady Grisham’s subtle manipulations, though Wilhelmina would have preferred the anonymity of the rear.