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" L et us not waste a second longer, then!"

The Dowager smiled brightly, no doubt pleased that her son had not argued. She held him by the arm, leading him over to the group of eager-eyed young ladies that awaited him.

"Now I want you to give the ladies here a fair chance," Idiots advised her son. "You might not know what you are missing out on unless you keep an open mind."

"Anything you say, Mother," Ambrose replied, disinterested. He was already looking forward to getting this over with.

He trailed behind as his mother led the charge, approaching a pair of eager young women. The first one was a blonde-haired lady, taller than average.

"Lady Elizabeth," Edith greeted warmly. "So lovely that you could make it. I was hoping to introduce you to my son, who you may as well know, Duke of Greymont."

"Lovely to meet you, Your Grace," Lady Elizabeth smiled warmly, batting her eyelashes in a way that was supposed to be appealing but garnered no reaction from him.

I wish I could say the same. "Good to meet you as well."

"Ambrose, did you know that Lady Elizabeth possesses the most exquisite skills when it comes to painting?" Edith nudged her son softly. "Isn't that right, my dear?"

Lady Elizabeth nodded eagerly. "Oh, I try. I would be honored to show you some of my pieces if you're ever inclined, Your Grace."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ambrose replied, but as he smiled, his mind flickered to Daphne. I doubt she'd flatter me so easily. No, Daphne would have made some sharp, witty retort, likely poking fun at him.

"What about yourself, Your Grace?" the woman asked. "I am sure that you are a man of many talents – what do you pass your time doing?"

Ambrose shrugged his shoulders. "None that might interest you, I am afraid."

Edith shot him a glare, while poor Lady Elizabeth looked more confused than ever at the statement.

"Oh – well, perhaps we should move forward," Edith interjected, her voice holding a hint of embarrassment. "I hope that you make yourself quite comfortable here, Lady Elizabeth."

As the mother and son walked away, Edith grabbed Ambrose's' arm much tighter than before.

" Ouch, " he muttered under his breath, "What is that about?"He was always surprised by the strength a woman of her stature possessed.

"You well know what it is about," Edith replied, irked. "Please at least try to show interest in the new lady. None that might interest you. How do you expect the poor lady to respond to that?"

"It was being honest," Ambrose replied. Sure, it was not as forthcoming as most gentlemen are. But then again, he had always assumed that if by some great miracle, he decides to settle down for marriage, it would be with someone who knows how to handle his comments.

"I beseech you," Edith said as they approached yet another young lady. " Try at least."

"I shall do my best, but I make no promises mother."

"Duchess," the lady approached them before they could make their way over.

Over-eager, Ambrose found himself thinking.

"Lady Rosalind," Edith brightened up with a smile. "Oh, so lovely to see you."

"Indeed. The pleasure is all mine," she smiled, her gaze wandering over to the Duke. "Of course, I know you quite well. Everyone here does."

Ambrose tugged on his tie, "Good to meet you, Lady Rosalind."

"I must say, everyone here is quite impressed with the arrangements.

Everything is in impeccable order, and all the guests feel quite satisfied," Lady Rosalind commented.

"But is that even a surprise? The Duchess of Greymont is famous in the land for her hosting skills.

I am just lucky that I got a chance to see it myself. "

"Oh, yes. I shall say that it takes one to know one, really," Edith replied.

Clearly, the obvious attempt at flattery had worked on his mother but he saw right through it.

Predictable.

As the ladies conversed, Ambrose's thoughts returned to the subtle details. Daphne's nose is more prominent, he thought absently, glancing briefly at Lady Rosalind's dainty features. He was surprised by how much Daphne's features made her... noticeable. He couldn't help but compare.

"Your Grace?" Lady Rosalind asked, drawing him back to the present conversation.

"Ah, yes?" Ambrose blinked, forcing himself to focus.

"I was just asking if you'd attended the Ridgemore Ball last month. It was quite the spectacle," she said with a polite smile.

"I did, yes," Ambrose replied, though his mind wandered back to the terrace where Daphne had stormed off. Her abrupt departure still irked him, lingering like a challenge he couldn't quite let go of.

"Such an event," Lady Rosalind continued. "The music was divine."

"I'm sure it was," Ambrose replied, though he wasn't paying attention. Instead, he caught himself comparing Lady Rosalind's hands to Daphne's smaller, more delicate ones.

His mother leaned toward him, lowering her voice slightly. "Ambrose, dear, you seem distracted," she said with a pointed smile. "Do focus, she is an excellent prospect."

Ambrose forced a smile back. It was very unlikely for him to be able to focus like this. Surely, this was an anomaly.

Albeit a shockingly persistent one.