Page 6 of The Marquess Match (Love’s a Game #3)
CHAPTER SIX
T he gardens at Southbury Hall were in full autumnal bloom, the air thick with the scent of orange roses and black-eyed rudbeckia as Clare, Meredith, and Gemma strolled through the winding paths, wicker baskets in hand, gathering flowers for the evening’s centerpiece arrangements. There was to be a ball tonight, and all the house party guests would be in attendance.
The afternoon sun cast a golden glow over everything, but their conversation was far from idyllic.
“It’s a lost cause trying to get Lord Trentham to pick a wife,” Gemma Banks said, carefully selecting a pale-yellow daisy. Gemma was several years younger than the other two ladies, but they both adored her.
Gemma’s small brown terrier, Oliver, ran around his mistress’s heels, jumping at the butterflies that circled in the air.
Meredith sighed, rubbing her temple and placing a gloved hand atop her burgeoning belly. “How can you tell?”
“He ignores the lot of them—the debutantes you so carefully picked out,” Gemma replied with a sympathetic smile. Gemma herself had recently married the Duke of Grovemont. After a contentious start to their marriage, she and Lucian were now madly in love, though they’d been embroiled in a scandal that Clare had helped them navigate.
“And I spent so much time picking them,” Meredith groaned.
Clare smirked, snipping a rose from the bush. “Hearing all of this makes me quite glad I don’t have to deal with any of it.”
Gemma suddenly stilled, her expression turning thoughtful as she reached out and touched Clare’s arm. “Oh, dear. I’m sorry to have brought it up in front of you. It was thoughtless of me.”
Clare waved her off with an easy shrug. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m long since past it.”
Gemma bit her lip, hesitating before speaking again. “May I ask you a question, Lady Clare?”
“Of course, dear. And how many times have I told you that you may simply call me Clare?”
Gemma smiled and nodded. “You helped Lucian and me when we needed you. You fixed our scandal. You clearly know how. I’ve always wondered…why have you never employed those same skills to restore your own reputation?”
Clare went very still, her gloved fingers tightening around the stem of her rose.
For a moment, she only glanced between Gemma and Meredith, feeling the weight of their expectant stares. No one had ever asked her this before. Though it stood to reason they would wonder. After all, Clare was known among certain people in the ton for being the lady to go to when a scandal had reared its ugly, unwanted head. She’d had plenty of experience with the subject, after all. And she knew precisely how to clean things up. And there was a very good reason she’d never employed her skills to fix her own situation.
Clare finally sighed. “The truth is, I’d rather deal with my controlling mother than a controlling husband.”
“Really?” Meredith asked, frowning. “I never knew you felt that way, Clare.”
“Yes, well.” Clare gave a dry smile. “There’s a certain amount of freedom I enjoy—slipping away from Mama from time to time. She falls asleep so often now that she’s getting older.” She let out a short laugh, though there was no real humor in it. “If I had restored my own reputation, I’d be obliged to marry, and I’m not interested in marriage in the least.”
“I suppose I understand why you’d rather not marry,” Gemma said softly. “But Lucian is such a dear.” Her eyes grew soft and misty as she thought of her beloved husband.
“And I cannot imagine my life without my Griffin,” Meredith added with an equally wistful smile.
Clare rolled her eyes and waved a hand in the air. “I know. I know. You’re both quite in love , but it’s not like that for most ladies of the ton . And I have no intention of making myself another grim statistic. With or without my scandalous past.”
Meredith sighed, shaking her head. “Well, in that case, let’s focus on other people’s love lives. Ash may be resisting my efforts, but at least Cecily and Lord Albion seem to be enjoying each other’s company.”
“Oh, yes,” Gemma said, nodding as she reached down to scoop Oliver into her arms. “Cecily is quite enamored with Lord Albion. Just this morning, she said she cannot thank you enough for inviting him here.”
Cecily was Gemma’s closest friend and still unmarried. They were all hoping for a betrothal by the end of the house party.
“At least someone is benefitting from my matchmaking efforts,” Meredith replied with a laugh, just before a determined look brightened her eye. “But we’re having a dance tonight, and I fully intend to threaten my elusive brother with bodily harm if he doesn’t choose a lady to dance with.”
Clare arched a brow. “Do you really think that will work? I honestly cannot picture Trentham asking anyone to dance. He isn’t exactly the dancing sort.” The kissing sort? Yes. Dancing? No.
Meredith scowled. “Well, he’d better become the dancing sort…and quickly. If not, I may just trip him into someone’s arms.”
Gemma giggled. Clare only sighed, shaking her head.
Tonight was going to be interesting indeed.