Page 25 of The Winter Rogue

“Excellent.” With a bow, he presented his arm, and with a deep steadying breath, she placed her hand in the crook and followed where he led. With a few deft maneuvers, he navigated their way through the crowd and before his mother, the rather intimidating Dowager Countess of Stonemere.

Gray hair was piled high upon her head in a regal display adorned with a simple lavender band, which matched her gown.

The woman was still beautiful, in that way of older women who age gracefully and are well aware of it.

The dowager presented a picture of serenity that Theo envied in that moment.

Stonemere bowed as she curtsied, and then they both straightened.

“Mother, Lady Theodora Lawton.”

“Oh, do cease such overdone formality. The chit is your fiancée, and I have met her on several occasions.” She waved her fan in a never-ending motion designed to beat back the heat of the gathering, and possibly the smell.

The older woman’s bold stare drilled into Theo as she asked, “Child, is my son treating you well?”

Theo truly wished someone’s wig would catch fire, or perhaps a dancer would faint to distract both the dowager and her son.

Instead, the woman waited with barely feigned patience, as though even having to ask the question was a nuisance.

Theo swallowed and offered a smile. There was only one possible answer in this setting. “Of course, Lady Stonemere.”

The sharp-eyed woman glanced at her son, then back to Theo. “If he fails to uphold the Stonemere honor, you will inform me immediately. Your marriage may not be a love match, but I expect him to treat the future of the family line with care.”

Theo nodded her assent and prayed for dismissal so the awkward interview could end. But, to her dismay, another man joined them.

“Lady Stonemere, I heard you had emerged.” The smiling man bent over the dowager’s hand as she presented it.

“Denton, do not be coy, young man. Have you met Lady Theodora Lawton?”

He turned his attention to Theo and again bowed over her hand. “I have not made her acquaintance as of yet.”

“She is Stonemere’s fiancée.” The dowager smiled with a smugness that suggested she might be responsible for this situation, when in fact it had been her husband and Theo’s father who had saddled her so. “Lady Theodora, this is Mister Hugh Denton, Stonemere’s cousin and my nephew.”

The man turned to Stone. “My felicitations to you both, ’Chilles.”

Stone nodded and offered a kind smile. “Thank you, cousin. It is good to see you are back in town. How was your tour of the Continent?”

“An excellent adventure, though I would hate to bore the ladies with my tales,” Stone’s cousin demurred.

“That will do. Return her to her mother, Stonemere. Denton, off with you, too. It is high time you found a wife as well.” She dismissed them with a wave of her fan and turned to the gray-haired lady beside her to resume their conversation.

Stonemere escorted Theodora back to her mother.

And while she had secured his general agreement during their dance, there had been no time to lay out her specific plans.

How fortunate that they had another waltz later during which to plan their future outings on a more detailed basis.

Despite her father’s belief that she sought trouble, in truth she attempted to avoid such scrapes.

But the best-laid plans—particularly hers—often went awry.

“Thank you for the dance, Lady Theodora. I look forward to supper, and our final dance later.” And then, with a bow, he departed.

Theo watched his retreating back as she stood beside her peacocking mother and wondered where her plan had once again gone awry.

She repressed the unladylike sigh that simmered inside, fueled by her frustration.

Granted, her foray had been, by and large, a success.

But somehow she was certain she had not established herself as his equal in the relationship.

While not an ardent follower of Wollstonecraft, she did share similar notions of equality.

These were ideas she needed to introduce to her future husband before it was too late.

The hoped-for path to extricate herself from an unwanted marriage had yet to reveal itself, rendering her behindhand from the start.

The arrangement of her own ruination flitted through her head as she considered all possibilities. Were it not for the shame it would level upon her entire family, she might have considered it. But she discarded the scandalous possibility.

A s supper neared, she resolved to return to her plan, though she would have to be more discreet while they sat in company. As expected after her last pre-supper dance, she was returned to her mother, where Stonemere waited to act as her escort.

“Have you been enjoying your evening?” He led her into the dining room, where their assigned seats awaited.

“Indeed. I have had a lovely time of dancing. It is one of the few parts of the Season I find bearable.”

“And what types of entertainment do you prefer?” He pulled her chair out and waited for her to sit.

Following his lead, she lowered herself to the cushioned seat.

“I much prefer a spirited salon or lecture. Particularly when discussing current social and political issues. The current debate on the validity of a married woman having the right to own property independent of her husband is of great interest to me.”

Stonemere groaned as he took his seat. “And how does it interest you precisely?”

“Why, as a soon-to-be-married woman, the law would recognize me as a person despite our marriage and grant me control of any property held in my name.”

He chuckled. “And what property might you hold that is not part of your dowry?”

Theo reminded herself to breathe. Many men were struggling with this concept.

“Why, I happen to own two pieces of land purchased with pin money that I wisely invested. One property is the site of a china factory. They fire various types of dishware. The factory owners have been excellent tenants, though I shall say I was at first concerned with the volatility of the kilns they use. Once it was all explained, I was much more at ease with their business. Then there is the home for orphans that I maintain here in London. I often run various fundraisers to support the effort, but the house and land they occupy are mine and shall continue to be at their disposal for as long as such services are required.”

Her partner’s look of incredulity did not surprise her, however much it still smarted to know men could so underestimate a woman.

“And is your father aware of these properties and the business conducted in association?”

“Well, why would he be? I used my pin money and made arrangements through my solicitor. As an unmarried woman, well over the age of twenty-one, I am perfectly within my rights to own and manage my own property.”

“I should like to have a look at your ledgers at your earliest convenience to ensure your man of affairs is on the up-and-up.” He made his pronouncement and then turned to greet the woman who sat to his left.

Theo turned and did the same with the gentleman on her right.

As everyone around her fell into their own conversations, she boiled inside over the high-handed nature of her future husband.

Mayhap she had waited too long to attempt to know her fiancé?

Drastic measures would be required if things did not improve as they became better acquainted.

The appeal of ruination had grown by leaps and bounds since last she’d considered it.

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