A man she scarcely knew, really.

That thought occurred to her quite often.

As often as the thought that she had nothing to wear.

To make matters worse, as word spread around Mayfair, she was plagued with a sudden rush of callers. People she knew only casually were suddenly calling as if they were old friends, sniffing around about the details of her wedding and her courtship.

Lady Purnam was, naturally, the first to call, the tone of her voice as disapprovingly unpleasant as her mien. "How is it possible," she demanded without preamble, "that you could agree to something so indecorous?"

"I beg your pardon!" Ava protested.

"Don't behave so missishly with me, madam! This rush to obtain a special license so that you may marry within a fortnight is scandalous! The entire world will think you are with child!" she'd all but shouted, banging her parasol on the floor with each word.

"I hardly think the entire world will be concerned with my wedding, Lady Purnam, but in the event the entire world is concerned, I don't care!"

Lady Purnam gasped with shock. "Have you any idea how extremely disappointed your mother would be?" she shrieked.

"My mother would congratulate me on a match that was convenient and inspired!"

"Oh! You are incorrigible!" Lady Purnam cried. She did not stay long, so incensed was she that Ava would not listen to reason.

When Miss Molly Frederick and Miss Anne Williams called, Ava suspected that their mutual friend, Lady Elizabeth, had put them up to it. After the obligatory congratulations and talk of the wedding, Miss Frederick mused, "How do you suppose Lord Middleton came to his decision to offer for you? After all, there were so many debutantes for whom he might have offered."

"I suppose," Ava said airily, "that he was attracted by my inherent charm."

Phoebe, who was seated across from her, almost spit her tea as Miss Frederick and Miss Williams exchanged a look of astonishment at her cheek.

"You are indeed quite charming," Miss Williams lied solicitously. "But I should think you would not like to be married to someone who is known for reckless behavior."

"Reckless? Lord Middleton?" Ava responded with a gay laugh. "My fiance does indeed enjoy a good sporting event," she said, crafting her response from the things she had read or heard of him. "But I rather think he shall tame his ways once we are married."

Behind Miss Frederick's head, Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"I am certain he will," Miss Frederick said with a thin smile. "But nevertheless, I should not like to be married to a rogue."

"Indeed?" Ava said, and smiled wickedly. "I should think marriage to a rogue would be far more exciting than marriage to a vicar," she said, knowing full well that a parish vicar had made his intent to marry Miss Frederick well known.

And, in fact, Miss Frederick colored quite red and did not mention the rogue again.

When they had left, Phoebe folded her arms across her middle and shook her head. "You are shameless. "

"Why?"

Ava demanded. "Why should I explain my decision to the likes of them? Why is everyone so anxious to know how it is the Marquis of Middleton offered for me, poor Ava Fairchild? Why can't they just accept that he esteems me?"

"Oh, I don't know...perhaps because it happened so quickly without any sort of courtship?" Phoebe asked.

Ava ignored her. She ignored all the prying callers. She had her doubts, of course she did, but she found it insupportable for anyone to believe she was not as deserving of his esteem as anyone else. She was certainly as deserving as Lady Elizabeth. She met their prying questions with scorn-but none of them had prepared her for the arrival of the temptress herself, Lady Waterstone.

She called one day in the company of some of the women from the Ladies' Beneficent Society. "How very happy you must be," she'd said, taking Ava's hands and smiling in a way that made Ava's blood run cold.

"Indeed I am," Ava said, perhaps a bit too forcefully.

"Do you think you'll prefer Broderick Abbey to town?" Lady Waterstone asked, her eyes glittering."I...I don't know," Ava answered honestly. "I've not seen Broderick Abbey.""I think you will find it lovely and the country air divine. It's a wonderful place for children," she said. "I'

ve seen it often," she continued as she took a seat Ava had not offered. "I particularly admire the master suite. The colors are very inviting." She looked up, saw Ava's look of horror, and smiled. "The house is open to the public when he is abroad, you know."

"No," Ava said weakly. "I did not know."For the remainder of the call, Ava could hardly speak-she was completely obsessed with the questionof just how many times Lady Waterstone had seen Broderick Abbey-and in particular, the master suite? How long had they been lovers? How was it he had left someone as worldly and beautiful as Lady Waterstone for her?

She despaired the visit would ever end, but when it did, she vowed she'd not accept another caller.

Of all the women who had called on her, only Miss Grace Holcomb was kind to her, and seemed truly

excited that she was to marry a marquis. "He's quite handsome and so charming. I am so happy for your

good fortune, Lady Ava. I hope I will know such fortune one day," she'd said sincerely.Not even Phoebe was particularly kind-but then again, Phoebe was very exacerbated by the wholeaffair, as she was making Ava's wedding dress by sewing well into the night, as well as helping makearrangements to pick up Ava's life and move it to Broderick Abbey.

"I can't imagine what you must be thinking," Phoebe snapped at Ava the morning she was to meetMiddleton's father, the duke. "Granted, you have made yourself a match, Ava, but to wed him in aweek? There is no time to do anything properly!"

"And what will you do for a lady's maid?" Lucy demanded just as adamantly. "You cannot be amarchioness without a lady's maid! Everyone will talk!"

"That's very true," Ava said thoughtfully.

No one said anything for a moment, and then slowly, all eyes turned to Sally, who was sitting on the chaise.

Sally's eyes widened. "Me?""Yes!" Ava cried."Oh no!" Sally protested, gaining her feet. "I won't go off and live with country b.u.mpkins!""That's a bit high and mighty if you ask me," Lucy said."Beggin' your pardon, mu'um, but I never met a country bloke who knew his a.r.s.e-""I'll pay you handsomely," Ava quickly interjected before Sally could finish her sentence."Pay?" Sally said, relaxing a little. "How much?""One hundred and fifty pounds," Ava said, ignoring Lucy's squeal of shock and dismay. "You'll come to Broderick Abbey a week after I arrive there with as much of a trousseau as Phoebe can throw together."

Sally put her hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks a moment, then exhaled and nodded. "Done. But Iwon't live in the country forever, mu'um. Six months is all I'll give you."

"Fair enough," Ava said."Well, if you must take her, I will show her the trunks and how to fill them properly, like a good lady'smaid," Lucy said, seeming quite cheerful that Sally would be leaving, too. "Come along, then," she saidimperiously.

"I'm coming. Don't lace your corset so tight," Sally groused, and proceeded to follow Lucille out.

"What of Greer?" Phoebe demanded when she and Ava were alone. "You can't go through this withoutGreer. It would hurt her so.""Even if I were to send for Greer, she wouldn't come back," Ava said. "She is up to her elbows in trouble." Indeed, a letter had come from Greer just yesterday. She claimed to be quite surprised by the changes at her old family home, and, particularly, how impoverished it all seemed to be now.

Nothing is as I remember, she had written.

The estate is in disrepair. Mr. Percy believes that perhaps my uncle incurred a rather sizable debt as a result of his fondness for horses.

"Mr. Percy again!" Ava had exclaimed as they read it.

In spite of the many changes, however, I am confident that I can and will determine what has happened

to the family estate and will return forthwith to you. Mr. Percy has urged me to call on a solicitor, whomight be able to shed a bit of light on my family's affairs, such as they are. "Who is this Mr. Percy?" Phoebe cried. "How can we possibly trust him?""We cannot. I don't like it at all," Ava said darkly. "Write her straightaway and tell her that she cannot trust this mysterious Mr. Percy!"

"I will, after supper. At present, we have too much to do with your blasted nuptials to stop and writeGreer," Phoebe said testily."All right, Phoebe, I know you are displeased, but what choice did I have?" Ava exclaimed. "You know as well as I that if I hadn't made this match, when Lord Downey returned, he would hand me off to Sir

Garrett straightaway! At least this way, we shall rest a.s.sured that we shall not want!""Surely his fortune is not the only consideration! Do you esteem him? Do you have anything in commonwith him that might suggest you will live compatibly as man and wife? Isn't the point of a proper courtshipto determine if you suit?"

Ava snorted at that. "Don't be naive. This is about convenience and fortune, Phoebe-"

"And if it's not convenient? If it is about something entirely different than his fortune, what will you dothen?""What do you mean?" Ava demanded. "This is a good match of fortune and standing! And if I displease him, then I suppose he shall go his way and I shall go mine!"

"He shall go his way, all right," Phoebe snapped. "Into the bed of Lady Waterstone."

Why that should sting so terribly, Ava could not say, but she glared at her sister. "You don't know him," she said quietly.

"And neither do you," Phoebe responded tightly. "So at least allow time for a proper courtship."

"No," Ava said stubbornly. "There is no need. He truly esteems me, I can see it."

She truly believed he did esteem her in some way. Certainly she had come to esteem him. He was kind.

And playful in a way she found charming. And when he smiled...dear Lord, her insides turned to soup.

Phoebe sighed, shook her head, and sat. "You're mad. I don't care what you say," she said and refused to speak again as her needle moved in and out of the gown Ava would wear to marry Middleton.

That was just as well-Ava was preparing to meet the Duke of Redford and didn't have time for Phoebe 's angst. She lifted her chin and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a soft plum day gown Phoebe had made for her, trimmed in black. "What do you think?" she asked with her back to the mirror so that she might see the train that fell from between her shoulder blades to the floor.

Phoebe glanced up and frowned. "How will you explain to the duke that you are so quick to wed without your stepfather's consent?"

It was a very good question, and while Ava would never admit it, she was actually afraid of meeting the duke. She'd seen him only once or twice, usually across the room at a ball or gathering, and he'd always seemed so stern and tall and forbidding. "I don't know how I shall explain it," she muttered. "I can scarcely explain it to myself. Now do please tell me how I look!"

Phoebe's grim expression softened a little and she smiled. "Lovely, Ava. He cannot find fault with your appearance. You will give him beautiful heirs."

Heirs. Ava sighed. Yet something else she had not thought through entirely. G.o.d, she longed for her mother!

She had precious little time to long, however, because a few minutes later, there was a rap on the door, and Mr. Morris shouted from the other side, "A carriage awaits, milady!"

Just then the door flew open and Sally burst through, pa.s.sing Mr. Morris. "And what a carriage it is," she squealed, grabbing Ava's hand and pulling her to the window to see. Below them on the street was a landau carriage so new that the gold Middleton crest emblazoned on the side glinted in the sunlight. It was pulled by a team of two huge grays, adorned with black and gold plumes.

"Dear G.o.d," Ava murmured as Phoebe pushed her aside to see.

"Oh my," Phoebe said, her voice full of wonder. "I've never been so close to a carriage as fine as that."

"I have," Sally said, peering down at it.

Ava and Phoebe looked at her, then at the carriage again. "Do you suppose the squabs are velvet?"

Phoebe asked in a whisper.

"Oh, they'd be velvet, all right," Sally quickly a.s.sured them.

"If you don't mind, milady," Mr. Morris called from behind them. All three women whirled about. "The driver is waiting."

"The driver? Did not Lord Middleton come to escort me?" How could she possibly arrive on the duke's doorstep without her fiance?"I wouldn't know, mu'um. I only say what they tell me, I do.""Tell the driver I shall be along momentarily."As Mr. Morris went out, Phoebe looked at Ava suspiciously. "Where is he?""He's obviously waiting for me in the coach or at Redford House," Ava said firmly, and rather unconvincingly, as she picked up her reticule.

"Remember," Phoebe said kindly, "be very pleasant and smile often. The duke wants to know you arethe pleasant sort and not one to give trouble.""But-""On second thought," Phoebe quickly interrupted as she handed Ava the matching redingote she'd altered for her, "perhaps it is best you do not speak at all if you can avoid it."

Ava snorted as she shrugged into the coat. "Thank you, darling." She picked up her bonnet, kissed hersister, and waved to Sally on her way out.She should feel happy, she thought, but she didn't feel happy at all. She'd never dreaded anything quite as badly as this in her life-it felt a little as if she were marching off to a funeral.

Thirteen.