The other option, of setting out on her own and hunting for single, eligible gentlemen to leech and hang onto, was there. But the entire headache combined with her disdain for such foolishness was simply too much for her to handle. She didn’t know why she had to go through all that effort, while her cousin just sailed through it like a duck in water.
A sudden feeling of envy surged inside her and immediately, Frederica tamped it down, wondering where it had surfaced from. She wasn’t one to while away time bemoaning her lot in life, nor had she ever been envious of Julia. Far from it. She was extremely fond of her, even though the blonde-haired girl could be a little competitive and selfish sometimes. It had to be all this matchmaking business. The entire thing was stressing her beyond words, and she wished she could be done with it already.
“Excuse me, ladies,” a deep, resonating voice spoke from behind them, tearing her away from the depth of her tumultuous thoughts.
Turning reluctantly, Frederica’s breath stilled in her throat as she came face to face with the most handsome man she’d ever been fortunate to cast her gaze upon in her entire life.
Handsome had to be an understatement. He appeared to have been sculpted from the finest ivory and chiseled to perfection. It took a great deal of will for Frederica to keep her mouth from hanging open like a panting puppy.
Tall and athletic with thick dark brown locks that framed an arresting face, his warm brown eyes reminded her of the steaming cups of cocoa specially brewed by her father on cold nights and balanced out the severity of his sharp jawline. He was properly attired in a pristine white dress shirt tucked into black trousers with a starched striped cravat at the base of his neck. An ornamented waistcoat and Hessian boots completed his ensemble but what set him entirely apart was the easy confidence with which he carried himself. Like a man assured of his place in the world.
The moment his gaze moved away from Julia to her, Frederica struggled hard against melting into a messy puddle on the floor.
“Your beauties are like beaming beacons from across the room and I just couldn’t resist. May I have the honors of being acquainted with you, ladies? I am Elias Curtis, Marquess of Livington,” he said with a bow, flashing a devilishly attractive smile that threatened to make her swoon at his feet. In all her entire life, no man had ever affected her as much as this one did. And she’d met a good number of extremely eye-catching men.
“You’re far too kind, my lord,” Julia replied with a demure smile, covering her lips partly with her fan. “I am Lady Julia Gillingham, and this is my cousin, Frederica Gillingham.”
Frederica smiled as he chanced a polite glance at her, before focusing once more on Julia, as expected.
“You aren’t by chance related to Lord Josiah Gillingham, Earl of Powell?” he asked, a brow raised speculatively.
“You’re astute, my lord,” Julia replied and gave a soft, tinkling laugh. “He is my father.”
“Well, this is quite delightful then. I’ve heard so much about him from my father,” the Marquess replied with an affable smile.
Julia blushed becomingly and lowered her lashes while Frederica stood there watching the exchange, unable to hide a twinge of disappointment that the Marquess, like every man they’d encountered together, had eyes for only her cousin.
Just then, the piano stopped playing and the cue for the first dance kicked off.
“I have a feeling your dance cards must be completely filled, but can I have the honors of jumping ahead of the rest to have this first dance with you?”
Julia cocked her head to the side, her lips curved in a coquettish smile. “Well, as you predicted, my lord. My card is all filled up. But for your proper charm and admirable grace, I humbly accept.”
Taking the Marquess’ outstretched hand, Julia flashed Frederica a victorious smile as she followed him out to the gradually teeming dancefloor.
Strangely bereft, Frederica turned to go join her mother on the cushion by the corner when she was suddenly intercepted by a nervous looking bespectacled gentleman who didn’t look like he wanted to be there. Without wasting a second, she accepted his fumbling invitation to dance, not out of desperation, but an unwillingness to be condemned to the corner with the wallflowers and older women who didn’t wish to partake in the dance.
After only a few minutes on the dancefloor, she seriously began to question her hasty decision. Her partner turned out to be a terrible dancer who stepped on her feet so severely, that she feared for ugly blisters by morning.
When the music suddenly switched to a fast-paced quadrille, Frederica saw her chance to escape and breathed a sigh of relief as she excused herself immediately. Almost limping, she hurried away from the slightly befuddled gentleman to join her mother, satisfied to watch the others for a bit, while resting her battered feet at the same time.
Compelled suddenly by a strange, invisible force, Frederica stopped in her tracks and turned to the full dancefloor she’d just left. Straight in her line of sight was none other than the Marquess and Julia nestled comfortably in his arms. But rather than focus on her cousin or anywhere else for that matter, his gaze was fastened intently on her, in a strange and intriguing manner that left her instantly frozen to the spot.
CHAPTER 3
Elias Curtis, the tenth Marquess of Livington wasn’t exactly a patient man, but right then it was a virtue that served a worthy cause. He stood by a corner of the Haversham’s ballroom, listening to Lord and Lady Wilcox regal him with tales of their recent trip to Paris while their slender, dark-haired daughter, Rowena stood by the sideline boldly flirting with him from under her lashes.
He lingered there not because he possessed an affinity for torture as Lady Wilcox rambled on endlessly about her complicated palette and an unpleasant reaction to heavily spiced Parisian meals, neither was he partial to Lord Wilcox’s periodic yowl of laughter nor their daughter’s almost pathetic attempt at flirtation.
The pillar where he stood with the Wilcox’s afforded him a direct focus on her, and though she hadn’t been the one his full attention had been entirely meant for tonight. She was a pleasant surprise, and he couldn’t seem to stop himself from watching her.
Frederica Gillingham was a sharp contrast from her cousin, Julia who had been his primary target from the first second he’d stepped into Haversham’s private ball that evening. They were so starkly different with the former being a fiercely attractive diamond of the first water while her more sedate cousin, a remarkable beauty that took a while to catch on but became instantly memorable the moment she did.
Slim, yet curvaceous with curly chestnut-brown hair and big, soulful hazel eyes that seemed to reveal and hide so much at the same time. It had been a struggle for him to remain in character and pursue her more outward cousin. When all he wanted to do was slowly peel away at the invisible barricades that he’d noticed around her and learn all her secrets.
Her ball gown, a midnight blue ensemble that molded over her full bust and tapered at her waist, before cascading down into an endless creation of midnight sky with delicate silver trimming at the hem and neckline, suited her perfectly and enhanced the delicate allure of her bewitching eyes.
While Elias had danced with Julia, his eyes had been entirely fixed on her. And when Lord Crawford had asked her for a dance, it had taken everything inside him not to march over and wring the man’s neck on the spot.