But they would have plenty of time to get to know each other better before their marriage. It had been one short week since the Duke had approached him and suggested the arrangement, so it was not surprising they were still ill at ease with each other. The Duke had been insistent that he wanted to announce the engagement immediately, presumably so he could reassure his bankers that money to settle his debts would soon be available through a sizeable cash injection from his future son-in-law.
Dominic had agreed, as had Lady Cecily. No one could see the point in putting off what was such a suitable match.
And even if this reserve between himself and Cecily never ceased, it would still be a suitable marriage. After all, a sensible marriage where the couple was well matched in temperament and the position of both families was advanced was certainly better than one where people let their emotions rule their heart, causing them to make unwise choices.
Dominic suppressed as sigh and he tried to focus on what the Duke was saying and forget about his parents’ marriage and the problems it had caused.
How his otherwise sensible mother had let her passions get the better of her and marry so far beneath herself he would never understand. She had been the daughter of a baron and had thrown that all away to marry a former stable boy, of all people, and had been snubbed and ridiculed by society as a result, as had their children.
He looked over at his sister, as usual sitting on the side of the dance floor, ignored by the gentlemen present. His marriage would put a stop to that. His sister would have her choice of beaus once their family became linked to one with such a long and distinguished lineage as the Hardgraves’. She would no longer feel ashamed of her family’s lowly status, but would be able to hold her head high in polite society.
And shame was something Dominic himself was familiar with. Hadn’t he endured enough taunts at school about being the son of a stable boy, even if that former stable boy had risen to become an extremely wealthy man, a level of wealth that Dominic had further increased when he inherited his father’s estate.
Yes, this was a perfect engagement. He had every right to feel satisfied and he was sure they would have a successful marriage. After all, they both came from excellent stock, at least he did on his mother’s side. His mother could trace her ancestry back to the Norman conquest, but that counted for nothing when your father started life as a lowly servant.
But that was all now in the past, where it belonged.
Lady Cecily excused herself, muttering something about needing to see to the servants. The tension in Dominic’s shoulders released as she departed. Making polite conversation with his future bride did tend to be hard work. She seemed reluctant to even try to establish any sort of rapport between them. If she was having regrets about the coming marriage, she had certainly never said and he had given her ample opportunity to do so.
‘Let me introduce you to the Duke of Stonebridge,’ his future father-in-law said, breaking in on his thoughts and drawing his gaze from the departing Lady Cecily. The Duke took him by the arm and led him across the ballroom floor. ‘He’s definitely a man of influence and worth knowing.’
That was exactly what Dominic was hoping for. His marriage would lead to countless connections that would be so good for his business and the advancement of the Lockhart family. The Season was almost at an end and his sister hadn’t had one expression of interest yet. Next year his younger sister Violet would come out, then in eight years his youngest sister Emmaline would have her debut. If he was to find suitable husbands for them, then the more connections he had with men like the Duke of Stonebridge the better.
He had become so engrossed in talking to the Duke and the other notable guests who had attended the engagement ball that he had failed to notice his fiancée had not returned. When she finally did join him, it was near the end of the evening and there was only one more dance left on the card.
He escorted her round the floor for the final waltz, unable to ignore how rigid her body was, how impassive her face. Not for the first time Dominic fought to quieten that small voice at the back of his mind that was telling him this engagement was a big mistake.
He danced past his sister, sitting alone on the edge of the dance floor, and guilt drove out any sense of disquiet over his engagement. Dominic had been remiss. He should have danced with Amanda, instead of talking business all night. But his sister’s days of sitting on the edge of the dance floor during a ball would soon come to an end. His marriage to Lady Cecily would elevate the family’s position to the very peak of society and make Amanda a desirable catch for many an aristocratic man. She would have both money and position. And the marriage prospects would be even better for his younger sisters. Lady Cecily had been presented at court for her own debut, so the Hardgraves would be able to arrange for the Lockhart girls to be presented when they came out. Once that happened, they would be able to attend court balls and the chances of making an eminently suitable match would be greatly increased.
The final dance over, Lady Cecily immediately excused herself, providing Dominic with the opportunity to
