“But she was only a little older than me when she lost him. So many years alone.” She couldn’t help but wonder if she was facing the same future.

Mick returned to his newspaper, Aslyn to her porridge. Fancy took another sip of her tea and cradled her cup like it was a tiny bird to be protected. “May I borrow your carriage tonight?”

He jerked his attention back to her. “For what purpose?”

“Is it not enough to know I have a need for it?”

He looked to the ceiling as though answers resided there. “When did you get so stubborn?”

“You’re going to the Fairhaven ball,” Aslyn said quietly, approval lacing her voice.

Forcing her stomach not to knot up at the thought, she nodded. “I need to face them one last time, leave Society on my terms, not theirs.”

“Did we receive an invitation?” Mick asked, although she doubted that he’d stand on the formality of an invitation if he was determined to go.

“We did,” Aslyn said. “That’s why I know of it.”

With a nod, he settled back. “Then we’ll accompany you.”

“I need to do this on my own, Mick. None of you are to go.” Because she knew if she received a cut direct—of which she no doubt would receive many—her siblings would see the offender pay for the slight.

And she needed to stand alone in order to make her own statement: Fancy Trewlove was a woman to be reckoned with.

Chapter 26

Having given in to his sister’s pleadings, Matthew found himself at her damned ball wishing he was in his own residence, tossing back scotch, rather than waltzing with Lady Penelope. All of ten and seven, the girl was too flighty by half and talked constantly about subjects in which he held no interest: flowers, weather, her shopping expeditions. But then he’d experienced the same thing from the five ladies with whom he’d danced prior to her.

He’d not had a chance to visit with any of the gentlemen in order to catch up on the latest manly news, because the moment he’d entered the ballroom, the ladies had swarmed to him like bees in search of nectar.

Above the din of music and conversation, another arrival was announced, and he was grateful it was a young married couple who had no daughter in tow. Keeping his promises to all the ladies who had called upon him before he’d taken his sabbatical, he’d signed his name to a slew of dance cards and did his best to at least pretend interest, to offer compliments and a bit of flirtation, in spite of the fact that he was bored silly.