“Wednesday next, I’ll be formally introduced into Society at a ball that my sister, Gillie—the Duchess of Thornley—is hosting in my honor.”

All her family members were a bit nervous, not quite sure whether people would attend out of curiosity about the commoner who had caught the attention of one of the most powerful dukes in Britain or if no one would show at all, signaling the ton’s displeasure that the Duke of Thornley had married beneath him.

Noting the speculation in his gaze, she continued, “As for how I have a sister who is a duchess—”

“I doubt a soul in London exists who hasn’t heard tales regarding the Trewloves and their various marriages among the nobility.”

Mick had married Lady Aslyn, daughter to the deceased Earl of Eames and ward of the Duke of Hedley—Mick’s father, as it turned out, not that the man had ever publicly acknowledged Mick as his son, although they had developed a close relationship of late and were often seen together. Finn had taken to wife Lady Lavinia while Aiden had wed Selena, a widowed duchess. Then, of course, there was Gillie with her duke. Her siblings’ marriages should have given them all the social acceptance they craved, but it seemed the aristocracy was reticent when it came to welcoming newcomers into their midst.

“I suppose there is some truth in that. They are all the talk from what I understand. They’ve set rather high standards and expectations for me, even before they began collecting aristocratic spouses. So, when I have dinner with Mick, he and his wife, bless them, are insistent we follow proper etiquette while dining—selecting the correct utensil from among the ridiculous number set out on the table—and discuss only topics appropriate for dining with the nobs. When I marry a lord, my life will become naught but nights of formal dining and quiet discussions about boring subjects.” She looked around her. “I doubt there will be robust laughter or claps on the back or such astonishing joy at reaching the end of a hard day and having a bit of time to relax with friends. So I came here tonight to avoid having to face any faults with my behavior and to enjoy the revelry surrounding me.”

“Then why seek to a marry a lord?” His tone was flat, tinged with a bit of disapproval, as though he had the right to be offended by her plans.

She wasn’t keen to have him sitting in judgment of her. “My family expects it. I grew up expecting it. To be honest, there are few ways for a woman to better herself except through marriage. Business ownership or hard work might gain her more success than a man but it doesn’t garner the same amount of respect. It’s rather irritating really, but that is the way of the world. You can’t disagree with my assessment, surely.”