over the loves they’d hoped to find.
What would those girls think of the women they’d become?
Chapter 11
“And why are you so maudlin, Miss Victoria Caswell?” asked Phyllis. “That was far too sad a statement to go unchallenged, for you are soon to be engaged to Mr. Oliver Kingsley, and I to Mr. Charles Dosett.”
“Ninny,” teased Hettie. “You hardly know the gentleman. I cannot imagine marrying anyone whom I did not love to distraction. What is the point otherwise?”
“Not all of us are blessed with parents who will provide a healthy income whether or not we choose to marry,” said Phyllis.
Hettie pulled them to a stop and faced Phyllis. “I do apologize. I hadn’t meant to be callous.”
“There is no need to castigate yourself,” said Phyllis, taking Hettie’s arm once more. “It is merely the way of the world, and I could do far worse than Mr. Charles Dosett. I count myself quite lucky to have another opportunity after Mr. Farthing slipped the hook. I only hope Miriam will not waste the opportunity she has here.”
“She is far too young to be thinking of marriage,” said Victoria. “She is only just eighteen. It is one thing for her to be out in company, but another for her to be earnestly pursuing matrimony.”
“Phyllis has a point,” said Hettie. “If she means to marry, Miriam shouldn’t waste time dithering. She is young and pretty—”
“I did overhear a certain Mr. Julius Nelson speak of her fine figure and lovely eyes,” added Phyllis with a sly smile.
Hettie continued as though she hadn’t heard, “—and you hail from two exceptional families. All that will make up for any other deficiencies…” Her words died an instant death, and she hemmed for a moment before hurrying on to say, “But many a lady blessed with beauty fails because she forgets that her beauty and youth are fleeting.”
Victoria’s breath caught at the implication—however slight. Maintaining the implacable facade, she hid her speeding heartbeat and the tightness in her chest behind a nonplussed air. She glanced in her friend’s direction, but with Phyllis between them, Victoria could not read Hettie’s expression.
“Deficiencies?” asked Victoria with a near flawless laugh. “Ought I to be offended over such an insinuation?”
Hettie’s eyes grew round, and she bent around Phyllis to meet Victoria’s gaze with an apologetic look. “Of course not. I was merely speaking from the perspective of the fickle gentlemen, who like to fabricate deficiencies.”
But Hettie’s hurried reply was too stilted to calm Victoria’s troubled heart. Casting her mind to the past, she thought through her behavior, wondering if she had done anything to reveal her family’s secrets, but nothing came to mind. They were far too practiced at hiding their empty coffers to make any obvious missteps. There was only one person with whom she had shared their secret, and Mr. Dixon wasn’t one to gossip.
“Now who is being a goose, Hettie?” asked Phyllis, casting a side glance at Victoria as the lady’s hold on her arm grew taut. “You forget that the Caswell family is soon to be intimately connected with the Kingsleys’ vast holdings. That, in addition to Miriam’s natural attractions and family connections, will have the gentlemen clamoring to court her. I merely hope she does not take too long to choose herself a husband. If I could give the Phyllis of yesteryear any advice, it would be to avoid passing over viable options because she hopes something better might come along.”
As the trio strolled around the edge of the gathering, Hettie and Phyllis rambled on about the party, matrimony, and all the other topics of utmost concern, but Victoria’s thoughts could not travel past the previous subject’s undertone. For all that the gentry claimed discussing money was vulgar and beneath them, they all had a thorough knowledge of the finances of various families and each lady’s dowry or lack thereof.
Victoria’s eyes moved without command, drifting towards Mr. Dixon. He did not look in her direction. He did not need to. Deep in conversation with the other gentlemen, he seemed unaware of her, but she felt his attention. Felt his presence. It permeated the air around her.
Her Mr. Dixon.
“Doesn’t he look handsome today?” murmured Phyllis.
“Quite,” replied Victoria, not bothering to hide the admiration thick in her voice. There was no harm in admitting that truth, for anyone with eyes could see that the gentleman was quite appealing.
“But why is he with Miss Banfield?”
Phyllis’s question had Victoria’s brows pulling together, for Miss Banfield had not yet appeared at the picnic.