A Little Bit Scandalous Page 0,30
“We have known each other for a while. Belinda is a friend.”
The way he said it made her wonder if there wasn’t more between Roe and the buxom Lady Fairfax. If so, then no wonder he had no interest in Caroline. Compared to the older woman’s voluptuous figure, Caroline looked like something pulled from the banks of the Thames. She was taller than most women and did not have that petite form. She was thin, “lithe” as Millie called it, with narrow hips and overly small breasts. She’d never be the voluptuous woman Roe clearly desired. And damnation, she hated she’d even noticed that fact.
Chapter Seven
Caroline didn’t particularly want to be there, but she reminded herself that Millie was right—if she wanted to put herself in a better position with the board of the orphanage, possibly raise additional funds—she would need to be more socially active. Still, she hadn’t set foot inside a ballroom since she’d been introduced into Society the first time around. Right after she made an utter fool of herself proposing to Roe. Thankfully, he hadn’t brought that up, as she wouldn’t know how to deal with her own embarrassment.
She had a beautiful gown on tonight, she admitted to herself, and she loved how pretty she felt in it. It was a far cry from her tweed trousers and suspenders she’d worn for so many evenings. She looked around the room and wondered what these people would think if they knew the truth about her.
She followed Millie into the ballroom and over to a crowd of women. “You remember my dear sweet, Caroline, do you not?” Millie asked, not truly giving any of the women opportunity to say anything but yes. Caroline could honestly say she herself couldn’t place any of the women standing before her.
“Of course we do,” one woman said, her voice dripping with kindness. “Lady Broderick. So nice to see you again, Caroline.”
“Thank you, and you as well,” Caroline said with a slight curtsey. She was glad for Millie to get to see many of her friends that she didn’t see as often since she spent most of her time in Dorset with Caroline. Still, if these women were planning to give monies to the orphanage, wouldn’t they have already agreed to do so to Millie herself?
“What do you think of your new daughter-in-law?” one woman asked Millie.
Caroline nearly choked. Had Roe married and somehow she missed that? Certainly not considering she’d been staying in his home and he’d even kissed her.
“Clarissa is lovely,” Millie said. “And Justin seems truly happy, which of course pleases me.”
“He did well for himself,” another woman said, her tone a little arrogant.
“Yes, well, Clarissa did as well. I believe Justin’s annual income is twice your daughter’s husband,” Millie said. She smiled genuinely at the woman who pinched her lips, but said nothing more.
“Now, then, I should like to introduce Caroline to a few more people. You ladies do try to behave. I believe I shall see most of you at Lady Brancherd’s tea later this week.” And with that, Millie led Caroline away.
“How do you do that?”
“Do what, dear?”
“Put them right in their place without sounding snide or cruel?” Caroline asked.
Millie smiled. “Unfortunately, that comes from plenty of practice being married to my boys’ father. I’ve been the subject of gossip in my life more than most people can even imagine. The former Duke of Chanceworth was a cruel man who never loved anyone but himself.”
How was that even possible? Millie was so delightful, so kind and fun. “Why did you marry him?”
“My parents made the arrangement with his parents. It was a good match, since I was the daughter of a marquess and had impeccable bloodlines, which, as it turns out, is all my husband cared about.”
“You never loved him?”
“Oh, heavens no. I thought I could, when we were first betrothed. He was polite and so very handsome and charming. But after we were married, the charm fell away and his true character came through.” She squeezed Caroline’s hand. “It is why I’ve never pressed you, my dear, to marry simply for the sake of being married. I want you to have a choice.”
Caroline wanted to embrace Millie, but she knew this was not the time or the place. She blinked away her tears and reached over to squeeze Millie’s hand. “And for that, I will always thank you.”
“Good gracious, is it truly you?” a woman asked as she approached. The woman was tall, much like Caroline,