The Glittering Court
Page 46

I reached the dais, where one of Jasper’s hired men helped me ascend the steps in my elaborate dress. I took my place at the center of a long table, which held glasses of water. Mistress Culpepper wouldn’t allow us to eat here, so we’d had to do it beforehand. Although the next girl was making her entrance, I saw many eyes still on me, and I met them as confidently as Osfrid’s queen might have.
Mira drew a lot of attention when she entered. In my opinion, she was the most beautiful of the group. Jasper might have grumbled, but I had no doubts that many men would be glad to have her as a wife, Sirminican or not. Thinking of her spirited nature, I thought the trouble might come in her consenting to be a wife. It made me smile, just as I met Warren Doyle’s eyes in the crowd. He smiled back, thinking I’d done it for him.
When we were all seated, the high-society decorum degenerated a little. Cedric, Jasper, Charles, and Aiana were immediately solicited for introductions, with suitors and their representatives lining up to get a chance at us.
Mira, seated on my left, remarked, “It’s going to be a long night.”
Despite what seemed like initial disorder, things soon progressed. Cedric came for me and took my arm, escorting me across the floor. “Ready to meet your greatest admirer?” he asked.
“I thought you were my greatest admirer.”
“I’m just a humble man. Not an absurdly rich and doting future statesman.”
I studied Warren Doyle as we approached. His face was alight, and he shifted excitedly from foot to foot. His coat was cut like Cedric’s, fitted and buttoned to the neck in a bronze shade. He looked like he was trying to remain calm and serious, but his face broke into a grin as we grew closer.
“If it makes you feel better,” I said softly, “I like your coat better.”
“Well, don’t tell the poor guy. I think he’d burst into tears if he knew you thought less of him.”
I managed to stop myself from laughing, but a grin still crept out—which Warren again thought was for him.
“Mister Warren Doyle,” said Cedric with no trace of his prior teasing. “May I present Miss Adelaide Bailey.”
I gave the delicate curtsey driven into us at Blue Spring, and Warren took my hand, still smiling broadly as he shook it. “I know I should be more decorous, but I can’t help it . . . I’m just too excited. You probably think I’m uncivilized.”
I smiled back, amused at his nervous eagerness. “Not at all, Mister Doyle.”
Cedric gave a small bow and a wink to me that Warren didn’t see. “I’ll leave you two to talk, and then I’ll come back for your next introduction.”
He left, just as the string quartet began to play. Warren held out his hand and swept me into a dance. “You must call me Warren,” he said. “I like to be straightforward.”
“That’s what I hear. You may call me Adelaide.”
“I know our time tonight is brief. And I know you’ll have a dozen men trying to turn your head with all sorts of charm and pleasantry.” He paused. “I’m not always so good at that—at idle small talk, simply for appearance’s sake. I know some ladies like that, but as I said—”
“You’re straightforward,” I finished.
“Exactly. If I know what I want, I pursue it. And I’ll be honest, I want you. While we were waiting for your ship to arrive, I knew without a doubt I would come asking for the star of your cohort. Seeing you at the dock only confirmed my decision. And seeing you now . . .” He shook his head. “Well, I’ll tell you simply. I didn’t look at any of the other girls out there tonight. You truly are a diamond. And I can’t imagine any other wife but you.”
Even knowing what I did about him, I was bit overwhelmed. “Wow . . . you come on very . . .”
“. . . straightforward?”
I laughed. “Yes, but I think ‘strong’ was what I had in mind. Or maybe ‘intense.’ You’re very kind—very flattering. But I don’t know that I deserve this when we hardly know each other.”
He looked abashed and missed a step, but I was quick enough to recover for both of us. “I know, I know. And I’m sorry. I sound like a desperate fool, but I’m—you know what I’m facing, right? Governorship of Hadisen? At only twenty-three?”
“I’ve heard that as well. A great honor.”
“And a terrifying one,” he admitted. He glanced around uneasily. “I haven’t told anyone that, certainly not my father, who helped secure the post. I’m glad—I really am. But it’s not going to be easy, and I don’t just mean the labor of setting up the colony—which is certainly formidable. I want Hadisen to be a strong place. A good place of upstanding and prosperous citizens. Not everyone will let me do that. People are always watching you in politics—always wanting you to fail. Even when they pretend to be your friends.”
I didn’t speak and simply gave him a nod of encouragement. But he’d touched upon an old memory, the way the nobility in Osfrid also put on pleasant faces only to attack when advantageous. Even across the sea, some things didn’t change, and I found myself growing sympathetic to Warren Doyle.
“I have colleagues and advisors I think I can trust, but one can never be sure,” he continued. “And that’s why I need a smart, competent wife. My true ally. The one person I know I can trust, to give me good counsel while helping me keep up appearances with fashion and culture and all the other things the elite like to pick apart.”
“I don’t think you need much help with fashion and culture.” No matter what I’d said to Cedric, Warren was dressed exceptionally.
“I’m surrounded by powerful family here—and a mother who keeps up with trends. There? I’ll have nothing. Except you. And believe me when I’d say you’d have all you could dream of. Luxury at your fingertips. Complete control of the household.”
“Again—flattering,” I said. “But you don’t know anything about me, aside from my rank. There’s more to marriage than that. How do you know we’re . . . compatible?”
His answer was swift. “Because you haven’t instantly said yes. You’re a thinking woman, a woman who can assess things. And that, Adelaide, is exactly what I’m looking for—what I most admire.”
Cedric appeared at our side the instant the music ended. “Adelaide, it’s time for your next introduction.”
Warren caught hold of my hand as I stepped away. “Please— consider my offer. I know I must sound desperate and am certainly doing this all wrong—”
“Please, Mister Doyle,” said Cedric. He seemed a little surprised but mostly amused at what he no doubt considered more of Warren’s dizzy infatuation. “It’s time for her to go.”
Warren didn’t release me, even when I tried to remove my hand. “You’ll hear all sorts of offers tonight. All sorts of pretty words. You’re beautiful beyond compare, but ask yourself, how many want you for your wisdom? To be a partner?”
Cedric’s smile was gone. “Mister Doyle, your time is up—”
Warren was undaunted. “And how many will match the lifestyle I can give you? The queen of a colony?”