1 Chapter 1

The season had only commenced last week so it's not surprising that Lady Sampford's ballroom is completely filled with people, the minds of many filled with just one thought. Marriage. And not just anyone will do, at least not for me. I've known for years what I want in a husband and I will not settle for less. I have a plan to make sure that I don't have to.

Over the past week, since the season officially began, I've been learning everything that I can about the eligible gentlemen in search of one that fits my criteria. Money and influence were at the top of my list for who I'd consider as a husband and from there I narrowed it down based on their temperament and finally appearance until at last I found my future husband. Lord Edward Blair the Earl of Bedford. He's rich, powerful, kind and handsome. I'd never thought that I'd find someone who fits what I've been looking for so perfectly.

I've been at the ball for just over an hour but so far I haven't spotted the Earl at all. It's made for a very boring time as no one pays any attention at all to the sister of a Baron, at least when the Baron is a known gambler whose lost most of his fortune. Including my dowry. Luckily I'd found out about the loss of my dowry a few years ago which has given me enough to time to develop a plan.

"Miss Turner, why aren't you dancing?" A sharp voice asks me. The owner, Lady Anne Harris, stands next to me silently judging me as always. I have to respect her though as without her help I wouldn't even have a season. Lady Anne hates me and my brother but she was a friend of my mother who swore to her before she died that she would bring me to London for a season.

"I'm sorry Lady Anne but no one has asked," To most of the Ton I'm invisible and to those that do it's only due to my brother owing them money. Humphrey may be Baron Dynham but that means nothing when he's gambled away nearly the entire fortune and demolished our family's reputation so the idea of being asked to dance is preposterous.

"Well stop standing in the corner like a wallflower and someone might take an interest. Although I don't understand why they would," With that last scathing comment she walks off back towards her friends, which includes the hostess herself Lady Sampford, deeming herself done with me for now.

Knowing that she's watching me I start walking slowly around the room, not that it makes any difference. I don't want to dance with anyone anyway but at least moving around gives me more opportunity to find the Earl. Then I can be done with the season and not have to worry about my future anymore.

Conversations continue on around me as I make my way through the crowd being careful not to get too close to anyone. One wrong step and my whole plan will be ruined, and my chances of marrying the Earl as well. Despite not getting too close I can still over hear people's conversations as I pass them, most are focused on recommending a young ladies' accomplishments to a potential husband.

A season is when a lady hunts and the eligible men are our prey while accomplishments are just one of our weapons, the only one that we can improve. The only other weapons we have at our disposal are mostly fixed; our appearance, family standing and wealth. Not having a dowry and my family name being less than worthless I've had to turn my focus to improving myself as much as I can. It had been difficult while I was at home but since coming under Lady Anne's sponsorship I've had the opportunity to learn more from tutors. Not many but enough that I met her standards for a young lady and wouldn't embarrass her.

Reaching the opposite end of the hall I tuck myself away near the wall where I should hopefully be out of Lady Anne's sight, at least for a while, and I can still search the crowd for the Earl. I keep my eyes scanning over the room for any sign of him but so far nothing, perhaps he isn't even coming to this ball. In which case I'll have no choice but to either alter another dress or wear this one again, something that Lady Anne will not tolerate.

Finally my luck turns. There he is standing just a little further to my left on the opposite side of the hall. Slightly taller than average with light brown hair and blue eyes, he's one of the more handsome men in the room. That fact is helped by his title and his reputation for being a kind man, in short he's everything that I want in a husband.

Relieved to have found him I start making my way over towards him carefully skirting the edge of the dance floor to reach the other side of the hall. I stay at the edge of the crowd for a minute taking a few deep breathes to calm myself down, this is something I have to do. There is no other way.

With one final deep breath I turn towards the Earl whose standing with his back facing me as he talks to two tall dark-haired men that I've seen him with before. His cousin Lord Henry Drydan and the other I recognise as the Duke of Dorset who from what I've learnt the Earl met and befriended while they were at school. They became close enough during their schooling that the three of them travelled together while on their Grand tour.

My mind settled and as calm as I can possible be for what's about to happen. Putting one foot in front of the other I slowly approach the group until I'm standing just next to the Earl. Subtly, just as I've practised, I step on the inside of my dress so that it's trapped under my foot as I spin around as though someone has called my name. Thanks to the alterations I've made to my dress it starts to rip as I fall, exactly as planned.

Then in a second it goes wrong. I'd planned to fall back towards the Earl possibly sending us both to the floor and with my dress ripped I'll be comprised and he'll have no choice but to marry me. Yet before I completely lose my balance and begin to fall towards him someone knocks into me from the dance floor sending me falling in a different direction. Into the arms of a man who is most definitely not the Earl of Bedford.

Instead I'm sent crashing into the Duke of Dorset hard enough that he falls as well. The entire hall seems to pause as we fall and as soon as they get a good look at the two of us the whispers are deafening. I'd managed to land directly on top of him and being confused as to what had happened I just lay there for what felt like forever but was likely only a few seconds. Too long though it seemed for the Duke.

"Get off of me," He whispers harshly likely trying not to be heard by the crowd. I scramble to my feet as quickly as I can scared of the sheer rage shining in his eyes as he glares at me from the floor while climbing to his own feet.

"Miss Turner?" Lady Anne calls out shocked as she somehow manages to get through to the front of the crowd and realises that I'm involved in what will likely be the scandal of the season. Just like the Duke she glares at me once she's realised the situation that I've found myself in and how it will reflect on her. "Lady Sampford is there a private room we can use to discuss this… situation?"

"Of course," Lady Sampford replies her voice tense after all this has completely disrupted her ball and this year is her niece's first season. It's likely that this will affect her friendship with Lady Anne but my plans couldn't wait any longer, not with the Earl being such a desired bachelor. I never expected it all to turn out like this though.

A footman leads the Duke, Lady Anne and me to a small sitting room that we've been given permission to use. Once inside a maid hands a blanket to me before she and the footman leave the room likely under orders to give us privacy for this discussion. Under Lady Anne's glare I wrap the blanket around me and take a seat not sure what to say, I'd never really planned beyond the comprise itself.

"I'm terribly sorry your Grace," Lady Anne breaks the silence that had somehow seemed incredibly loud to me. The Duke however doesn't seem to be in a forgiving mood as he remains silent glaring at her from across the room. "There is little choice left in the matter though… The best way forward for all of us is for the two of you to marry."

"We will discuss this tomorrow. I will call on you in the morning," He spits the words out towards Lady Anne not even glancing my way, "Goodnight Lady Harris." That is apparently all he has to say on the matter as he stalks from the room without a single word or look at me. I don't know what his silence and complete dismissal of me means for our future but it doesn't seem good.

"How dare you?" Lady Anne hisses now that we're left alone, "After everything that I've done to give you a chance of a true London season this is how you repay me? By embarrassing me in front of my closest friends!"

"Lady Anne I didn't-" I try to start attempting to smooth things over with her. Until this situation with the Duke is resolved I'll still be living with her and despite her clear hatred of me she did bring me to London for the season. She didn't have to, after all my mother has been dead for over a decade now yet Lady Anne honoured their friendship.

"Don't try to tell me that, I'm not stupid. I remember ordering that dress for you and none of Madame Chambers dresses are so poorly made that they tear that easily. The only way this could have happened is if you purposefully loosened the stitches. So you planned this whole thing not even caring for how it'd damage your reputation."

"I had no other choice," I tell her softly, "I have no dowry, my brother is a wastrel whose destroyed our family's reputation and without them no prospects even with your backing." There is no point in telling her that this hadn't gone completely according to plan. That would likely just make it worse.

"So your solution was to comprise a Duke?!" She asks incredulously before shaking her head, "Never mind. Get up we're leaving before you find another way to shame yourself."

Angrier than I've ever known her to be she grabs my arm and pulls me along behind out of the room then outside and into the carriage. The ride back to Lady Anne's home passes by in a tense silence as she radiates anger the entire journey, too angry it seems to even want to yell at me some more. I keep quiet too not wanting to risk her sending me away in disgrace rather than arranging my marriage.

I'm banished to my room once we arrive back at Lady Anne's home and it's made clear that I'm not to leave the room until I'm called for. As I start changing out of my dress I can hear Lady Anne retire to her own room while calling for her maid to bring up a headache tonic. The entire house falls silent after that, likely under orders from Lady Anne.

Having the house so quiet gives me the peace to sit and think about the situation I now find myself in. Marrying an Earl was not too big a jump from the sister of a Baron, even a poor one such as my brother. But becoming a Duchess is another matter entirely. As the Countess of Bedford I'd have had a higher social standing than before but at the same time able to quietly live my life away from the impending gossip of the ton. That is no longer an option.

Now that my plan has gone so wrong I'll forever be in the eyes of the ton. Duchesses usually lead society, outranking every other noble except the Royals themselves, which is something that I am no way prepared for. Climbing into bed I curl up coming to the dreadful realisation that I will spend the rest of my life being laughed at and rejected by society. They will never forget about today either, it will follow me until the day I die.