Chapter 15

Chapter 15

If nothing else, I wanted to teach the girls how to choose men. How to choose people.

Experience was the best way to improve. You are the only one who could know whether someone complemented your personality or got along with you.

In my old world, I’d been set up with men by others. It taught me that a man might be decent to other people, but not to me. The only kind of man who wouldn’t try to look their best to a peer or a mentor was someone extremely stupid or so badly behaved that even his parents had given up on him.

That’s how it was. Unless they were completely brainless, most men were on their best behavior around the people they wanted to impress.

There was a saying in my old world that a person who treats a waiter poorly is not a nice person, meaning they don’t treat people of lesser status with respect. Anyone would treat a superior with respect, but not necessarily someone they thought of as inferior.

In noble society, my daughters were inferior to any man they met.

“You just want them to meet?” Daniel sounded suspicious.

“Be patient,” I teased him. “I haven’t decided yet if he’s suitable to meet my daughters.”

To my surprise, Daniel turned slightly red and extended his hand toward me. He looked flustered. I wondered if he was trying to hold my hand.

Fortunately, he didn’t. He simply laid his hand over mine.

“Please forgive me for my rudeness. He is a man from a decent family. I can vouch for him.”

Really? I peered haughtily at Daniel. “Baron Wilford, don’t forget, I can’t even vouch for you.”

Another look of confusion crossed Daniel’s face. He leaned toward me ever so slightly.

“Please call me Daniel,” he said, sotto voce. “If you would rather not, you can call me Wilford. ‘Baron’ is too...”

“Too”? I waited for him to go on.

Daniel looked around us before continuing in a whisper, “Too much like you are addressing my father.”

Ah, his father was probably a Baron Wilford too. But still. You’re a baron.

“You should get used to it.”

“Will you stop if I beg you?”

“Try.”

“I beg you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. He was impossible to hate. There were times when he was so annoying that I wanted to kick him, but I never hated him.

“Fine, Lord Wilford.”

“Thank you,” Daniel said with a grateful nod, then changed subjects. “He is a man from a decent family. He would never lay his hands on your daugh—”

What did you say? I took my hand from him to put it on my hip and gave him a haughty look.

Daniel stopped when he saw my expression. He brought his hands together.

“I’m sorry, my lady,” he said, like a child being disciplined. “I misspoke.”

“I will hear you out.”

“He is a perceptive man who knows his manners. I can confidently say he would not bring harm to your daughters.”

“And his parents? I would like to meet them.”

“His parents have appointed me to teach him everything when it comes to society. I can let them know if you wish to meet them, but it is unlikely they will agree.”

“Are they very busy?”

Daniel considered this for a moment. “Yes. Both work, so they are busy.”

“I thought you said they were a noble household.”

“From what I have heard, their status changed when his grandmother was young.”

Oh dear. It sounds like they are a fallen noble household. I felt sorry for them.

This was probably why they had appointed Daniel to teach the boy everything. In this world, there was no such thing as occupational schools or certificates. One learned by apprenticeship.

Usually, parents taught children their trade while they helped with the business. If the business collapsed, however, or in the case of second-born children, parents might ask an acquaintance to ensure their child’s future.

He is doing a good deed.

I looked at Daniel anew. My interest could only soar. He was someone who was loath to admit that he was doing something good.

“And if you desire confidence in me...” Daniel continued.

Confidence in him? I stood still and waited for his next words.

Daniel hesitated.

“I have no parents,” he said, “but if you wish, I can introduce you to my godmother.”

What? I was startled. “Her Majesty the Queen Mother?”

Daniel smiled. His eyes asked if I wanted to meet her.

I squeezed my own eyes shut. “You have already proven yourself.”

The king’s mother? That’s horrifying. What would I even say to her? “Ho ho ho, your godson is such a handsome man,” or something? Imagining the awkwardness gave me goosebumps.

“Most would be loath to give up such an opportunity,” said Daniel.

I rolled my eyes. “It is not a particularly attractive proposal.”

“I can put in a very good word for you to Her Majesty.”

No need. In fact, please don’t mention me at all.

“There’s no need to embellish my reputation for me,” I said, shamelessly. “I have simply managed never to embarrass myself.”

“You’ve always been very careful,” Daniel agreed.

Have I? I beamed.

I shook Daniel’s hand and we agreed to introduce the kids to each other soon. Meanwhile, the crowd began to stir.

“I hope you all enjoy yourselves.”

I looked to see what the fuss was about. The queen was wishing everyone a good time as she departed. The crowd made way for her, bowing as she went.

“I must also excuse myself,” said Daniel. He said goodbye and left after her.

The third song began and I wondered what had happened to Gary. I ignored the men loitering around me and scanned the crowd for him.

After he hadn’t even wanted me to dance with Daniel, it was odd that Gary had left me alone to talk with him for so long. For a moment, I wondered if he had left without me, but Mildred’s memories told me he’d never abandoned her at a party just for making him mad before.

“Lady Vans.”

A man approached, apparently braver than the other men who were mingling around me, too scared to do anything.

I looked at the man and glanced around us. “Please excuse me. I am looking for my brother.”

“If you are referring to Count Murphy, he is currently dancing with Viscountess Warren.”

What? Startled by this, I turned to the dance floor. I found Gary immediately, dancing with some lady, hand-in-hand.

“Oh,” I exclaimed as I remembered who Viscountess Warren was.

I had called this a remarriage party, but not all the attendees came with the goal of remarriage. Lady Warren was a prime example.

Lady Warren was about ten years older than Mildred and enjoyed being in society, though her husband did not. As a result, she often attended parties with friends instead of with him.

I could see that she, too, was having a hard time with Gary as a dance partner. I tried to not laugh as Lady Warren made strenuous efforts to maintain the song’s rhythm while Gary continued to lose the beat.

As I watched their dance, the man addressed me again. “I would like to request the next dance, if that is all right with you.”

I turned from Gary to look at him. He looked about fifty years old, with a clean appearance. I tried to remember who he was.

When I failed to recognize him, he spoke. “Count Leroy, Lady Vans. Your brother, Count Murphy, and I play cards together.”

I had a vague recollection of this. He probably meant that they played cards together at the gentlemen’s social club that Gary went to every Friday.

I glanced at Gary as I took Count Leroy’s hand. I had danced once with Gary and once with Daniel. If I danced with one more man, Gary would be less likely to complain later.

The third song ended and applause ensued. As people clapped, we entered the circle of dancers.

My eyes flicked toward Gary. Look! See? I’m dancing with someone who isn’t Daniel, like you wanted! I’m dancing!

Unfortunately, Gary was too busy seeing Lady Warren out of the circle to see me. Ugh, I hope he sees me at some point.

The music began.

Count Leroy took my hand and began the conversation right away. “You are as beautiful as you were when I last saw you two years ago.”

To my relief, the fourth song was the same as the second, the same song I had danced to with Daniel. I tried to act confident.

“You are too kind.”

“I hear you have three daughters, my lady.”

Ooh, I wonder if this man has any sons around their age.

“Yes,” I boasted. “Three very pretty daughters.”

“So Lord Murphy tells me,” he said. “It must have been difficult to raise them without the support of a husband.”

Huh? I looked at the count as I moved to the right. This feels odd... It was an uncomfortable feeling I knew well from my old world.

“It’s all right,” I said. “They are all grown now.”

“It’s been two years since your husband disappeared, hasn’t it?”

Gary was the only one I had told about the discovery of Vans’ body. It was on its way back on a boat, so it would be several months before it arrived. I could wait until then to announce his death.

“Yes. Two years.” Feeling suspicious, I stayed tight-lipped.

The count placed his hand on my hip and softly rubbed his fingers over my clothes. “You must be lonely.”

I kicked his ankle with all my strength.

“Agh!” Count Leroy screamed and folded to the floor. I bet it hurt.

“Oh my goodness, are you okay?” I fussed over the count, pretending I didn’t know what had happened.

His scream had halted the music, and guests gathered around us. Gary had been in the middle of a conversation with Viscountess Warren when he saw the commotion and ran over.

“W-what is the matter?”

“I must have stepped on his foot by accident.”

Count Leroy was too busy moaning to say anything.

A group of servants dashed over. The crowd whispering around us heard my exchange with Gary and began a discussion of their own.

“What happened?”

“Apparently, Lady Vans stepped on his foot by accident.”

“My goodness, and that’s what caused him to scream so frightfully?”

Amid the gossip, Count Leroy limped out, supported by servants. I guessed he must have sprained his ankle or fractured something.

Oh dear. What a shame. I felt awash with regret. I would have preferred to break the bone.

Nice Shot

“I recommend yellow,” Davina said.

After searching through Mildred’s memories, I nodded. “Yellow is a popular color for the debutante ball.”

We were inside Davina’s shop. Davina and I were seated, while Iris and Lily stood. Ashley sat on the floor. Iris gave Ashley a perturbed look.

I considered telling her to get up. Ashley did not seem to understand that her actions might be unseemly. She often sat on the floor when we were at home in the sitting room, but it might be wise to stop her from doing so when others were present.