‘I’ve danced with a number of titled gentlemen while we’ve been here. He is not the first one.’
‘Yes, but you have not danced with an unattached man of his rank. A duke who never dances the waltz and suddenly does so with you will cause people to speculate.’ He narrowed his eyes at her. ‘Why do you think he asked you?’
That very question had kept her up most of the night, and she still had no answer. She would eventually return to New York, and he would remain in England—probably married to some dull daughter of another duke. Glancing at her toast, Katrina dropped it onto her plate. Her appetite was gone.
* * *
The moment Julian entered his breakfast room he knew something was amiss. Apart from the servants his mother was there alone, and there was already a glass of what he assumed was sherry in her hand. Just as he was about to take his first sip of coffee she slid the newspapers closer to him.
‘Have you read them yet?’ she asked.
‘No. Why?’
‘Because you are in all of them. You and that American.’
The servants didn’t need to witness this discussion. He signalled for them to leave and searched for the gossip column in the paper closest to him.
‘What do they say?’
‘That you danced with her.’
It was too early to deal with his mother’s irrational ranting. He pushed the paper aside and took a sip of his coffee. ‘It was only a dance.’
‘They are saying you are looking for a bride.’
‘That should make you happy.’
‘Having every Mayfair mother attempt to shove their daughter your way—hardly. They say she is looking for a title.’
‘Miss Vandenberg? They obviously have never spoken to the lady.’
‘Careful, Lyonsdale. She may seek to trap you.’
‘Miss Vandenberg is the last woman in all of London who would trap me.’
‘Then you have no designs on her?’
‘Of course not. As I said, it was just a dance.’
And it was. Wasn’t it?
* * *
Later that morning Katrina was composing a letter to her cousin John when she heard a carriage roll to a stop outside her home. Peering through the linen curtains of the drawing room, she tried to see who it was.
As she shifted her body and tilted her head further Wilkins knocked on the open door to inform her that she had a caller. He seemed to be standing a little taller. When she picked up the card from the silver salver she blinked twice at the Dowager Duchess of Lyonsdale’s name.
It could not be a coincidence that she was calling on Katrina the very day the papers had printed gossip about Katrina and the woman’s grandson. If only she had time for a glass of Madeira.
When the slight old woman slowly entered the room, Katrina dropped into a curtsy and felt the weight of the Dowager’s studied gaze.
Drawing on her diplomatic experience, Katrina smiled politely. ‘Your Grace, I am honoured by your call.’
The Dowager’s eyes were sharp and assessing. With a slight lift of her chin, she held herself with a commanding air. ‘Good day, Miss Vandenberg. I wanted to call on you to thank you for your generous gift.’
At least she hadn’t demanded Katrina leave the country.
‘Would you care for some tea?’ Katrina offered, gesturing towards the settee and chairs near the fireplace.
‘Tea would be lovely.’ The Dowager perched her small, erect frame on the settee. ‘Shall we wait for your mother?’
Katrina sat in one of the bergère chairs and nodded to Wilkins for tea. ‘My mother passed away many years ago.’
The Dowager’s eyes narrowed. ‘My mother died when I was an infant. I have no memory of her.’
‘Nor I. Mine died two days after I was born.’
A look of understanding passed between them.
The Dowager cleared her throat. ‘I assume your father has hired a companion for you, while you are in London?’
Katrina shook her head. Her Great-Aunt Augusta, who had been more a mother to her than anyone, had passed away ten months before. She would have accompanied them to London. Having someone else living with them in her place would have been too painful a reminder of her loss.
‘He offered, but I declined.’
‘That sounds rather lonely. Surely you have someone to chaperon you when you are attending your social engagements?’
‘I do not mind solitude. And the wife of the American Minister has been kind enough to chaperon me on most occasions. Other times I have my maid, who has been with me for many years.’
‘I assume having other Americans around you has eased your adjustment somewhat?’
‘It has.’ Katrina could tell she was being measured by the Duke of Lyonsdale’s grandmother. She just wasn’t sure why.
‘I find it surprising that your father will be involved in negotiating a treaty between our two countries. I doubt anyone here would ask Byron or Scott to do such a thing.’
‘My father is a barrister as well as an author. He has presented cases to our Supreme Court and performed services for President Monroe.’
‘I see.’ The Dowager was silent as she openly took in her surroundings. ‘Will your father remain with the American delegation in London after the negotiations are complete?’
‘As yet he has not been asked to do so.’
How long did it take to make tea?
The Dowager nodded thoughtfully and clasped her hands on her lap. ‘You must convey my appreciation to your father for the book he sent me.’
‘I will let him know when he returns home today. Are you a great reader?’
The Dowager inclined her head. ‘In my youth I read often. I fear that with age my eyes are not what they once were. Most days I have my maid read to me. It is easier on my eyes.’
Finally Wilkins entered with the tea tray. ‘Will there be anything else, miss?’
Katrina had taken note of the Dowager’s slight frame. ‘Yes, Wilkins, I believe a nice log on the fire will do, on such a dreary day.’
The Dowager’s body appeared to relax slightly as the cosy fire warmed the room.
‘How would you care to have your tea?’
‘With some milk and four lumps of sugar, please.’
Before she caught herself, Katrina’s brows rose in surprise. Her Great-Aunt Augusta had enjoyed her tea very sweet, as well. Preparing the cup brought back fond memories of the times when she’d used to sit with the woman who had raised her. She had been her mother’s aunt, and of a similar age to the Dowager. There was something in the Dowager’s eyes that reminded her of her aunt.
‘An extra sweet or two never hurt anyone,’ the Dowager explained, with the faintest hint of a smile.
Katrina grinned and inclined her head. ‘My Great-Aunt Augusta would certainly have agreed.’
‘Then your great-aunt had exceptional taste,’ she said with a sparkle in her eye. She accepted the Wedgwood cup from Katrina. ‘I understand you are acquainted with my grandson?’
Knowing this was the true intention behind the unexpected visit, Katrina focused