Anna did not escape so easily from the drawing room. She sat there in near silence for the next hour or two—she had no idea how long—while everyone around her planned her wedding.
She must be married at St. George’s Church on Hanover Square. Everyone was agreed upon that, not just because it was within a stone’s throw of Archer House, but because it was the church for fashionable weddings during the Season. Everyone must be invited, and everyone would attend, of course. Aunt Louise would borrow Avery’s Mr. Goddard again to draw up the list, which would not be difficult, since it would be essentially the same as the one for the ball two evenings ago—with the exception of Viscount Uxbury, of course. Mr. Goddard would write the invitations too. He had a neat, precise hand. The wedding breakfast would be held at Archer House, as was only proper. The banns must be called on the coming Sunday so that the wedding would not have to be delayed longer than one month. Madame Lavalle and her assistants would be brought back to Westcott House to make Anastasia’s wedding outfit and her bride clothes. Anna’s grandmother would take her to her own jeweler’s to see to it that she purchased jewelry suited to her current rank and future prospects.
“Though of course there will be the Netherby jewels for you to wear on state and other formal occasions, Anastasia,” she added.
“You will be supplanting me in the title, Anastasia,” Aunt Louise said, one hand over her heart, “and relegating me to the position of dowager. I am delighted. I really feared Avery might never marry. One can only hope that he will now proceed to do his duty and start to populate his nursery within the year.”
Anna’s mind seemed not to be working clearly. Everyone seemed to have forgotten her declared wish to go to Wensbury to see her grandparents for herself and find out just what had happened all those years ago. Of course, her mother’s people would be deemed of no account by these aristocrats.
The duke had said he would take her there. He had given her the choice of going wed or unwed, and she had chosen to be wed first. Then he had simply taken his leave and gone away. How absolutely typical of him to leave her to the mercy of her well-meaning family. Her wedding was going to be at least a month in the future. Yet she had longed to get away from a life that was overwhelming her. All she had succeeded in doing was making things worse. Far worse.
The talk around her had progressed to betrothal announcements and betrothal parties.
Why on earth had she agreed to marry the Duke of Netherby? Was she in love with him? But what did that mean—being in love? And he was surely the last man with whom she might be infatuated.
At last everyone left, though Anna knew it was just a temporary reprieve. Elizabeth had gone downstairs to see her mother and brother on their way and was gone for a while.
“Did I hurt Alex’s feelings?” Anna asked when she returned.
“No,” Elizabeth assured her. “But he is afraid he has hurt yours. And he is afraid you accepted Avery’s offer without due consideration because you were upset.”
Anna smiled ruefully.
“I hope I did not hurt you by what I said,” Elizabeth added.
“Oh, you most certainly did not,” Anna assured her. “Neither did Alex. I do not know quite why I accepted Avery’s offer, Lizzie—if you can call it that. I was taken totally by surprise. But—I do not believe I am sorry.”
“He will not be an easy husband,” Elizabeth said, “but he will be a fascinating one, I suspect.”
“Yes,” Anna agreed. “He will certainly be far more gorgeous than I. But in a number of bird and animal species the males are more showy than the females. Did you know that?”
They both laughed, but then Elizabeth bit her lower lip and Anna thought something was troubling her.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I could tell after Avery had made his offer and then left that something was bothering Alex,” Elizabeth said. “He reminded Avery of an appointment tomorrow morning, if you will remember. And he did not participate in the general discussion afterward. I had it out of him just now when he walked a little way along the street with me after Mama was in the carriage. He begged me not to tell you, but how can I not? He asked only that I assure you tomorrow if Avery does not keep his appointment to call here that there is nothing personal in his absence, that he will surely come when he is able.”
Anna looked at her inquiringly.
Elizabeth bit her lip again before continuing. “Oh, Anna, Viscount Uxbury has challenged Avery to a duel. It is to be fought tomorrow morning. Alex is to be his second, but he is worried. Avery could not refuse the challenge. Gentlemen cannot, you know, without losing face and even honor, though it is very foolish. But Alex is afraid it will be a slaughter. He has sworn to stop it before Avery is . . . hurt too badly, but he is very much afraid he will be in no fit state to call on you here in the morning.”