Prologue
London, England 1870
“Now for the final item on our agenda,” Lady Harriet Persimmons began as she sent a nervous glance at Lady Tabitha Malton, a dear friend and fellow member of The Mayfair Literary League. “Who will be the next to move forward withFor Better or Worse?”
Tabitha, or Tibby, as she was known to her friends, knew of Harriet’s plan to volunteer to be the next member to step forward for the league’s mission of making a bold move to catch the notice of the man for whom they held a secrettendre.
The sick feeling in the pit of Harriet’s stomach suggested she was either about to make a terrible mistake or had finally found the courage to reach for more in her life.
If only she knew which it was.
TheFor Better or Worseinitiative had been introduced by Lady Phoebe Fitzroy, who was now the Countess of Bolton since she’d recently married her secrettendre. As founder of the league, she knew each of the five other members well and discovered they had something in common in addition to their love of reading—they were invisible to the gentlemen for whom they carried a secret admiration.
Phoebe had challenged each member of the book group, who’d all experienced five or more Seasons, to do something to make those men see them in a new light with the hope of catching their attention. Though Phoebe had experienced a bumpy road on her path to a happily ever after, no one could deny her success.
Still, Harriet had doubts. Given her situation, what was the point of gaining a man’s notice? Once he came to know her, he would turn and walk the other way without a backward glance.
But what if he didn’t?
That was the voice in her head she couldn’t silence. The question called to her in the quiet moments of her days. Unfortunately, she had far too many of those. It was just her and her mother, and they’d gone through so much in the past decade.
Those dark memories were unwelcome, but especially today when she was doing her best to think of her own future for once.
From what Tibby had reported moments ago to the league members regarding her attempt at a bold move, the second one to do so, it was difficult to say whether she would see true success. The situation for Tibby and Captain Shaw was still quite uncertain.
However, the courage both Phoebe and Tibby had shown was inspiring and made Harriet wonder if she might follow their examples.
The league meetings were something Harriet looked forward to each month, and since she was hosting this one as Phoebe was on her wedding trip, she needed to keep her thoughts from drifting.
Even more so since she intended to do the unthinkable—volunteer to be the next to make a bold step toward her future.
This was her chance—the impetus she needed—to attract the notice of Joseph Harris, Viscount Garland. She couldn’t say precisely why she had these unsettling feelings for him. After all, it wasn’t as if she knew him well. Yet she couldn’t deny the flutters she experienced when she caught sight of him across the ballroom. Heaven help her if he happened to speak to her, not that such a thing often occurred.
The handsome viscount had a kind smile and a way of watching her as if truly interested in what she had to say. Shadows marked his hazel eyes, suggesting he’d endured a depth of pain few others had and come out on the other side.
Though she couldn’t imagine what might’ve happened to him. From the little she knew, his life seemed perfect, but she recognized those shadows because she was a survivor as well. It was as if his wounded soul called to hers because few others could understand what they’d been through.
Harriet gave herself a mental shake at her ridiculous thoughts. In all honesty, she wasn’t even sure if he knew her name, though they’d been introduced. She wasn’t the kind of lady that people remembered. How many times had she been introduced to the same person twice because they’d forgotten her?
The longing to have Viscount Garland look at her and truly see her was overwhelming. She wanted it more than her next breath. The realization had her digging deep for courage and lifting her hand from her lap.
Before she raised it fully, Frances Melbourne jerked to her feet. “I would like to try.”
Harriet’s breath left her body in a whoosh as her hand fell to her lap, disappointment spearing through her. Frances was one of her very best friends, but Harriet had no idea that she carried atendrefor someone. Then again, Harriet hadn’t told Frances about hers either.
Ignoring the sympathetic look Tibby sent her, Harriet quickly masked her distress. Hiding her emotions had become a necessary means of survival before her stepfather’s death. Harriet had become a master at it.
Rather than indulging in self-pity, she rose to hug Frances. “How brave of you.”
“Thank you. But we will see if I manage to follow through with it.” Frances’ brown eyes brimmed with a mix of nerves and excitement.
Tibby hugged Frances as well. “That is the purpose of having the league involved. We will offer support and encourage you to move forward.”
“Yes, we will,” Harriet agreed, careful to avoid looking at Tibby.
Winifred and Millicent joined them, along with their newest member, Lady Marion.
Once refreshments were served and the ladies were visiting, Tibby moved close to Harriet. “Just because Frances is proceeding doesn’t mean you have to wait,” she whispered.