Never Less Than A Lady | Herophine

Chapter Thirty

Josephine

Josephine knew they made a striking picture as they walked down the sweeping stairs to the entrance hall-any woman would look striking on Hero's arm. But her stomach was knotted and she felt on the verge of becoming ill. All the pain, rejection, and misery around her first marriage and her exile from her childhood home had become intertwined with this grand return to society.

Rose glanced up the staircase and gestured Josephine to come to her side in a receiving line by the entrance to the ballroom. Felix was there chatting with Grandmére, whose presence signaled her approval of her long lost granddaughter. Hero escorted her down the final steps and stationed himself beside her. She was surrounded by friends, and her anxiety dissolved between one heartbeat and the next.

"This isn't so bad, is it?" Rose whispered when there was a lull after the first rush of guests.

"Not bad at all," Josephine admitted. "I'm glad you forced me into this, your grace."

Rose laughed, then greeted another guest. There was intense curiosity about the duke's daughter who had returned from the dead, but Josephine sensed no hostility. As Felix had said, her father was not popular with society and the Dowager Duchess of Charente inspired awe. The beau monde was prepared to like Lady Josephine Tiffin.

"Chris!" she exclaimed as her brother appeared. She hugged him exuberantly. "Will you dance with me later?"

He laughed and hugged her back. "Yes, even if you do step all over my toes. I don't suppose you did much dancing in the wild north country."

"No, but Rose engaged a dancing instructor who drilled me ruthlessly." She surveyed Christopher, who looked as handsome and elegant as a future duke should. "If you weren't my brother, I'd say you looked madly attractive."

Christopher's eyes twinkled. "I would say the same of you if you weren't my sister." He moved on to Hero. The two men shook hands and slipped into easy conversation.

The next guest, to Josephine's shock, was Lady Alice Tiffin. An invitation had been sent to her and her husband, but Josephine and Hero had assumed the earl would rip the card into pieces and toss it into the nearest fire.

Yet here was the Countess Tiffin, looking as elegant as a very pregnant woman could in a sky blue gown and splendid sapphires. She was on the arm of a handsome young man. After a quick glance over the countess's shoulder, Josephine said warmly, "How lovely to see you again, Lady Alice."

"Don't worry," the countess said with a mischievous smile. "My husband isn't here. He had to go off to Turville for a few days." She patted her belly. "I'm not allowed to travel, of course. But when I received the invitation, I couldn't resist coming."

"I'm glad you did." Josephine studied the countess's escort. "This handsome young man is one of your sons, I think? He looks very much like you."

As the young man blushed, Lady Alice said, "Yes, my oldest, Lord Ambrose. He'll be back to Oxford soon, but he consented to escort his aging parent tonight."

Lord Ambrose smiled. "My mother is the most dreadful tease. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Josephine."

When his admiring gaze went to Hero, Josephine guessed that the young man might be army mad. She introduced him to her husband, then turned back to Lady Alice. "Will Damien be angry that you came here even though he's disowned my husband?"

"Yes, but it's not the first time I've enraged him," the countess said tartly. "He rages and stomps about furiously, but he's never laid a finger on me in anger. I would not tolerate that."