Apollo

Chapter Four

"GOOD DAY, DAVID! GOOD DAY, LADY VICTORIA." WILLIAM LOCKHART WAS positively beaming when his friend and his daughter emerged from their carriage to step onto the driveway. "Where is Lady Georgeanne? I thought she was to accompany you."

"Good day indeed, William." Grinning broadly, the Duke of Westchester shook his hand heartily. "I'm afraid my wife is rather unwell today... She did appear to be quite all right yesterday, but this morning she woke up and said she had a dreadful headache. But it matters not – I am quite sure her illness will be gone as soon as it came." He turned to smile tenderly at his child before introducing her to his friend. "William, this is my beloved daughter Victoria. Victoria, my darling, this is my most esteemed friend Duke William Mayfair."

"Good day, Your Grace," she said breezily, only bothering to gaze briefly at her potential future father-in-law before turning her back to the pavement as she bent her knees slightly in an excuse for a curtsy. Apparently, the cobblestone was more worthy of her attentions than the Duke of Mayfair.

William's delighted expression crumpled immediately, his brow furrowing at her for a moment, but with a heavy exhale forced himself to quell his irritation quickly. This lass was, after all, his friend's daughter, and while she may be disrespectful, he had no wish to be rude to David.

"Good day, Lady Victoria." All his previous warmth evaporated and politeness remaining solely by manner of force, he offered her a stiff bow before turning to his Westchester counterpart. Some emotion returned to his face, though it did still look strained. "She is indeed lovely, David. Allow me to introduce my sister-in-law, Marchioness Bethany Rutherford of Whitehall."

Bethany curtsied. "A pleasure, Your Grace."

"The pleasure is ours, Your Ladyship. A very good day to you." David, not seeming to notice William's chagrin, bowed in return with a merry chuckle. Finally recognising someone of her calibre, his haughty daughter sank into an impressively low curtsy.

"Good day, Your Ladyship."

"Oh! You are so wonderfully well-mannered, Lady Victoria," the older noblewoman gushed in utter elation, her face lighting up. "I'm sure Emmett will be terribly fond of you. He awaits us in the dining room – he is keeping his sister company, you understand."

"If she is unable to await me alone, why do they not both greet us outside?"

Bethany seemed slightly surprised by the question, eyebrows lifting and lips parting slightly. From her manner and her diction, there was no question that the Westchester girl knew propriety – yet she asked a question Bethany would have expected to come out of the mouth of an ignorant country bumpkin.

Nonetheless, she plastered her polite smile back on her face after an impressively short time, offering the young lady something of an explanation – but more of an opportunity to recover and save face.

"My niece is the princess, Lady Victoria, surely you do not expect royalty to stand outside in the middle of winter to greet you?"

Oh, of course not, Madam, my apologies, was the answer Bethany had expected. Then the older woman would laugh the whole thing off, the girl would offer a sheepish smile, and they would all be on their merry way to luncheon. Instead, Victoria elected to raise a pointed eyebrow and reply,

"Respectfully, Madam, is she not a host? Should hosts not greet their guests?"

The young lady's hostility caught Bethany off guard. She had never seen a daughter of a duke so young and so beautiful, and yet with so much bite in her words. She stood staring at her, not knowing what she could possibly say that would mend the situation.