How to Pursue a Princess Read Free Page A

forever inviting me to her social events—she invited me to a house party which begins quite soon, in fact—so the means of meeting an eligible parti is readily available. I should respond to her invitation as soon as I can.” She frowned. “Where is it? I tucked it away somewhere.” Lily stood and crossed to the small tray that sat upon a side table. She pulled out a stack of correspondence and looked though it. “Here it is!” She waved a thick missive written on heavy pink paper.
    “I don’t know about this.” Dahlia’s voice was tinged with concern. “While it sounds like a simple matter to find and marry a wealthy man, especially with the help of our godmother, I wonder if the thing can be accomplished in such a short time. We only have a month or so.”
    “Which means that I cannot dawdle.”
    “But, Lily, what if you don’t meet anyone worth falling in love with at the duchess’s house party? What then?”
    “I shall leave the quality of available suitors to our godmother. She always promises a bevy of what she terms”—Lily opened the letter and read—“ ‘eligible and handsome young men of good fortune and family.’ When she puts it that way, how could I fail to fall in love with at least one of them?”
    Papa was looking more hopeful by the minute. “Och, it’s a capital idea, Lily. It just might work.”
    “Of course it will.” Lily resumed her seat and placed the letter into Dahlia’s waiting hand.
    Her sister read through the missive. “The duchess is certainly bald in her purpose. I dislike that.”
    Up until now, Lily hadn’t liked it either, which was why she hadn’t accepted any of her godmother’s invitations. But now, a growing sense of determination filled her. “She’s merely being kind. She knows our marriage prospects are quite dim here at Caith Manor.”
    “I suppose so.”
    “So it’s settled. I’ll go to the duchess’s house party, where I’ll meet a lovely, wealthy man and solve all of our problems.”
    Papa brightened. “I daresay a house party will be quite fun, too. According to Rose, the duchess plans many amusements for her guests.”
    “Exactly,” Lily said with a bravado she didn’t feel. “And I just made some new gowns for the coming year and was wondering where I’d ever find events formal enough to wear them.”
    “Your gowns are without compare,” Dahlia complimented, obviously still troubled but trying to smile.
    Lily pursed her lips, her mind moving rapidly over the items in her wardrobe. “I shall need some new shoes, and two pairs of long gloves, for mine are quite worn, but that should be enough for now.”
    “You may borrow my gloves, which are like new, for I’ve used them only once. You may also borrow my blue half boots and both pairs of my ballroom slippers. Oh, and you must take the new red cape that you made me. It’s still chilly in the evenings.”
    “Thank you, Dahlia. That should set me quite well.” She caught her father’s look, noting the sad turn of his mouth, and her irritation at him disappeared. He was a dear man, but scientific of mind, which left very little in the way of common sense. But despite his faults, she loved him dearly. “Papa, don’t look like that.” She went to stoop beside his chair, where she hugged him tightly. “We’ll find a way out of this mess. But you must promise that in the future you won’t take any more silly chances and put so much at risk.”
    He hugged her back, smelling as he always did of mint, lavender, and potting dirt. “I will never again be so foolish. But”—he tilted her chin up so that her eyes met his—“are you certain you wish to do this? I won’t have you making an unnecessary sacrifice.”
    Lily thought of Dahlia’s hesitant offer to talk to Kirk and, aware that her sister watched, forced a merry smile. “Yes, yes, a thousand yeses! I’ll enjoy the parties and rides while the duchess finds me a wealthy, handsome, generous husband whom I shall love