Wicked Heart (Brazen Bluestockings #1)

Chapter 20: Change of Circumstance

Winterbourne Hall, England
December 10, 1818

As Ivy stared at the snow-covered grounds of the massive lawns of the Duke of Winterbourne's estate, she couldn't quite believe how much her life had changed in the last few months. If someone had asked her even six months ago if she ever thought she'd attend a ball hosted by a duke, she would have laughed in their face. And yet, here she was. Attending the biggest event of the winter season: an entire week of entertainment at the Winterbournes'. Invitations to the event were highly sought after, and even her new parents were shocked when she was invited.

So was she. Though she probably shouldn't be since the Duchess of Winterbourne was one of Olivia's best friends outside of the bluestockings, and Ivy suspected Olivia had asked for the extra invitation. Lady Wycliffe—she still could not quite bring herself to call her mother—had been ecstatic. This would serve as a soft launch before the London season in a few more months.

The idea of a London season was both intriguing and terrifying, so Ivy was rather relieved about this quieter start. If one could call it that. The Winterbournes' Winter Ball was the busiest event out of the season. It was far beyond any of the small get-togethers the Wycliffes had taken her to so far. Out of the new experiences, the opera was amazing. Dress shopping on Bond Street had been exciting for a few minutes until she realised she had to stand still while measurements were taken. Back home, she had mostly inherited her older sisters' dresses and had rarely had to be measured beyond a quick check to see if anything had to be let out—they usually did, she was far bustier and with wider hips than her siblings.

A knock on the door broke her out of her reverie, and a moment later, Olivia entered. Her friend was dressed in a beautiful white ballgown with a plum bodice, and her sable hair was pulled back in an intricate hairdo.

"Are you ready?" Olivia asked with a smile. "This ball will be a little bigger than Ravenscroft's in the summer."

Ivy nervously ran her gloved hands over the skirts of her new gown. It was the finest piece of clothing she'd ever owned. A creation of soft satin and white lace, with a blue bodice embroidered with fanciful flowers. Matching silk flowers sat in a silk band at the top of her head.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She grabbed a blue shawl in the same shade as her bodice and wrapped it around her upper arms. "I'm so grateful your mother agreed to be my chaperone. Lady Wycliffe is lovely, but she gets so excited about my potential success that it can be quite exhausting."

The corners of Olivia's mouth twitched as if she was suppressing a laugh. "Oh? She gets excited about things? Do we know anyone else like that?"

With a groan, Ivy rolled her eyes and shoved her friend out the door before linking arms and following her down the hallway. "You need not continue to point out the likeness between me and Lady Wycliffe. I am not blind," she muttered.

Olivia grinned. "Sorry. It's just amazing to see how similar you are."

After a life of being the odd one out, sharing little resemblance with her siblings, Ivy had to admit it was a novel experience to find someone so much like herself. After spending more time with the Wycliffes, her heart had softened towards them. They had no plans of taking her away from the family she'd known her whole life, they just wanted some small part of her time, and she could appreciate that. While they were brand new in her life, she had been a living dream in theirs for years. The child they had lost. An age of dreams of what might have been.

A familiar ache in the region of her heart reminded her of her own dreams of what might have been. Dreams shattered when she realised Sam cared more for money than her. But she was not thinking about Sam. Definitely not. She had promised herself she would stop. Even if she thought she saw his face during events in London, only to realise it was nothing but an illusion.