Read A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin for Free Online Page A

Lady Merlton was far too pretty. Even now with her ashy blond hair and past the first blush of youth, she was an attractive woman. And Mama didn’t like pretty ladies. It drew too much attention away from herself.
    Lady Merlton’s words slowly registered, sinking into her spinning thoughts. “He sent for you? The duke? Declan? ”
    â€œYes. It seems we’re to find you a match this Season.” She cocked her head, continuing to evaluate Rosalie. “Not such an impossible task, I think. Especially not with the dowry that Declan has placed upon your head. And oh my, your shoulders and arms are quite lovely . . . we shall have to show those to full advantage.”
    Everything inside her seized. “I’m to . . . marry ? Who?”
    â€œWell, that remains to be seen, dear girl.”
    So they had not at least presumed to choose a husband for her? Small blessing.
    Lady Merlton dropped down on the bed beside her. The cat rolled out of her arms and made itself comfortable, pawing and scratching at the counterpane before circling several times and dropping onto the bed with a plaintive meow.
    Lady Merlton’s face lit with animation. “You shall be the toast of the Season.” Her keen eyes scanned her, still assessing, evaluating as though Rosalie were some fatted calf to deliver to market. “Fortunately the pastels so expected among the debutantes will look quite lovely on you. Don’t you agree, Aurelia?”
    It was only then that Rosalie noticed there was a second woman in the room. She lurked near the door, watching in silence, her arms crossed. An air of wariness clung to her, as though she did not fully trust Rosalie. Which was strange. Why should she view her suspiciously?
    The young woman—Aurelia—was elegantly dressed, in the pastels Lady Merlton had just mentioned. Only they did not look quite flattering on her. She was dark-­haired and olive-­complexioned. Perhaps there was the bit of the Mediterranean in her ancestry. The pale green she wore made her look rather sickly.
    â€œIndeed, Mama.”
    Mama? So this was Dec’s cousin. She searched her memory, vaguely recalling a dark-­haired girl a little older than herself with her nose perpetually buried in a book.
    Aurelia stopped at the foot of the bed. One corner of her mouth curled upward. Almost as though she were smirking. “She will be a diamond of the ton .”
    Something snapped inside Rosalie. A fine thread she had not even known existed simply broke loose from within her. She hopped up from the bed and marched toward the chair where she had laid out her clothes from the day before. She struggled into them, pulling them on over her shift, indifferent to her audience. Her fingers worked furiously up the row of tiny buttons lining the front of her dress.
    â€œRosalie?” Her name hung on the air, an unspoken question attached to it.
    Her gaze snapped up to meet Declan’s aunt directly. “Yes, my lady?”
    â€œAre you going somewhere? Shall we ring for a maid to help you—­”
    â€œI’ve been dressing myself for quite some time, thank you very much.” Her gaze flicked to Dec’s cousin. Her expression had altered. She did not quite smirk anymore. Instead, she looked . . . intrigued as she studied her.
    Lady Merlton’s lips thinned into a line of displeasure. She looked to her daughter as though seeking assistance. “That is a matter that should be rectified, my dear. We must have Declan assign a maid—­”
    â€œIs your nephew at home?” Rosalie asked, cutting her off. Rather rudely, she supposed, but there was no help for it. Matters were dire as far as she was concerned and must be attended to at once.
    Lady Merlton blinked. “He was on his way out. We just left him moments ago in the—­”
    Her voice died as Rosalie swung on her bare heels and began marching toward the door of her bedchamber,