Seb’s head swirled with all the information Rotherby had imparted to him, and his body twitched in recollection of the countless drills he’d performed—walking, bowing, standing, and making conversation. Especially making conversation. His belly knotted as he thought about a party full of strangers, but as he tucked the leather gloves Grace had given him into his pocket, he ran through the horrendous situations that might unfold.
Was it possible that he’d disgorge the contents of his stomach on the shoes of an MP? Yes. But would he? Unlikely.
He now possessed an arsenal of tactics to help him move through his anxiousness. Concentrate on his breathing, keep the gloves in his hand to anchor him in the present moment, ask questions, and listen to the responses.
He could do this.
“Everything we’ve done this week,” his friend continued. “It’s all stored within you. It was already there. We just gave it shape and direction.”
Seb ran a hand down the front of his waistcoat. The silk whispered against his skin, grounding him to the now moment. He would not think of what would happen in half an hour, in a day or week or month.
“My carriage awaits us downstairs,” Rotherby said.
Seb drew himself up and it was a measure of the excellence of his tailoring that his clothing didn’t hinder his movements, rather heightening them instead. No wonder so many societies relied upon special ceremonial garments to induce in the wearer a sense of pride.
“Let’s go be rakes,” Seb said.
Nervousness skipped like a stone along Grace’s spine as she stood with her family in Lord and Lady Creasy’s garden. She could find no calm in the potted hosta plants or in the waters of the many fountains that dotted the large green space—a sure sign of her agitation.
The viscount and viscountess were justly celebrated for their lush and sizable garden here in the heart of Mayfair, and their annual party during the Season’s height was a highly anticipated event—especially because invitations were hard to come by.
Grace and her parents attended annually. She often broke away from the other guests to poke around beneath hedges and in the sunny patches along the paths, searching for reptiles. Not today. Today, she stood with a rigid back between her mother and her brother’s wife, the two other women chatting easily.
She almost envied them. Neither her mother nor Anne knew what was to happen today, but Grace did, and she gazed longingly at circulated trays bearing flutes of sparkling wine. Yet she couldn’t take a sip. She needed all of her wits about her.
Her gaze shot toward the top of the terrace’s steps. Still no sign of Sebastian. God—when would he get here so everything could finally begin and she’d no longer be held in this agonizing suspense?
“What’s got your stays so tight, Gracie?” her brother, Charles, asked. “Is there a heated controversy in the world of toads and frogs?”
She shot her brother an aggrieved look. It didn’t matter that they were no longer children—teasing her continued to be one of his favorite pastimes.
“Ah, don’t quiz her so, Charlie,” their mother said with the same weary tone she’d used since her children were in leading strings.
“I haven’t been to any social event this Season,” Grace said tightly. “This is my first.”
Charles said, “Remember how, in your come-out year, you hid in the retiring room at Lord Darvington’s? I think you were in there for three hours.”
“Two and a half,” Grace answered. Heaven help her, if her family couldn’t stop themselves from recounting her every youthful folly. “And I had danced for fifteen minutes before. I just found the rest of the night to be . . . uninteresting.”
She didn’t mention that during her dance with Lord Darvington’s son, she’d caught him making a face at his friends, as if he was impossibly bored.
“You won’t be ducking into any retiring room today.” Charles glanced meaningfully at the steps to the terrace. “Mason Fredericks just arrived.”
Heat flooded Grace’s cheeks. She couldn’t stop herself from looking over at Mason. Sunlight turned his light brown hair almost golden, and his eyes twinkled as he said something to Lord Creasy to make their host laugh heartily.