Debutantes Don’t Date Read Online Free Page A

scanning the
     ballroom as she talked. The man was right; it would be only a matter of time before
     she spotted them.
    “Come, let’s sneak out here.” He grabbed her hand and led her out the door into the
     garden and around the side of the balcony to the door of the library where his sister
     was waiting for him to explain how he had become engaged to the wrong girl.

Chapter Two
    The first thing Grace noticed upon entering the library was the candles. There were
     no lights. The chandeliers hanging from the vast ceilings had candles in them. There
     were light bulbs in there earlier this evening; she had checked to make sure they
     were all in working order before the ball commenced. What the hell was going on???
    The library housed a large desk, comfortable-looking chairs, a large man leaning against
     the mantle and an elegant woman sitting primly on the settee. Upon their entrance
     from the terrace, the woman rose to welcome Grace.
    “Aren’t you going to introduce us, Jasper?” she said when it became evident that Jasper
     had lost his manners somewhere outside. “You must forgive me for being so bold as
     to do it myself then, but under the circumstances I am sure you will forgive my impertinence.
     I am Lady Harrison, but you may call me Victoria. This is my husband Neal, Lord Harrison,”
     she said gesturing to the man at the fire. He only raised his glass and nodded in
     her direction by way of greeting. “You must be the woman who has convinced my dear
     brother to marry. How nice to make your acquaintance.” She turned to Jasper then before
     Grace could make a reply, “Would you care to explain to me how you have managed to
     become engaged to this girl? It is my understanding that you are supposed to be offering
     for Lady Anne tomorrow.”
    “Yes, I know that, Victoria, but I can’t offer for her now can I?”
    “I don’t know, Jasper, you tell me. Why can’t you? What exactly have you done? And
     do you mind telling me why the gossip mill is working full-steam tonight? About our
     family? Again!”
    “Victoria, you know none of those rumours are true.” Jasper pleaded with his sister
     as though this conversation had played many times before.
    “So you’re telling my you
will
be offering for Lady Anne tomorrow, as planned then?”
    “Well, uh, no, I can’t exactly do that.” Jasper looked in Grace’s direction. “Something’s
     come up.”
    “Humph, I thought so.”
    Lord Harrison stepped forward and bowed to Grace. “I don’t believe you have had a
     chance to tell us your name, my dear?”
    “Oh, hello, it is very nice to meet you. I’m Grace Lancaster.” She grasped his outstretched
     hand and shook it before turning her attention back to the chandeliers.
    “Of
the
Lancasters?” all three of them asked at the same time and she felt her skin prickle
     across her back as three sets of eyes focused on her.
    Grace tore her attention from the chandelier long enough to answer. “I guess so. I
     do have some relatives in England, but I’ve never met them.” Her great-grandfather
     had gone over to America sometime in the last century, but she couldn’t remember when.
    “And you’re an American?”
    “Born and raised.”
    Grace missed the look Jasper and his sister exchanged.
    This might prove interesting. Old Lancaster was here tonight. Jasper needed to get
     this sorted out before the head of the Lancasters found out one of his relatives had
     been found in the arms of his business rival, if he hadn’t already. They each owned
     shares in opposing banking institutions; at the moment Lord Lancaster’s bank was having
     better returns but Jasper hoped to turn that around by the end of this financial year.
    “Jasper.” Victoria motioned him to join her over by the mantelpiece next to Neal.
     “Something’s not right here.”
    Neal nodded. “With whom did she come to the ball? You say her family’s dead?” Neal
     looked Jasper straight in the eye and Jasper was once