Page 1 of The Odyssean Duke

CHAPTER 1

“Ladies, I have come to a decision,” announced Evelina Burville, the Dowager Countess of Thornwall.

She hoped that her friends would not think she had taken leave of her senses, for Evelina had finally found a solution to a problem which had vexed her for some time. It was an unconventional solution, admittedly, but it was not as if the women in the Corset Chronicles Club had ever cared too much for following conventions. The room was proof of that; while the ladies lounged on sofas and chairs, the children were present and not hidden politely away with a nurse or governess.

Her sister Theodora, the Duchess of Hawthorne, lounged on a nearby sofa with a glass of wine. The young woman’s face was flushed, and her eyes shone. She had perhaps over-indulged, but they were all celebrating their good fortune and the arrival of their newest member, Lady Rosalind Kendall, a waif of a woman in a pale pink gown. She was Theodora’s sister-in-law and had a tendency to become a wallflower when she stood near Theodora, who was always filled with exuberant energy.

“Why did you laugh?” Evelina asked.

“Because you said it so urgently, sister!” Theodora exclaimed. “Why, I might believe that you were going to announce that Napoleon has found our shores!”

“Noturgently,” said Maria, the Duchess of Winterleigh and a close friend of Evelina’s. While the pair shared no blood, Evelina considered her—as well as Anna, the Duchess of Wutherton- to be her sisters as much as Theodora was. “But with force, certainly.”

The three women exchanged glances, as if they were silently determining if Maria’s descriptor was correct.

“With force,” Theodora conceded, raising her glass in a precarious toast that nearly sent the wine spilling onto the cushion beneath her. “Significantforce.”

“Well,” Evelina said, folding her hands in her lap. “It is a decision that I have been contemplating for some time, examining from every angle before deciding upon it at last. If I am forceful, it is only because I am so excited to have committed to it.”

“So what is this mysterious decision?” Theodora asked, grinning.

“I have decided to have a child.”

Theodora gasped so loudly it was almost comical. Maria stood a small distance away, watching like a hawk as her three-year-old son James toddled to the piano. Gilbert, Maria’s adoptive son, followed. Seeing that her sons were safe, Maria walked to the sofa upon which Theodora sat and stood behind her. “Do you truly wish to marry, Evelina?”

Evelina’s gaze fixed on the boys. Gilbert had hoisted his brother onto the piano bench and sat beside James, who slammed his hands on the keys and released a discordant sound. James laughed. A wave of longing swept over Evelina. If her husband had been kinder, she might have children of her own running around just like that, leaving a trail of mischief in their wake.

“The glamorous widow,” Theodora continued. “The woman who obeys no conventions. I cannot believe you wish to marry!”

Evelina reluctantly turned her attention to the other disbelieving women. “I did not say I wished tomarry,” she said. “Only that I wish to have a child.”

“Well, you cannot have one without the other,” Maria said.

Evelina clasped her hands together in her lap. She bit the inside of her cheek, silently awaiting her friends’ judgment, as they drew the inevitable conclusion.

“Unless you…” Theodora trailed off. “You cannot—you do not mean to say…”

“Perhaps, I might travel to a wellness retreat and return with a child,” Evelina said evenly. “Without any marriage at all.”

“I believe she is serious,” said Rosalind.

“Are you?” Theodora asked, some of her mirth fading. “Evelina, there are so many reasons why you should not do that.”

A flurry of sharp notes followed. James was abusing the poor instrument, but Evelina’s lips twitched in fond amusement. Children were so lively and justwonderful, and Evelina just wanted one of her own. Of course, there were many reasons why she should not conceive a child out of wedlock, but a good mother would do anything for her children. What was a little shame? Besides, she would not be shamed forever. While the ton was quick to criticize, they were equally quick in moving on to the next scandal. Eventually, they would find something more interesting than Evelina’s child with dubious origins.

“Dearest—” Maria cut off abruptly and hurried to her children. She murmured a few soft words, and James relinquished the piano seat.

Evelina had not minded the sound. James did not seem upset about having his musical interlude interrupted, though. He and Gilbert set into the cakes which had been left with the tea.

“These are wonderful cakes!” exclaimed Gilbert.

Evelina smiled. “My cook is quite gifted.”

Evelina imagined herself as a doting mother, eating honey cakes with her child; she thought they’d laugh together, as their fingers became sticky from the honey. A tightness formed in her chest and spread everywhere, making it difficult to breathe. She could imagine it all so clearly, and ithurtbeing able to envision everything so precisely.

Evelina thought about how wonderful it would be to have a child growing inside her, to feel those first kicks and to know that her baby would soon arrive. Then, she imagined holding a child—a precious little boy or girl—in her arms and knowing that it was her duty to take care of such a sweet, vulnerable baby. Of everything her husband had done, depriving her of children was the worst. Evelina knew there were women who disliked motherhood, and she had always championed a woman’s freedom to choose her life.

But to Evelina, not having a child was like being a half-woman, doomed to a wretched existence ofwanting.