Twenty minutes later, Della was rolling along in her carriage, lamenting their late start and wondering if she would still be able to visit every place she intended before one o’clock, the time she’d planned to begin writing. Annabelle and Miss Williams sat across from her, gossiping about some girls their age that Della didn’t know. She used to take note of each season’s new round of debutants, but there was simply no time for it these days.
Jane had been napping after a sleepless night when Della had called, and hadn’t joined them.
I don’t understand why anyone should choose to have a baby, ifthey’re this much work, Della reflected. Of course, she doubted her own mother had ever stayed up with her. They’d had nursemaids for that. Money did seem to make things easier. It was all the more reason to work hard and finish her book soon, so they could bring in more members and Jane could finally rest.
Della left a message with Eli just in case Jane decided to seek them out after she woke up. She’d been dearly hoping to have a real discussion with her friend about everything that had happened these past few weeks.
But it turned out that Miss Williams was an excellent listener, eagerly devouring Della’s stories once they arrived at the first shop, the hatter’s, where they found Reva waiting for them.
“Your life sounds soexciting.” Miss Williams sighed. “How did you get a viscount to help you write abook? And what’s he like?”
Della hesitated. She’d answered that same question easily when Peter had asked it a few weeks ago: “appallingly condescending.” She blushed to think of it now, after how he’d touched her that night after the casino and then helped her yesterday. He’d been the only one in the room to think of her interests. All her impatience with his cold manner had evaporated after that.
Until he’d left her with nothing but frustrated desire and bruised pride.
“He’s clever and a bit too proper,” she finally replied. “But I don’t think I can tell you much more than that. He’s a difficult man to know.”
“You forgot to mention handsome,” Reva added teasingly.
“I don’t find him handsome at all anymore,” Della said quickly. “Our meetings are strictly a business arrangement.” She was startled to hear Lord Ashton’s own words escape her lips. She’d spoken without thinking, eager to snuff out speculation. Reva must have detected something in her tone, for she raised an eyebrow and dropped the subject.
Miss Williams chatted away, oblivious to their exchange.
“Writing a guidebook to London, running a gambling club—how do you do it all without upsetting your parents?”
“Why should they object?”
“Aren’t they worried it will hurt your reputation and prevent you from marrying?”
“Not really,” Della said lightly. Her parents had never been particularly concerned with finding a match for any of their children. Of course they’d done all the customary things, like presenting Della and later Annabelle at Court for their comings out, but they’d never seemed to care much about what happened after that. It always made Della feel like the odd one out when her friends complained about their meddling parents, even if shewasgrateful for her freedom. “Mama always says that I’ll know if I’ve met the right man, and I’ve decided he should have a sense of adventure.”
Lord Ashton was sadly lacking in that respect, their interlude in the courtyard notwithstanding. His cold retreat had proven it.
“I wishIhad your parents.” Miss Williams seemed a good deal calmer than she had been at their last meeting—no doubt owing to the fact that Della had rescued her from her morning calls—but there was still a strong measure of emotion in her voice as she spoke. “I sometimes think I’d rather die than marry.”
“Hannah!” Annabelle looked up from a selection of hats, shocked. “You mustn’t say such an awful thing.” After a long moment, she added, “Although trapping oneself in bondage to a man does sound perfectly odious, and I encourage you to do everything in your power to avoid it.”
“That isn’t helpful.” Della scowled at Annabelle before turning her attention back to Miss Williams. “Please don’t listen to her. She’s a particular case. Don’t you believe in love? Look how happy Jane and your brother are.”
“They’re happy because he’s utterly devoted to her,” Miss Williams said, “and lets her do whatever she wishes. No one else is half so kind.”
“I used to be nervous at the thought of meeting my future husband,” Reva put in tentatively. “But Mr. Bhattacharya and I turned out to have far more in common than I’d thought.”
“I’m sure we could find you someone—” Della began, but the look on Miss Williams’s face froze her tongue in place. That had evidently been the wrong thing to say.
“Pleasedon’t.” Miss Williams looked as though she’d swallowed a slug. “If you want to help me, you should find a way to stop my mother from marrying me off. That’s the only outcome I’m interested in.”
“Excellent. We can be old maids together,” Annabelle said happily, holding up a straw bonnet. “Does this one have too much ribbon on it? I think it has too much ribbon.”
“It has precisely the right amount of ribbon,” Della assured her. The blue would bring out Miss Greenwood’s eyes.
“Couldn’t I come to your club tonight?” Miss Williams asked, turning away from Annabelle’s purchase. “I don’t see why everyone should be allowed to attend but me! If I’m old enough to marry, aren’t I old enough to decide how to spend my time?”
Oh dear.Della agreed with her in principle, of course, but she wasn’t foolish enough to get in the middle of a row between Jane’s in-laws.
“You’ll have to talk to Jane about that,” she replied diplomatically.
“So if she agrees, I can attend?”
