“Of course.” Though it didn’t seem particularly likely, Della still hoped Jane might permit a bit of harmless rebellion. After all, they’d managed their club in relative secrecy for an entire season without their guardians knowing all of the details until they were ready. Itwouldn’t be right to hold Miss Williams to a higher standard. Besides which, she couldn’t get into any trouble with Della there to keep an eye on her. “But don’t be too hard on her if she says no. She’s only trying to keep the peace with your mother, you know.”
Miss Williams only gave a sullen grunt in response to this.
Annabelle purchased the bonnet and left instructions for it to be delivered to Miss Greenwood, then moved on to a glove shop next door, where she selected a pair in the finest kid leather and dispatched it likewise. Goodness, this was to be a full siege of the lady’s defenses! It was nearing two o’clock by the time they left, which bumped Della off the schedule she’d planned. But she couldn’t in good conscience say she’d toured the most important shops in London unless they went to see the new draper’s that had just opened in Cavendish Square, so she was forced to extend their allotted time.
I’ll just have to write quickly once I get home. I can still finish my chapter if I hurry.
They were still admiring the display in the windows when Della heard someone calling her name. A woman on the other side of the street raised a gloved hand and moved to cross. It was Jane! She must have come to find them after her nap. Della extracted herself from the crowd, eager to tell her friend all about her plans for her opening chapter, not to mention the solution she’d found to their problem with Mrs. Muller the other night.
But as she drew near, Della realized it wasn’t Jane at all, but Lady Kerr. At a distance, they looked so alike as to be mistaken.
Cecily Kerr was Jane’s cousin and sometimes rival. When Jane was present, Della would be the first to proclaim that Cecily was utterly self-obsessed and the most taxing person she’d ever encountered. The bonds of friendship commanded some loyalty, after all.
But as Jane wasnotpresent, Della was free to acknowledge—at least in the safety of her own thoughts—that she rather liked Cecily.To start with, whenever she came to their club, she always spent her coin liberally, brought several friends, and made sure everyone around her was enjoying their evening. It was almost like having someone there to help them host, if the hostess also happened to be terrible at cards.
She also knew all the latest gossip and could be counted on to share it at the slightest invitation. Della had taken to asking her about the background of their newest members, just to make sure there were no surprises before they allowed a lady to buy a subscription. In short, Cecily was very useful if you knew how to harness her talents properly.
Oh, but this is perfect!
Della was surprised she hadn’t thought of it sooner. If there was any information to be had about Lord Ashton, Cecily was sure to know. All she had to do was ask, and she might finally learn something that would explain his vexing behavior.
“Cecily, how are you?”
“Wonderful, darling. You aren’t shoppingthere, are you?” Cecily pointed to the draper’s. “They’ll tell you everything is the latest fashion from France but half their stock is just cotton from Nottingham.”
Della made a mental note of this for her book. Cecily was proving useful already!
“I’m so glad to see you,” she began.
There was a flash of surprise in Cecily’s eye before she recovered herself with a laugh. “Of course you are! I’m heaps of fun.”
“Tell me, do you know anything about Viscount Ashton, the author of those guidebooks?”
“Hmm?” Cecily’s brows arched at the name. “Oh yes, I should sayeveryoneknows about him. I bought his book for Sir Thomas on his birthday last year, but I suppose you’re more interested in the man than the book, are you?”
Success!
This was sure to be interesting, but Della held herself back before she could blurt out every question that weighed on her. Things such as: “Why didn’t he want to come to visit my bedroom when I invited him?” and “Have I made a terrible mistake by kissing him?”
One had to tread carefully with Cecily. Gossip could cut both ways.
“A friend of mine offered to introduce us,” Della lied, thinking quickly, “as she knows I have a number of artistic sorts in my set, but I didn’t want to agree to it until I’d asked your opinion. You always know who qualifies as good society and who doesn’t.”
There. That was a passable fib. Although she felt comfortable telling her closest friends about her book, there wouldn’t be much point in publishing it anonymously if she gave Cecily the opportunity to tell the whole world about it. Far safer to cover the more risqué subjects such as the entertainment at Laurent’s Casino from behind a silk screen.
Cecily practically glowed at the praise. “You did quite well to come to me first, for I can assure you he doesnotqualify. I’d decline the introduction, were I you.”
“Oh?” Della hadn’t been expecting that. She’d thought Cecily would answer with a resounding “yes” and then plunge into a detailed history of Lord Ashton’s entire life for her benefit. Surely no one would refuse the acquaintance of a peer, especially someone as concerned with appearances as Cecily.
Was it because he’d separated from his wife? He was hardly the only man to do so, even if people didn’t tend to speak of such things openly.
“Haven’t you heard about him?” Cecily asked. There was no helping it; Della was on pins and needles. Annabelle had abandoned all interest in some lace she’d been eyeing through the window andwandered closer to listen once she realized whom they were talking about. Reva and Miss Williams weren’t far behind. Cecily seemed to speak even more slowly under the sway of all the attention. “He separated from his wife nine years ago. She was from a very good family. Ellen de Villiers, I believe was her maiden name. The daughter of the Earl of Eastmeath. The two of them used to run in the very best circles until their rupture. And then he ruined her completely; left her destitute. It was all anyone talked about when it happened. All the fuss spoiled my debut year, as you can imagine.”
“How do you mean, heruinedher?” Who on earth cared about Cecily’s debut? She was deliberately saving the juicy details for last. Della’s fingers were twitching with impatience.
“It’s the most horrid thing you can imagine.” Cecily widened her eyes in shock, as if the story were fresh instead of nearly a decade in the past.
What does that mean? Adultery? Cruelty?
