‘You are the most insufferably proper girl in London,’ Charity said. ‘And I hope your tiny fall from grace will make you stop treating Grandmother and me like a pair of unrepentant sinners.’
‘You must not tell Grandmama,’ Hope said hurriedly.
‘Of course not,’ Charity agreed. ‘Though I suspect she will applaud the incident, just as I do. But now that it has happened, we must decide for ourselves what you are to do about this.’
‘We?’ Hope said, shocked at her sister’s audacity. ‘You have done far too much already. From now on, any decisions will be mine alone.’
‘And Mr Drake’s,’ Charity added.
‘He has made his decision already,’ Hope said, trying not to sound sorry for herself. ‘He wrote to me to apologise and says our outings have proved too dangerous to my reputation and he will have nothing to do with me from now on.’
‘I see,’ said Charity.
But that sounded suspiciously like she had been rejected. It would be better if the parting was a sensible, mutual decision. ‘And I do not plan on doing anything with him, either,’ she added.
‘Of course not,’ Charity said with a definitive nod and a smile that belied it.
‘I may not ever see him again,’ Hope added. ‘And it is probably for the best. I cannot kiss him again, even if he should want to. It would not be right.’
‘Because you are going to marry the heir,’ Charity said with a resigned sigh.
‘That is still the most logical thing to do,’ Hope said. ‘Then it will not matter as much if Mr Drake leaves us, or if the entail is incomplete. I will explain everything once we are married and ask for forgiveness.’
‘Must you always try to think three moves ahead?’ Charity asked. ‘You are not particularly good at chess.’
‘My skills are more than adequate. They might actually appear so if I was not always playing against you,’ Hope explained as patiently as she was able. ‘And while you are quite good at outsmarting me, I am still the elder. I need to think of others as I plan my actions. I cannot just fall in love, willy-nilly, with the first man that walks through the door.’
‘Unless he has a title,’ Charity finished for her, turning towards the door. ‘Enjoy the ball, Sister dear. And try not to make too many conquests while you are there. It would be cruel to Mr Drake.’
‘He does not matter.’ Hope rushed to the door and leaned out into the hall, shouting at her sister’s retreating back. ‘And I do not matter to him.’
Chapter Six
Despite Charity’s advice that she enjoy herself, Hope did not expect the evening’s party to be much better than tedious. As the weeks of the Season crawled by without the arrival of her cousin, she’d come to view the events she attended with a kind of distant dread. She had to be on guard at all times, not wanting to have too much fun or enjoy herself so completely that she forgot herraison d’être. She must not lose her heart or her head, or cause a similar reaction from any of the gentlemen present.
If it seemed to be happening with Mr Drake, it was simply a sign that she had not been cautious enough. This was a reminder to be ever vigilant.
It was exactly the opposite of the advice she received from her grandmother, who sat opposite her in the family coach. ‘Above all things, make merry, my dear. You are only young once. Now that Mr Leggett is providing for us, it is finally possible for me to give you the Season you deserve.’ Her grandmother was wearing the faintly worried look she got sometimes when the matter of money came up.
‘There was nothing wrong with the opportunities you provided for me in Berkshire,’ Hope said to reassure her. ‘The house party at Christmas was delightful.’
‘That was for Faith’s engagement,’ the Dowager replied. ‘If Mr Leggett had not invited himself to it, there would have been not one eligible man in attendance. And if not for him, Faith might have married that dreary Mr Fosberry.’
‘He was not so bad,’ Hope lied. Then added, ‘But I am glad she married Mr Leggett instead.’
‘Without a proper come out, with new gowns and a ball, Cyril was the only offer she got, and she had to trap him into it,’ her grandmother added. ‘Perhaps, when she and Mr Leggett return from Italy, we might persuade him to throw a ball for you.’
‘I am quite content to wait until we can celebrate the arrival of our American cousin,’ Hope claimed, smiling to hide any bitterness she felt. A year ago, she had wanted nothing more than a party swarming with eligible bachelors. Then there was no money for it. Now, there was no need. Either the Earl would marry her, or they would all have to settle for spinsterhood and rustication.
‘Do not wait for anyone,’ her grandmother insisted, patting her hand. ‘Dance every dance. Find a balcony or a terrace, or at least the shade of a potted palm, and be alone with someone, just as all the other couples do. And if you break some young fellow’s heart, be sure it is not before giving him a reason to remember you fondly.’
‘You are not supposed to suggest such things,’ Hope reminded her. ‘You are to tell me to guard my virtue like a precious jewel.’
Her grandmother made a puffing noise in response and then grinned. ‘Jewels are of no value if they are never put to their intended use.’
‘Your metaphor is weak. Jewels are just as valuable if they remain in the lockbox,’ Hope remarked. ‘At least when they are there, one can be sure that they have not been lost.’ She had resisted the temptation to substitute the wordsold.If Grandmama had understood that, they would not be in the trouble they were in now.
The Dowager finally seemed to sense her thoughts. When she turned to look again, the older woman’s expression was still loving, but faintly wounded. ‘I know you do not approve of me, my darling. Perhaps I am a trifle too rackety to raise young ladies. But I was quite good at raising sons. They are easier, you see.’ As they drove moonlight and shadow flickered over her face and her expression seemed to change the happy and rather foolish woman Hope expected into someone else who was much older, wiser and sadder.
