“You have not said yes, either.”
“No, but no man of good sense could ever think that giving me the cut direct in a busy viewing gallery would induce me to do so! Regardless, I did not see who it was. I was not looking.”
“Oh.” Kitty slumped back against the headboard, sounding terribly disappointed. “Well, what makes you think a slight was intended?”
“I do not. Other people do.”
Kitty screwed up her face in confusion.
“I told you it was odd! One minute I was minding my own business, waiting for Aunt Gardiner to catch up, and the next, a stranger appeared at my side, commiserating with me over what had happened, and asking whether I needed her assistance.”
“And whathadhappened?”
“According to her, someone walked in, saw me, stared directly at me for long enough for it to be deliberate, then turned around and stormed out again.”
“How did you not noticethat?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I was not paying attention. There were so many people there, it was sometimes necessary to wait to see the exhibits, so I spent a lot of the time standing about wool-gathering. The only explanation I can think of is that, perhaps, the way I had been staring into space made itseemas though we had been looking at each other before whoever it was walked out.”
“Then they might just as well have not seen you either.”
“Exactly. It was all singularly ridiculous. But this lady—Lady Tuppence Swanbrook, I found out later—was infinitely more concerned by it. She said the cut direct was effectively ‘social murder’ and insisted on walking me about the room to quellany whispers. Her father is an earl apparently, and she was convinced that would save me by association.”
Kitty snorted at the mention of murder. “Why did she care who whispered about you?”
“She said it happened to her once. Someone she thought was a friend cut her at the theatre, and apparently, it caused a stir that lasted an entire Season. She said she could not bear the thought of seeing it happen to someone else.”
“Are you sure she was not just prying?” Kitty asked. “I bet she just wanted to find out who you were and why you were given the cut.”
“Probably,” Elizabeth conceded with a grin, “but even so, she was very kind about it. She insisted on obliging every person she saw pointing at me to talk to us so that none of them could make me a pariah. And she offered to introduce me to her cousin, Lord Rutherford, because she thought that if people saw that he was not afraid to be seen with me, it would stop them gossiping about what happened.”
“She offered to introduce her cousin, who is a viscount, toyou, who is a nobody, for a cut that might not even have been given?”
Elizabeth poked her. “Thank you, but I think I can claim a slightly better social standing than a nobody. And anyhow, by the time she made the offer, we had been talking for a while, and the conversation had turned to what I was doing in London. I made a joke about Mama having sent us here to find husbands.”
Kitty scoffed. “Lizzy, you cannot think she meant that her cousin might want to marry you?”
“No, probably not.” Elizabeth laughed with her sister, though her mind was instantly crowded with remembrances of another illustrious gentleman declaring himself. “Though, she did seem to think that we might get along. And she joked about it pleasing Mama very well if he did decide he wanted to marry me. But forthe most part, she was trying to help me. That is why I felt I had to agree to it. I do not care a whit for what a few strangers in a gallery think of me, but I did not want to appear ungrateful when she was being so kind. Besides, if her family has all the consequence that she seems to think they do, imagine what could happen if she took offence? It would be awful if somebody said something that might affect Uncle Gardiner’s business.”
“Then you must meet her cousin. It is no use sending me.”
“But he only thinks he is meeting a Miss Bennet. He would never know you were the wrong one. He would tell Lady Tuppence the meeting went ahead, and she would assume it was me and not be offended. Please? He is sure to prefer you, anywise. You are far better at flirting. I should only make some careless remark that would offend his pride.”
Kitty did not argue—she only narrowed her eyes. “How much does it cost to get into this exhibition? I do not want to spend all my pin money looking at stupid paintings.”
“One shilling, which is surely worth the chance to meet a viscount?”
“One shilling is surely worth the cost of me taking your place?”
Elizabeth sighed. “Very well, I shall pay for your ticket to get in. Will you go? It would do your reputation wonders to be seen with such a man. You could drop his name everywhere you go.”
“You will have to come with me. Unless I ask my aunt.”
“No! I beg you would not mention this to her. She has grown almost as tiresome as Mama when it comes to the subject of men. I shall go with you but stay out of the way while you talk to him. Besides, nobody will be looking at me. They will all be looking at the pretty young girl on Lord Rutherford’s arm.”
“I shall look a great deal prettier if you allow me to wear your new pelisse and bonnet.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes. She had owned the set for less than a week and had thus far managed to keep both from Kitty’s greedy clutches. Supposing the amnesty could not have lasted much longer in any case, she sighed in defeat and nodded.
