“Of course,” Abraham replied. “Forgive me. Sometimes when I am jesting I am not fully aware of just how poorly my words come out.”
Dominic simply nodded as he kept his intense gaze on Abraham.
“Amelia, my love, why do you not take Ophelia to the girls?” Dominic asked, brushing a kiss along Amelia’s cheek. “I know the five of you are just dying to catch up. Abraham and I will take ourselves into the smoke room.”
“Oh, thank you,” Abraham said, pulling Ophelia’s hand into his, “But I believe my betrothed and I shall stay together this evening.”
Ophelia felt the tension crackle in the air as Dominic boldly moved from behind Amelia, took hold of Abraham’s wrist, and uncurled his tight grip from Ophelia’s hand. Ophelia wasted no time pulling her hand to herself and going to Amelia’s side.
“There is something you need to know if you are to marry Ophelia,” Dominic said, shoving Abraham’s hand away as the two stared at one another with open hostility, “She has a very special friendship between my wife and her three other friends.Nothingwill able to tear them apart. Is that not true, Amelia?”
“That is right,” Amelia agreed, wrapping an around Ophelia’s back.
Ophelia’s knees nearly buckled as her friend held her; so worried she was about what was going to happen next.
“Come along, darling,” Amelia urged, giving Ophelia a gentle tug, “Our friends are waiting.”
Though she wanted to flee precisely in that direction, Ophelia remained rooted to the ground, watching Abraham intently. She was quite certain he was insane. What will he do being challenged in such a public place?
To her utter surprise, though, Abraham turned to her with a relaxed grin.
“Go on then,” he said, his tone almost careless, “Have fun with your friends.”
Abraham then turned back to Dominic.
“I, unfortunately, will have to decline your offer to join you in smoke room, Your Grace. You see I am quite partial to this particular holiday. I believe I shall go outside and walk about the bonfires you have erected.”
“Let us go find the girls,” Amelia urged as Abraham walked back toward the front door. “I believe they are all in the parlor anxious to see you. They will be relieved to see that you came.”
Even after Abraham walked back outside, Ophelia could not relax. She felt the heavy weight of gold necklace locked around her neck, feeling more suffocating now than ever before, but she did her best to breath through it as Amelia led her toward their friends.
As Ophelia walked through the small gathered crowds among the house, though, she could not help but look for Tristan. Hewas one of Dominic’s closest friends, and she was sure that he would be in attendance. Still, as her eyes roamed toward the plethora of masked guests, she did not see a single person that exuded Tristan’s presence.
Her heart sank a little more as she walked up to her friends. She was not sure what she would say if she saw him or if she could even gather the courage to go up to him at all, but what she did know was that she missed his presence. Especially now.
Ophelia did her best to forget such feelings as her friends turned to her and smiled, and she did her best to smile back. They all looked gorgeous as usual. Theo wore a cat mask similar to her own that matched Theo’s beautiful gown of black, gold, and emerald green silks. Seraphina’s mask covered her face entirely, and was a pearlescent white with soft pink painted at the cheeks and lips. Her gown was a startling buttercup yellow; brightening up the room filled with darker gowns and suits. Rose’s mask, like Ophelia’s and Theo’s, only covered the top half of her half of her face. It was a painted a smooth, eggshell white with black trim around the eyes and pink roses painted near the ends. Her gown matched the pink of the roses on her mask. They all looked lovely- and happy.
“There is our darling,” Rose cooed as Ophelia approached them.
“Oh, happy day! You came!” Seraphina exclaimed, throwing her arms around her.
“I promised I would,” Ophelia said with a half-hearted laugh as she returned Seraphina’s hug.
Ophelia looked up as her chin rested on Seraphina’s shoulder, and saw that unlike the rest of her friends, Theo was not smiling, but instead studying her intensely. She blushed under the scrutiny, and gently pulled away from Seraphina’s hug.
“Ophelia come with us, darling,” Theo urged, lacing her arm through hers, “Let us get you something to drink.”
“Oh, after what I just observed, we areallgetting a drink and going up to my chambers to speak post haste!” Amelia interjected.
Ophelia let Theo lead her toward the refreshment table, and once again, she could not help look for Tristan. And, once again, she felt a well of disappointment when she did not spot him. To her relief, though, she did not spot Abraham either. He must actually been serious about the bonfires. She’d hated every moment they’d spent together since the night he’d locked his necklace around her throat, and was praying that he stayed outside for the rest of the evening.
As they passed the refreshment table Ophelia reached for a glass of lemonade. As if deciding for her that she needed something stronger, Theo swiped the glass from her hand and exchanged it for a glass of red wine. Seraphina, Rose, and Amelia also took up glasses of red wine and the five of them let the parlor and headed up the stairs and toward Amelia quarters, far away from the hustle and bustle of the party.
“What is going on?” Ophelia asked as Amelia shut then locked the door to her sitting room.
“You tell us,” Theo replied, waving the hand that held her lemonade toward Ophelia’s throat. “We had to learn from the papers that you have accepted Lord Weavington’s engagement and you would not receive us when we came to visit! And is that the necklace you told me about? I thought you hated it! I thought you hated him!”
Ophelia’s stomach churned as she reached up toward the symbolic yolk around her throat; her hatred for it growing by the second. She’d tried in vain to get it off- and had experienced countless bouts of panic every time she failed. Eventually she just had to give up.
