“That’s a lovely way to treat people, to be sure. Still, what I did was selfish and wrong, no matter what my motivations were.” Here, Lady Henrietta turned and raised her gaze to meet Susan’s. She swallowed hard, then pressed on. “I am truly sorry for what I tried to do to you, Lady Seabury, and to your husband and Lord D’Asti, as well.”
Susan laid her cards face down on the table, her expression softening from shock to tentative warmth.
“As Lady Eugenia suggested, we had no way to know what you may or may not have been going through at the time, so I see no reason to hold your past mistakes against you, either.”
“This has all been lovely and sentimental, but would the three of you mind if we got back to our Whist game now?”
Lady Catherine’s voice was stiff, and devoid of emotion. She had remained focused on her cards for the entirety of their conversation, and made her play, taking yet another trick.
Susan pursed her lips as she stared down at the cards on the table.
“I believe that’s the game, ladies. Neatly won.”
Susan and Eugenia started tallying up how much money they owed the other pair, and prepared to pay it, but Lady Catherine held up a hand.
“I don’t need your money, ladies. The thrill of victory is quite enough to satisfy me, though my partner, Lady Henrietta, is more than welcome to my share of the winnings.” Something about the emphasis Lady Catherine put on the word victory sent a shiver down Eugenia’s spine. The Duchess of Elkington’s daughter was a formidable adversary at the card table, and Eugenia got the feeling that she would be an equally formidable competitor in the marriage mart. She could easily have any man she set her sights on, and it chilled Eugenia to the bone to think that, perhaps, Lady Catherine had set her sights on Lord D’Asti, as well. “Shall we play another hand?”
Lady Catherine’s voice was a purr, and she was obviously ready and willing to beat them soundly once again. As Eugenia was trying to decide whether or not she was up to another round against Lady Catherine and Lady Henrietta, a delighted cackleerupted at the other card table across the parlour from them. All four women turned their gazes to the scene unfolding among the other players.
“I almost feel badly for accepting my winnings when you bet so much.”
Lady Rosebury’s victorious smirk and the greed glittering in her beady eyes belied her words as a red-faced Lady Bellingham counted out the other woman’s winnings into her waiting palm.
Lady Catherine leaned towards Susan, then, and spoke in a whisper.
“I enjoy betting on card games as much as anybody, but that’s an obscene amount of money to lose in a single hand of a friendly game of Whist.”
“Indeed it is,” Susan whispered back, shaking her head with a sympathetic frown.
“Judging by the expression on our hostess’ face, I’d say the game is getting less friendly by the moment.”
Eugenia had murmured the words more to herself than anyone else, but Lady Henrietta chuckled and quickly covered it with a delicate cough.
As they watched the other table, they saw Lydia’s gaze flash from her mother and Lady Rosebury’s exchange to the other guests at the party looking on. All the colour drained from her face, her lips pressed into a grim line, and she shot up from her seat. Eugenia had seen that exact expression on Lydia’s face countless times before, when she tired of people gaping at the spectacle Lady Bellingham was making of herself, more often than not. For a moment, Eugenia considered leaning over and whisperingto Susan to tell her exactly what Lydia was about to do, but Lady Catherine and Lady Henrietta might hear. Even if Lydia had been instrumental in humiliating Eugenia at Lady Duncan’s Ball, she would not return the favour. It was tempting to be petty and seek retribution, but ultimately it wasn’t worth it.
However, she could have bet and won a hefty sum if she’d wagered on what Lydia’s next move would be, because she’d seen this particular routine dozens of times before. Like clockwork, Lydia raised her arm, pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, moaned something incoherent, and crashed to the floor like a dropped sack of potatoes.
For a moment, the entire room was still, suspended in shock, then all at once every woman in the room cried out and rushed to crowd around Lydia and check on her. A housemaid was the first to reach Lydia, dropping to her knees and urgently fanning her face.
“Are you all right Miss?”
Lydia’s eyes opened and she glared up at the housemaid with a fierce frown.
“I’d be quite a lot better if you weren’t shouting in my ear like a senseless ninny. Stop screeching and help me up.”
Lady Catherine sucked in a disapproving gasp at Lydia’s harsh words for the housemaid, and Eugenia wordlessly hummed her agreement. It was at that moment that Lady Bellingham realised that Lydia had, perhaps, over-corrected for where the attentions in the room were focused. So, pink-cheeked and exasperated, Lady Bellingham cleared her throat and forced a broad smile.
“Well, that was a delightful start to our little party, but your guest suites should be ready now. I think it best if we all go andrefresh ourselves before the true fun and games begin on the morrow.”
“Well, I never,” Lady Catherine hissed under her breath.
Still, everyone in the room recognised a dismissal when they saw one and they filtered out into the hall, all following housemaids who would lead them to their guest suites. Eugenia was the last to leave the parlour, following the maid who’d rushed to Lydia’s aid, only to be snapped at. Just as she stepped across the threshold, someone crashed into Eugenia’s side, sending her reeling. She bounced off the doorframe, emitting a most unladylike startled grunt.
Warm, firm hands wrapped around her arms, keeping her upright.
“I’m terribly sorry.”
Eugenia gasped the words, as if the collision was her fault entirely.
