“Seven.”
“Ah, that is what I thought!” She spooned a bite of soup into her mouth. “How very boyish of you, running about the countryside so.”
“Being chased is hardly the same as running, I believe.” Amelia took a sip from her glass. The incident had occurred when neither Papa nor her sisters had been in residence. She focused her attention on her male dinner companion. “Sir Frederick, how have you been enjoying the Season thus far?”
Sir Frederick’s relief at the more formal subject was evident. “It has been marvelous. Have you had a chance to visit the Royal Menagerie? This Season was my first opportunity, and I must say—it was every bit as frightening and wonderful as I had heard.”
“I have not, no. But I very much wish to. Lord Norwich has expressed an interest in taking me. I shall have to request we attend when he returns.”
“Bad luck for him to have to return to the country in the midst of the Season,” Sir Frederick offered consolingly.
“Indeed. But he will likely return within the week.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
That very natural end to their line of speaking startled Amelia. She grasped about for a topic, so as to prevent Miss Brooks cutting in with another embarrassing recollection.
“Now, Mellie, I have just recalled the most delicious tale Edith shared with me. Did you truly spend an afternoon catching frogs with dear Henrietta?”
Too late.
Amelia opened her mouth to respond when Miss Brooks turned suddenly on Sir Frederick. “I heard they had to sneak trousers to accomplish the deed. Is that not a famous story?”
Sir Frederick appeared dumbfounded, and Amelia glanced up to see Henrietta watching them with concern. She could not possibly hear their hushed conversation, but she could clearly interpret her beau’s reactions to it. Amelia tried to offer her a reassuring smile. But truly she had no clue how she was to rein in this conversation that was quickly becoming not only inappropriate for a dinner party but also quite embarrassing to AmeliaandHenrietta. Poor Henrietta had only joined Amelia in that adventure because Edith would not let Henrietta join her in playing dolls.
“How wonderful it will be to reminisce over childhood larks when we have a private moment, Miss Brooks, but perhaps for now we can enjoy a conversation in which Sir Frederick can also participate.” There. That was both proper and gently done. But by the weight of Miss Brooks’s glare, it was not at all appreciated.
“Certainly Sir Frederick does not begrudge our recollections. Do you, sir?” She batted her eyelashes prettily at the man in question, the picture of innocence.
“Well, I...” The man fidgeted with his cravat and reached for a drink. He choked slightly on it. “I can begrudge no such thing, surely.” His admission was not at all believable, but Miss Brooks looked triumphant nonetheless.
With reluctance, Amelia resigned herself to an evening of painful conversation. She could only hope the dinner did not have too many planned courses.
As she picked up her drink to take a bolstering draught, she caught the tail end of a satisfied smile shared between Miss Brooks and—she glanced in the opposite direction—Edith.
Something was afoot. And Amelia sorely hoped she could avoid tripping over it.
After the tedious dinner spent fielding Miss Brooks’s thinly veiled insults, the women moved to the drawing room. Ten minutes passed, and Amelia did not have a conversation partner for the entirety of the time. Henrietta had tried, twice now, to cross the room to her, only to be stopped by Edith and pulled back into conversation with Lady Cheltenham and Lady Teresa. A few other young ladies spoke near Amelia, often giggling loudly, but none seemed willing to include her.
It was frustrating. But it was also horribly embarrassing, and Amelia felt herself slipping back into the submission she had become comfortable with before marrying Lord Norwich.
“Mellie, might I join you?”
Amelia glanced up.No, thank you.“If you wish.”
Miss Brooks settled herself in a chair between Amelia and the giggling women. “How very lonely you appeared over here. I could not bear to leave you to yourself any longer.”
“On the contrary, I quite enjoy solitude.”
“Oh yes, you must be familiar with the feeling, being married to Lord Norwich.”
Amelia had wondered how long it would take for Miss Brooks to bring up Edward. The woman surpassed her expectations.
“I cannot know what you mean.” Amelia’s voice was bland, disinterested, but inside she was a mess of wriggling snakes.
“Oh, you needn’t put on a pretense for me, my dear. Edith has told me all, you know. I am most privy to your relationship. Or lack of, I suppose.” Her expression was appropriately somber and inappropriately pitying.
“I am afraid Edith is misinformed. Lord Norwich and I may not have shared a typical courtship, but our relationship is far from nonexistent.”
