“You’ll have fun tonight,” Mrs. Stelm says.
Mrs. Gilpe nudges Gwen to stand and step into the hoop cage.
“What if Beth’s not there?” Gwen asks, aware she’s whining and unable to help it.
“Then you’ll—God forbid—have to dance with a young gentleman. Or talk to the other girls,” Mrs. Gilpe says, tying off Gwen’s hoop.
“Mr. Mason will dance with you,” Mrs. Stelm says. She motions for Gwen to lift her arms so they can guide her petticoat over her head.
“Albie’s danced with Meredith all this week. I don’t see that changing,” Gwen mumbles.
“The other Mr. Mason then,” Mrs. Gilpe says, rolling her eyes. She turns away to prepare Gwen’s skirt.
“Hardly,” Gwen says. Bobby steps on her toes.
“Then make another friend,” Mrs. Gilpe says sternly.
“A boy friend,” Mrs. Stelm adds with a wink.
Gwen watches herself wrinkle her nose before they lower her skirt over her head. “Please.”
“Just like your father,” Mrs. Gilpe mutters as the world briefly disappears in a flash of deep green fabric.
“What does that mean?” Gwen asks, looking between them once her skirt is settled.
“Oh, your father was a right pill his first season,” Mrs. Stelm says, ignoring Mrs. Gilpe’s look. “You started it.”
Gwen pounces. “Father wasn’t charming?”
“Oh, he was. Had all sorts of interest, but he was picky, like you,” Mrs. Gilpe admits.
“Discerning,” Gwen says, turning her nose up to make Mrs. Stelm laugh.
“He was all about the drink and dancing and playing rugby. Drove his father up the twist. Wouldn’t make calls, wouldn’t do anything he didn’t think was fun.”
Gwen can’t fight her smile. Sounds like Father, and sounds like much more fun than being trussed up on show. “So he didn’t court at all?”
“Well,” Mrs. Stelm says, glancing at Mrs. Gilpe as she does up the buttons of Gwen’s bodice.
“Please, I amsobored. I’ll take twenty-year-old gossip,” Gwen needles.
Mrs. Gilpe shrugs. “He didn’t court, but he had a lady friend.”
“A lady of the night kind of friend?” Gwen asks, squinching her face at the thought.
“Not then,” Mrs. Stelm says, laughing as Mrs. Gilpe swats at her.
“Just a friend. They ran around like little hellions, not unlike you and your friend Beth, it seems,” Mrs. Gilpe says.
That makes Gwen smile. “But they didn’t court?”
Mrs. Stelm walks around Gwen, fussing with her skirt. “Not exactly, no.”
“He didn’t... they didn’t get in trouble, did they?” Gwen asks as the thought passes through.
“No,” Mrs. Gilpe and Mrs. Stelm say immediately.
“No, she broke his heart,” Mrs. Gilpe admits.
