“And then ice cream and pastries down the way. Do you think it’s still there?”
“Gephino’s, was it?” Lord Havenfort asks, and Beth watches as they lean their heads in, naming old restaurants back and forth.
“Maybe we should duck out of our next tea,” Gwen mutters, her voice close to Beth’s ear, and Beth starts violently, bumping their skirts together.
Gwen winces as Beth finds enough fortitude to meet her eyes, to act like she’s not thoroughly undone just by sitting next to her. “We should,” she agrees, her voice tight and high. “I doubt we could just hire a coach though.”
“We’d have to convince Albie—dreadfully inconvenient, really,” Gwen agrees, her words a little halting. “He’ll never leave Meredith.”
“Meredith might be game,” Beth says, picturing the four of them ditching their high tea, in all their finery, to walk around the fish markets and buy street food. “It could be fun.”
“It really could be,” Gwen agrees, her smile tentative. “I’d buy you gelato.”
Beth feels some of her hesitation melt away. This is easy—familiar—planning hijinks with Gwen. Even with all the... kissing, they’re still friends. At the very least, whatever else, they’re still friends.
And something as simple as browsing a fish market sounds so fun because Gwen would be there. She makes everything fun. Everything is better with Gwen, from the kissing to sitting here listening to their parents bicker.
Her mother laughs loudly and Lord Havenfort playfully shushes her, chuckling. Not so much bickering as... flirting? It seems it’s a family trait, making the mundane into fun.
“Comport yourselves,” Gwen chides, laughing.
Her father gives her a false scowl and Mother straightens up, wiping at her eyes. Beth doesn’t even know what they were laughing at. She’s about to ask when a man in a green velvet waistcoat arrives at their table. He has a large mustache and a mop of curly brown hair, both of which only complement his beaming smile. His jacket matches the booths.
“Mr. Wilton,” Lord Havenfort says, attempting to stand and nearly falling over as his feet get caught in Gwen’s and Mother’s skirts.
“Sit down, sit down,” the man says. Lord Havenfort plops back into place and Beth hides a laugh. “It’s been too long.”
“It has,” Lord Havenfort agrees. “Do you remember—”
“But of course!” Mr. Wilton says, beaming over at Mother. “Miss Paulson.”
Mother smiles. “Lady Demeroven, now. It’s good to see you.”
Mr. Wilton frowns briefly over at Lord Havenfort before giving Mother a gracious bow. “A pleasure to see you again, my lady. Well, I imagine this calls for the chef’s special,” he says, looking back at Lord Havenfort.
“And that would be—”
“Everything!” Mr. Wilton says gleefully. “For you, Lord Havenfort, we do the whole menu. I hope you ladies are hungry,” he adds, bowing lightly to Beth and Gwen before he disappears back into what must be the kitchens.
“You’re in for a treat,” Lord Havenfort says.
“Everything, Dashiell, really,” Mother says and Lord Havenfort laughs.
“Not up to the challenge?”
Mother demurs for a moment before glancing at Beth. “What do you think, darling, can we eat these two under the table?”
Beth gapes at her mother for a beat before the challenge in her eyes and Gwen’s snickering get the best of her. “Oh, absolutely.”
“We might think to plan enough time to walk to the opera,” Gwen suggests, laughing as Lord Havenfort reaches out to squeeze her shoulder.
“You are my daughter.”
Another waiter comes over with glasses of sparkling champagne. He dutifully passes them around, his eyes lingering on Gwen. Beth feels her gut clench, a fast, hot roll of jealousy surging through her.
She blinks as he turns and walks away, no one at her table any the wiser. Lord Havenfort raises his glass. She follows suit with Gwen and Mother, utterly baffled by the extreme range of emotions she’s felt in just the past thirty minutes. She’s never been this upended before. Thinking about Gwen now is utter emotional chaos and butterflies and—
“To the health and safety of women everywhere, and the good health, happiness, and cheer of the three beautiful women I have with me tonight,” Lord Havenfort says.
