Unfortunately, my aunt seemed to take the dearth of invitations as a personal challenge. The less society wanted to see of me, the more she was determined to secure an invitation. She never went so far as to allow me to turn up uninvited, but if there was any ambiguity to be had in an invitation, she was sure to exploit it.
I had no proof, but I suspected that she browbeat her daughter-in-law into hosting a ball with the sole purpose of securing an invitation for me. The poor woman was mere months out of the childbed. I could not believe that she wanted to host such an event.
While my aunt ensured I received the invitation, she had no power to force gentlemen to ask me to dance. The entire night was spent propping up the wall—far away from the drinks table for obvious reasons. Even the company of Ladies Celine and Davina, both of whom were quite popular, did not entice the gentlemen to my side.
The only consolation was the lack of a certain viscount and his mother. Lord Hugh Grayson and Lady Grayson had proven themselves to be the cruelest sort that day in the park. She flung insults in my direction as she walked away, and he merely grunted in agreement.
At least the younger son tried to quiet her proclamations. Improper and uncultured I may have been, but I would never dream of spewing such venom at a person; particularly one with whom I was so little acquainted. Were any of my relations behaving thusly, I would certainly check them. Having witnessed such a display, I could hardly recall what I had initially found attractive about the man. Thick dark hair, intriguing gray eyes, and a handsome form were hardly enough to overcome such a poor character.
Tonight though, tonight my aunt had taken a different tactic. She took it into her head to host a dinner party before the whole of thetonretreated to their country estates for the winter holidays. She was determined to show me off to best effect, which apparently required me to display at the pianoforte after dinner.
She also decided the best way to overcome my foibles was to include both the viscount and his mother amongst tonight’s numbers. After all, if Lord Grayson forgave my display at the Rosehill ball, surely the rest of the beau monde would as well. And, the two hadn’t declined. Of course, no one declined my aunt’s invitations.
A gown had been commissioned specifically for this evening, a missish white satin thing cut far too low on the bust. Aunt Prudence’s maid had tightened my stays far past the point of comfort and I feared spilling from either end. My aunt’s own delicate form prevented her from sympathizing with my fears. My hair had been stuffed with more baubles than my head could support. Overall, the effect was simultaneously over and underwhelming. I hadn’t the heart to complain though, nor the time to make substantive changes. Guests were due to arrive in moments.
I took my place at my aunt’s side just as the first carriage arrived. This one conveyed her son and daughter-in-law. My cousin and his wife were kind but not particularly interested in his mother’s charity case, a situation which suited me perfectly.
They were followed by Lady James and her husband, the Baron James. I hadn’t realized they received an invitation, and it took all my efforts to suppress a groan. Lady James hadn’t taken any pains to apologize for the incident with the lemonade and, in fact, stepped on the hem of my gown in the modiste the other week. I could no longer excuse these events as accidental. She, of course, looked quite fetching in a rose-pink gown, quite outshining her elderly, portly, sweaty husband.
She and her husband preceded several other guests including Lady Rycliffe, Lady Davina, as well as her mother and brother, all of whom appeared to have stepped off a Parisian fashion plate.
Unfortunately, Juliet was unable to leave Aunt Sophie, whose condition had worsened still further.
Finally, well past fashionably late, the viscount and his mother arrived. I could excuse a slight to me, but to delay my aunt’s dinner party… I gritted my teeth between greetings. It was beyond the pale.
Worse still, Aunt Prudence seated me next to Lady Grayson at dinner. I was forced to sit beside the woman whose scent could only be described as floral death, perhaps a bit of citrus for added complexity.
The smell put me off my dinner, which had been quite promising. My aunt did not hire inferior staff. I often thought, usually midbite, that her cook was well worth the humiliation that was a Season in town. I struggled for a bright side, the best I was able to manage was that I would hardly have been able to eat in the stays anyway.
Lady Grayson took no pains to speak to me, instead blatantly snubbing me when I attempted to engage her. I tried to excuse it as some hearing difficulty, but she seemed to have no difficulty comprehending her son on her other side.
Fortunately, Celine was seated to my right, she had no compunction quietly mocking the absurdities around us. My own appearance included. “Tell me, how many peacocks lost their lives for your headpiece?”
I had to disguise a laugh as a cough into my napkin.
“You would have to ask my aunt for confirmation, but I expect at least three. It’s nothing to the number of whales who lost their baleen in an effort to contain my bust. Behold their success.”
Celine did nothing to hide her chuckle as I made a subtle gesture with my fork toward my chest. Lady Grayson’s choked swallow proved that she was not, indeed, suffering from hearing loss.
“Yes, their efforts do seem to be in vain. Why does your aunt insist on dressing you in gowns that would flatter her? Your figure is spectacular but quite her opposite. In Paris, you would need to beat the gentlemen back with a riding crop. Though I know of more than one man who would find that to be an incentive rather than a deterrent.”
She timed this comment to coincide with a sip of wine, and I choked slightly in response. Fortunately, I was able to contain the wine in my mouth.
“Even though the fashions here are much behind, certainly your modiste could not have suggested this cut,” she said.
“In spite of all my efforts and those of Mme. Dubois, my aunt was certain this would suit. I’m sure it would suit. Anyone else.”
“Perhaps she will allow Dav and I to escort you to the modiste. We could find you something… more flattering.”
“That would be lovely.”
Her tone dropped lower before she added, “At least you’re under your aunt’s thumb. Lady Grayson has no such excuse for whatever it is that she’s donned.” There was no choked squawk from beside me but there was one on the other side of Celine from Davina who had paused her emphatic gesturing at her brother in favor of eavesdropping. “I’ve also discovered the source of her megrims—it is her perfume no doubt.” Davina’s second snort drew her brother’s attention once more and they resumed their animated gesturing.
Eventually, supper came to a close. With Celine’s help, I actually managed to enjoy myself if not the food. As expected, per his mother’s explicit instructions, my cousin requested some musical entertainment for the evening.
I was supposed to use this opportunity to display my one accomplishment of note. What wasn’t planned for was Lady James’s eagerness to demonstrate her own talents on the pianoforte.
* * *
