Miss Kellaway’s mother interrupted my whirling thoughts by addressing my sisters. “I should like to host the two of you for tea tomorrow afternoon. Are you otherwise engaged?”
Ah. Another strategic move. Mrs. Kellaway was already infiltrating my circle with ease. This was the very method Miss Harriet Burk’s mother had taken before I was wise enough to avoid such things.
My sisters agreed to tea, and thankfully, the Kellaways took their leave of the shop first. I watched as Miss Kellaway approached the door on her mother’s arm. I pulled my gaze away after far too long, a scowl forming on my forehead. My mind raced, and I tried to distract myself by straightening the buttons on my waistcoat.
When I looked up, Penelope’s eyes were on me with no small measure of suspicion. Though she was often rather daft, I had to give Penelope credit where it was due. She was extremely perceptive. A dimple appeared in one of her round cheeks as she smirked, eyes flickering over my anxious expression. I tried to hide it, but she missed nothing.
“I’ll wait outside with Loftus and Richard,” I said. The bell on the door rang as I exited, but my sisters followed me. The seaside air was refreshing, even if it smelled of fish and seagulls.
“Hmm,” Penelope mused.
“What?” I snapped. My throat and chest felt tight.
“I was wrong,” she said. “It appears thereissomething that affects you after all. Miss Alice Kellaway, perhaps?”
Arguing would only encourage her, so I simply shook my head as she cackled to herself.
Chapter Four
ALICE
Iarranged my shells one by one into a straight line on my writing desk. I had meant to sort them by size and shape, but I couldn’t seem to focus. The corners of my mouth felt as if they were suspended by threads above me, an invisible puppet master tugging them into a constant smile. Each time I resisted, I thought again of my conversation with Mr. Croft in the souvenir shop the day before, and a surge of giddiness gripped my stomach.
I had never liked a man so much.
Yes, we had only shared two conversations, but he possessed a certain quality that I couldn’t name or explain. Whatever it was, it attracted me to him very much against my will. I didn’t mind, though. Not at all. I had met kind, polite men before—handsome and witty ones. Yet Mr. Jonathan Croft stood out from all the rest. Perhaps it was foolish to think so highly of him after such a short acquaintance, but I found myself quite determined to avoid discovering anything disagreeable about him.
I didn’t dare imagine what it might be like to court him, to occupy his daydreams like he did mine. The very thought made me nervous, so I pushed it away. I had yet to tell anyone about my little infatuation. I didn’t want Mama to meddle, and I didn’t want Charlotte to judge me. Surely she already suspected my attachment, andsurelyshe would find something wrong with him to bring to my attention.
I glanced at the clock before hurrying to my feet. Mr. Croft’s sisters, Penelope and Joanna, were joining us for tea in a few minutes. Despite Mr. Croft’s frustrations with them, I had found them quite agreeable. But then, I did find most people agreeable.
I took a deep breath, adjusting the white ribbon at my waist before taking the stairs down to the drawing room where we would await our guests. I usually wasn’t nervous for visits from female acquaintances, but the opinions Penelope and Joanna developed of me would either help or hurt the chance I had of impressing Mr. Croft. I couldn’t waste this opportunity.
Charlotte and Mama were already in the drawing room when I arrived. Charlotte turned, the light of the window catching her thoughtful blue eyes. She wore a white morning dress, much like mine, but with intricate lace trimmings, matching lace gloves, and a short-sleeved pink spencer jacket. She was the picture of elegance.
“You look lovely!” I strode toward her, examining the lace on the edges of her sleeves. It must have been a new gown she had commissioned for our trip. I studied her expression and the gleam of pride in her features. I had been worried about her since I had told her about Edmund’s disinterest, but her mood seemed unaffected. She was either very skilled at hiding what she felt, or very quick to forget.
“Thank you.” She straightened the silver pendant at her neck. “I hope Mrs. Norman and Mrs. Dodge are impressed.”
“Well, I cannot imagine how they wouldn’t be.”
She gave a grateful smile.
Mama paced a circle around the room, adjusting every vase and cushion until it was pristine. Her timing was perfect too, because not a minute later, Mrs. Joanna Norman and Mrs. Penelope Dodge were announced in the doorway.
The two women had outdone even Charlotte in their abundance of lace and ribbons. Joanna wore pale green, and Penelope wore pastel yellow. As sisters, they looked a great deal alike, both with neat brunette curls and dark eyes like their brother. As they entered the room, they seemed far more concerned with the furnishings than with Mama, Charlotte, or me. Their gazes made an arc from the floor to the ceiling, taking in every inch with scrutiny, likely assessing our wealth and status based on their findings. Hopefully they approved.
I gave my best curtsy, offering a cheerful smile as they took their place on the settee on the other side of the tea table.
I joined Mama and Charlotte across from our guests, listening as Mama offered her gracious words of greeting. I had spent my life trying to learn from her, but I was still not half as genteel. Mama could make anyone feel like her friend, even after only a few words. She asked the two ladies where they lived now, and they prattled on for several minutes about their grand houses and gardens.
“We couldn’t settle for less,” Penelope said with a light laugh. “Being raised in such a fine home, it was all we had ever known to have such comfortable and spacious surroundings.”
“And where is your childhood home?” Mama asked.
“Southcliff Manor is on the coast of Kent.”
“How lovely.” Mama offered Joanna the cream pot first, sliding the bowl of sugar in her direction.
