Perhaps finding a husband will not be so complicated.
Kitty had barely taken any steps toward the dance floor before a young, golden-haired woman in a blue gown approached her. Her raised brow and faint, almost imperceptible smile radiated an air of calculated curiosity, as if she had been waiting patiently for this moment.
“Lady Katherine McGowan?” she inquired, though the pause before she said the name showed she already knew.
Kitty smiled at her. “Indeed. But, please, call me Kitty.”
A burst of surprise swept Cynthia’s face, her hazel eyes darting out to the group of guests circling around them as if to gauge their reaction to this outrageous breach of etiquette.
“How very…sweet,” she said at last. “I am Lady Cynthia Henley. Delighted.”
They curtsied to one another, but Kitty could not help but wonder at the rigidness of Lady Cynthia’s movements.
“You must allow me to congratulate you, Miss Kitty,” Cynthia continued, her smile polished but tight. “You’ve managed to capture the attention of nearly every eye in the room. Quite an entrance.”
Kitty tilted her head, surprised. “Have I? How very flattering.”
Cynthia’s gaze sharpened. “Well, some might say… rather bold. Not everyone could carry it off.”
A ripple of murmurs stirred among the guests nearby, too practiced to stare outright, but too intrigued to hide their listening.
“I’ve never found subtlety to be my strongest talent,” Kitty said smoothly, lifting her chin. “And I’m afraid I’ve never been terribly bothered by what some people might say.”
“Tell me, with all your years abroad, how did your beloved father ensure that you were adequately schooled? I should imagine such a feat must have been intimidating.” Cynthia continued, her devious smile intact.
This wasn’t just idle chatter—Cynthia had been circling her like a hawk, searching for a weakness, an opening.
She felt the weight of every glance that slid her way, some curious, some calculating, all appraising. It was dizzying—exhilarating and suffocating at once.
“Oh, we were most lucky. My governess, Jane—she’s not just an excellent tutor but my closest friend. She would have adored this night. I do wish she were here to witness it.” As the words left her lips, Kitty kept her tone light, almost wistful, but inwardly, her mind was humming.
The effect was immediate.
A stillness fell upon the ladies who surrounded them, the way that their eyes found each other evincing their unspoken surprise.
“How very…sweet,” she remarked again, her tone carefully contained. “One does not hear often of a young lady so taking a shine to a governess. The McGowans truly are legendary for their… unconventional approach.”
There it stood, the barely concealed sarcasm, spoken not quite softly enough to entice more guesswork. Rumors rippled across the pond, and Kitty knew if she didn’t turn the conversation aside at once, she’d find herself trapped in Cynthia’s net.
“Oh, but I have had plenty of other friends,” Kitty assured happily, determined not to succumb to her mockery. “There was Signora Marina of Venice, just for starters. Such a jovial woman. I should say she is the most unbridled woman I have ever met.”
“Really?” Cynthia asked, curiosity piqued.
“Indeed!” Why, once, on Carnival, I found her in the most compromising of situations?—
A collective, high gasp ran through the throng. Cynthia’s face gleamed with triumph as she placed a gloved hand on her mouth, a perfectly staged look of shock.
She caught herself, too belatedly discovering her mistake.
“Miss McGowan!” Cynthia exclaimed, in a tone that suggested nothing less than scandalous delight. “Surely you do not mean to say…”
Then, Cynthia’s expression softened into one of practiced sympathy. “Oh, but of course…Miss McGowan, we must be understanding. Growing up without a mother, one cannot expect?—”
“Enough, Lady Cynthia.”
A voice cut through the ballroom like a knife. The hum died abruptly.
Kitty’s head turned toward the sound, and for the first time, her breath was quiet.
