“I didn’t mean Mr. Carson is yours, as inyours.” She waggled her eyebrows. “I meant as inyour escort. Besides, I amnotsearching for a husband. I simply want to dance and to look at the other gowns. And don’tyousnap at anyone,” Miss Charlotte added.
Beatrice stopped arranging her skirts and stared hard at her sister.
Greer wanted to laugh but averted his face, looking out into the dark street as if he were in a different carriage altogether.
After a moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Beatrice relax, leaning back onto the seat.
“I suppose it is fair for you to say such. I shall try to hold my tongue, as long as no one says anything rude or cutting or positively stupid.”
At this, Greer could keep silent no longer. “Miss Rare-Foure, in a gathering of any size, especially when privileged people are involved like we shall mingle with tonight, it is highly probable someone will do at least one of the things that causes you to snap. Perhaps we should develop a system by which we douse your fire before it explodes.”
“Douse my fire?” she murmured, raising a lovely eyebrow, and he wondered what she was thinking. “I suppose it is a good idea, as my temper has been known to reach a boiling point faster than unwatched milk on a stove.”
“Godey’sLady’s Booksays you must not give off the slightest indication of ill-temper. Perhaps one of us will poke you in the ribs if you start to seethe,” Miss Charlotte offered.
“Ha!” Greer exclaimed before he could stop himself. “She’ll be black and blue before the dinner break.”
Beatrice crossed her arms until her sister reminded her she might wrinkle her bodice, and then she rested her hands gracefully in her lap.
“Speaking of dinner,” Miss Charlotte said, “what shall we do at the eleventh dance if we’re not all partnered? Will we go to dinner together?”
Greer looked at Beatrice and then back at Miss Charlotte. “Our aim is to be partnered with others. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Anything else we should be mindful of?”
Miss Charlotte nodded sagely. “As to you, Mr. Carson, do not speak with any lady to whom you haven’t been introduced. And the proper way to ask her to dance is something like, ‘Will you favor me with your hand for this or the next dance?’”
“Will you favor me?” he repeated.
Miss Charlotte continued. “For heaven’s sake, do not sit next to a lady, even if you’ve danced with her, unless she expressly invites you.”
Beatrice laughed, but the younger Rare-Foure wasn’t finished yet. “Sister, dear, don’t forget the other rules as expressed in theLady’s Book. In your speech, avoid affectation, and with your expression, you must not appear to be frowning or quizzing.”
“Is that all?” Beatrice asked, appearing surly at the notion of such rules.
“No, it’s not,” Miss Charlotte said. “No loud laughter, loud talking, or staring.”
“Can the staring be loud?” Greer asked.
They all chuckled, and then Beatrice said, “It hardly sounds like fun if we cannot laugh, nor barely look at one another.”
Greer wasn’t worried. That night was the beginning of all his hopes and dreams, and even if he didn’t find his future wife, he did intend to have fun.
***
AMITY HAD TRANSFORMEDher luxuriously elegant home into a glittering palace of candles and flowers and sparkling champagne, at least in the ballroom, and Beatrice was reminded of the extreme wealth of a duke. The rest of the house was immaculate as usual, with staff taking ladies’ cloaks and gentlemen’s hats as soon as guests entered the foyer, before more staff escorted them upstairs to the party.
Deciding to do nothing by halves, the Pelhams’ esteemed butler announced each guest who arrived in the double doorway of the ballroom.
“I cannot believe we were announced,” Charlotte murmured as they crossed the floor toward the windows where their parents were waiting. The musicians already played softly, not music for dancing but merely to keep the guests entertained.
“I hope not too many of the hoity-toities realize we’re shopgirls at Rare Confectionery after hearing our name.” Beatrice couldn’t help but fret.
“I’m not embarrassed by our wonderful shop,” Charlotte returned.
“That’s hardly the point. If we seem inauthentic, we shall hurt our chances and possibly Mr. Carson’s.”
“There’s hardly anyone here yet to have heard your names,” the American pointed out. “I think that was your sister’s plan in having us arrive when we did.”
Beatrice thought him correct, seeing how only two of the many tables dotted around the room had been claimed, and one of those was by her parents. Besides, more guests were being announced every moment.
