Dara raised her head, and realized Elise didn’t know about the kiss. It was still a secret. “As Gwendolyn said, they wished for a reaction from you.”
“I fear they received one.” Elise shook her head. “I’m sorry, Dara. I was so angry, I attacked you. I shouldn’t have. That isn’t like me, except, he means so much to me. And he has stopped calling on me.”
Gwendolyn moved into the room. “Elise, you can’t be so serious about him. Not until he declares himself first. You should withhold some of your affection. Protect your heart.”
“Did you, perhaps, say something you shouldn’t have at Lady Whitby’s?” Dara dared to ask.
“I was embarrassed. They made it sound as if the two of you were chasing each other around the park.”
“Dara?” Gwendolyn burst into laughter.
Elise groaned. “I know. My reaction was ridiculous. I shouldn’t have been so unguarded. Dara, please, I am sorry.”
She was right; she shouldn’t have said anything. Elise rarely lost her temper, but when she did, she was not reasonable.
But she did not know of the kiss. Dara could laugh, she was so relieved.
She gave Elise a hug. “When we show up at Lord Freeman’s musicale and act as if everything is exactly as it should be, then the gossips will have nothing left to say.”
“They said you were practically naked,” Elise confessed sheepishly. “I didn’t believe that.”
“Her dress was wet,” Gwendolyn answeredcrossly. “She had many layers of clothes on. I know because I helped to peel them off of her.”
Elise took Dara’s hand. “You are actually a heroine, then. And as much as I don’t want to listen to singing in Italian tonight, I will be beside you. We shall let everyone know the Lanscarr sisters ignore ridiculous rumors.”
“And that we think you are wonderful, Dara,” Gwendolyn said.
“Yes,” Elise echoed enthusiastically.
“Then we’d best start dressing for this evening.” Dara stood. Fatigue weighed her down, but she would manage. She always managed. “It shall take me some time to style my hair. It is still damp.”
“I shall help,” Elise volunteered. She rarely offered, and she was the one with the most talent.
With harmony restored, the sisters began preparing for the evening. However, right as they and Tweedie were ready to go out the door to the waiting hack, a messenger arrived with a letter addressed to them.
Gwendolyn broke the seal. She read it and then looked up in shock. “It is from Lord Freeman. He has disinvited us for the evening.”
Dara took the letter from her and quickly read herself.
“What does he say?” Elise asked.
Stunned by what had been written, Dara handed it to her.
Elise frowned as she read and then said, “He is disinviting us for unbecoming behavior? His wife insists?”
“Isn’t his wife the one with the two lovers?” Tweedie wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Now isn’t that a false appearance of virtue.”
“I find it startling he writes to tell us that if we attempt to attend, he will have us refused at the door,” Gwendolyn said.
Dara sat on the steps right where she stood. A thousand thoughts bombarded her, none of them good.
“What does this mean?” Elise wondered.
“That we are ruined,” Dara answered.“Ruined.”
“Because Lord Freeman’s wife decided to be a stickler?” Elise huffed her opinion. “We have numerous other invitations. We are the ‘Lovely Lanscarrs.’”
Dara prayed she was right.
