Chapter Twelve
A gentlewoman should never call attention to herself.
The Rules (according to Dara)
If she doesn’t, how will she be noticed?
Tweedie’s belief
Elise was not right. Lord Freeman’s was the first of many disinvitations.
Herald was kept busy the following morning with a number of privately delivered letters letting the Lanscarr sisters know their presence was not welcome.
Some of the writers were apologetic. Most were imperial, dismissing the sisters, as one writer put it, as “you unfortunate upstarts who have been found out—at last!”
Gwendolyn tore up that letter, adding the bits to a growing pile.
“At least we know who our friends are not,” Elise said.
“Exactly,” Tweedie agreed.
“Perhaps if I wrote each of them and explained the circumstances,” Dara suggested helplessly. She was horrified. She’d done this. Not her sisters. They were all being branded because of her one impetuous act.
Gwendolyn came over to sit next to her on the settee. She turned Dara to meet her eyes. “You did nothing wrong.Nothing.”
“Exactly,” Elise agreed. “You saved a child.” She motioned to the stack of torn letters. “Once everyone hears the full story, you will be vindicated. Until then, Tweedie, Gwendolyn, and I are at your side.”
“I’m there as well,” Herald said from the doorway with a bow.
Dara wanted to cry. She was touched by their love, but also, they didn’t understand. They believed this could be fixed, but she had heard stories. She’d studied Society. She knew that many people involved in incidents were never forgiven whether they were in the right or not. Especially debutantes. No matter what corrections could be made, the rumors of this would follow her and her sistersforever.
Another knock sounded on the door. Herald went to answer it. Elise said, “There can’t be many more rejections to receive. This should all stop before noon—oh,Lady Byrne?” Elise’s voice wentup to a high note when her ladyship appeared standing next to Herald in the doorway. Without waiting to be invited, she’d just followed him in.
Looking uncomfortable, Herald bowed and announced, “Lady Byrne is here.”
“It’s fine,” Gwendolyn said to the servant. He nodded his gratitude for her understanding and withdrew.
Meanwhile, the sisters all respectfully stood. Tweedie sat, curling her lip as if she smelled something foul.
Lady Byrne entered the room with the manner of someone offering condolences over a death. “I know it is early, but considering the gossip, I felt it my duty to your dear grandmother to come running over here.”
Gram had detested the Byrnes. Elise and Gwendolyn stepped to Dara’s side, protectively flanking her.
Tweedie spoke up. “I didn’t know you listened to gossip, my lady.”
“Oh, I don’t. However, this is quite salacious. Almost unbelievable. Of all the members of your family Miss Dara is the most well considered. I cannot imagine you doing anything as coarse as what they whisper. Especially with a man who was showing such marked attention to your younger sister.”
For a moment, Dara’s world seemed to spin.This was how she was being discussed at breakfast tables and afternoon calls.Thiswas what she had wished to avoid.
Elise hooked her arm around Dara’s. “Do you truly believe my sister would behave in such a manner?”
“Where a man is involved, several would.” Without invitation, Lady Byrne took a seat on the opposite settee beside Tweedie. She moved with the contrived grace of an actress playing a part in a tragedy. “After all, in spite of your pitiful background, you girls came in search of titled husbands—”
“As did your daughters,” Gwendolyn answered.
“Oh, quite true. But my daughters are not fortune hunters, as you are. I mean, what Dara did to lure Mr. Brogan is quite disturbing.”
“She did notlureMr. Brogan toward anything,” Elise said. “She saved the life of a child.”
