“Dancing with a gentleman at a ball is scarcely interesting, Mrs. Davenport, especially since dancing is expected when one attends a ball.”
“But not every lady is fortunate enough to take to the floor with a gentleman such as Harrison. You should know that your dance was remarked on by numerous guests, all of whom have been interrupting my time with Edwina to inquire about your relationship with the man.”
Gertrude forced a smile. “From what I understand, my friendship with Harrison has been remarked on frequently of late, so I wouldn’t put much store in any additional remarks made this evening.”
Mrs. Davenport lifted her chin. “I have no idea why you’re being so annoyingly obtuse. I’m not blind to what’s transpiring between you and Harrison, although I do hope you’ll afford me a small measure of notice before you decide to leave my employ.” She sent a fond smile Edwina’s way. “At least I can console myself with knowing I’ll not be completely abandoned.”
Gertrude fought the urge to roll her eyes. “There’s no need for any consoling because I have no intention of abandoning you. However—” she gestured across the ballroom floor—“since Mr. Gilbert Cavendish does seem to be encouraging everyone to find their seats, let us repair to a table and banish further discussion on this ridiculous subject.”
Mrs. Davenport tossed an injured look to Gertrude, then entwined her arm with Edwina’s, releasing an honest-to-goodness sniff if Gertrude wasn’t much mistaken.
“Shall we find a table, dear?” she asked, and then, without bothering to see if Gertrude was going to follow, led Edwina toward a grouping of tables, missing the silently mouthed apology Edwina sent Gertrude.
Smiling in response, with a silent “You have nothing to apologize for,” Gertrude fell into step behind the two ladies, vowing then and there to pay extra attention to Mrs. Davenport, who was clearly suffering from some imagined slight, especially since such imaginings normally caused Mrs. Davenport to embrace a melancholy attitude.
“Ah, Miss Henrietta, Miss Mabel,” Mrs. Davenport began, coming to a stop beside a table where the sisters were standing. “Would you mind if we join you?”
“How delightful,” Miss Henrietta exclaimed as Miss Mabel nodded in clear agreement. “It’s a rare occasion indeed when my sister and I get the company of two ladies who aren’t past their prime.”
Shuddering just a touch when Mrs. Davenport began swelling on the spot to what she obviously took as an insult to her somewhat advanced age, Gertrude breathed a small sigh of relief when a server approached them carrying a tray filled with champagne flutes, right as someone began tapping one of the flutes to draw everyone’s attention. Turning toward the sound, Gertrude was happy to see Harrison lifting up his champagne flute and smiling in a way that Gertrude couldn’t help but notice had more than one young lady—and even a few of the older ones—sighing.
By the time Harrison was finished telling everyone exactly how fortunate Asher was to have found such a lovely lady to soon call his wife, Permilia and Asher were both dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs Asher produced from his well-stocked pockets. Even Miss Henrietta and Miss Mabel, two ladies who weren’t known to be overly emotional sorts, were sniffling into their own handkerchiefs, although what Miss Henrietta meant by muttering something about finally finding her true calling in life, Gertrude couldn’t say.
Taking the chair to Mrs. Davenport’s right while Edwina took the chair to Mrs. Davenport’s left, Gertrude pushed aside the disappointment that stole over her at the sight of a smiling Clementine being escorted into a chair by Harrison. Needing a distraction from that, she turned and found that Miss Henrietta was sitting in the chair directly beside her, regarding her far too closely for comfort.
“It speaks highly of your character, dear, what you did for Miss Temperance Flowerdew. There aren’t many ladies who’d forgo sitting down to dine with that oh-so-delicious Harrison Sinclair simply to help a friend,” Miss Henrietta said.
Gertrude frowned. “Forgive me, but neither you nor your sister were anywhere near me when I suggested Harrison dine with Clementine.”
“We didn’t need to be,” Miss Mabel chimed in, leaning forward in the chair next to her sister. “As I’m sure you well remember, Henrietta and I have spent decades observing people, and during that time, we’ve become proficient at reading lips.”
“How ... disturbing.”
Miss Henrietta winked. “Quite, but it does allow us to be well informed about even the most mundane of topics.” She spread a white linen napkin over her lap. “Our keen prowess with observation is exactly how we’re aware of the deplorable treatment that Miss Temperance Flowerdew receives at the hands of her distant relatives. And that is exactly why I’ve decided to include her, along with you if there was any question, into my new quest of taking wallflowers in hand and improving their lots in life.”
Gertrude blinked. “Is that what you were referring to when you muttered something about discovering your true purpose in life?”
“Ah, so you’ve a talent for observation as well,” Miss Henrietta said with a nod. “And yes, that’s what I meant.”
“Don’t you find assisting Miss Snook with her school to be rewarding enough?” Gertrude asked.
Miss Henrietta tilted her head. “While it’s very rewarding to know that a house Mabel and I never enjoyed is now to be used as a school dedicated to educating women of the working class, I also find myself drawn to assisting ladies of the wallflower set.” She smiled. “Because I’m privy to the many intricacies that unfold within society, as well as being privy to the nuances within the industrialists, I believe I can offer ladies such as yourself invaluable information and connections that will see you well-settled in the end.”
“Oh ... I don’t believe there’s any need for you to offer such assistance to me,” Gertrude began. “I’m perfectly content with my lot in life.”
“Of course you’re not,” Miss Mabel said, leaning across her sister again and lowering her voice to the merest whisper. “You’re employed by a most curious lady and are expected to attend to business you’ve no business attending. Henrietta and I are going to do our very best to see you out of that situation.”
“How would you go about that?” Gertrude couldn’t help but ask.
“Get you married off to Harrison, of course,” the sisters said together, their words drawing Mrs. Davenport’s attention.
“I told you your time with Harrison was being remarked upon” was all she said before she turned back to Edwina and launched into a discussion of bustles, one that seemed to center around creating a bustle that would not make the wearer bottom-heavy.
“Don’t pay her any mind,” Miss Henrietta said as two servers approached the table carrying tureens of soup. “She’s worried she’ll soon be without a companion, and is probably only now realizing exactly how much she depends on you and your discretion.”
Having no idea what to say to that, Gertrude settled for saying nothing at all, attending to the soup one of the servers was placing in front of her.
Thankfully, Miss Henrietta and Miss Mabel were distracted with the many courses of the meal, and the conversation soon turned to the dishes they were sampling. Miss Henrietta enjoyed the terrapin, tongue, red mullet, and roast saddle of mutton, while Miss Mabel preferred the mayonnaise of chicken, quail, and compote of cherries.
