“I don’t believe I can argue with that,” Gideon said far too cheerfully.
The urge to throttle him increased. She drew in a deep breath, slowly released it, and turned her attention to Camilla to avoid further impulses for bodily harm. “Since Gideon is hardly being helpful about this matter, I’m going to prevail upon you to see reason. You’ve been involved with society from the moment you drew breath, so you must know it’ll be a futile endeavor to convince them I’m an Incomparable.
“I’m not like other society ladies. I don’t dance well, I’m not possessed of a voice like an angel, nor do I have a flair for fashion. I simply don’t fit the mold of what society expects of their Incomparables or diamonds.”
“You definitely don’t fit the standard mold,” Camilla admitted.
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Adelaide said. “Which means this is the point in the conversation where I thank you again for your offer, decline it, and suggest we repair to the house for some refreshments and additional talk of one of you agreeing to take Harvey in.”
“We just need to create a different mold,” Camilla said, completely ignoring everything Adelaide had just said.
Gideon was nodding a second later. “But you’re a genius, Camilla, because that’s exactly what we should do. What do you have in mind?”
Camilla walked around Adelaide, looking her up and down before she stopped in her tracks and smiled. “I’ve got it.”
“Got what?” Adelaide forced herself to ask.
Camilla gave Adelaide one last perusal and took a step back. “We’ll turn you into something far more intriguing than any old diamond or Incomparable.”
“But society adores their diamonds and Incomparables,” Adelaide argued.
Camilla’s eyes began to sparkle. “True, but I say it’s time to introduce something innovative into fashionable circles. Something bold.”
“Nothing bold is going to replace diamonds or Incomparables.”
“It will if we convince society those are passé, especially since society is known to be rather fickle.”
“They may very well be fickle, but they’re staunchly attached to fawning over the ladies who are deemed the most fashionable in any given year.”
“Well, quite,” Camilla agreed. “However, I don’t believe they’ll be able to resist what I’m going to convince them is just as desirable—perhaps more so. A true original.”
Adelaide gave her nose another scratch. “I don’t think societyis suddenly going to abandon their love of the most beautiful ladies on the marriage mart to embrace an original like me.”
“And I beg to differ because I believe we can change their perception of what should be considered in vogue, especially with Gideon’s assistance.”
A bit of wariness clouded Gideon’s eyes. “I don’t remember you mentioning anything about needing me to assist you with Adelaide.”
“Your part just came to me—and all because of Miss Duveen’s idea about turning cats stylish,” Camilla said as she repositioned Harvey, who tried to burrow underneath the neckline of her gown, and lifted her chin. “I think she may very well be right in that it would take only one well-placed society member strolling around New York in the company of a feline companion to have the upper crust clamoring to own cats. It then stands to reason that the same strategy can be used in Adelaide’s case. We simply need to have a gentleman considered in high demand pay particular attention to her—and that gentleman, of course, would be you.”
Eight
DECEMBER
NEW YORK CITY
Over the month and a half since Adelaide had agreed to Camilla’s proposition—done so not because Gideon thought she truly wanted to improve her standing within society, but because she believed her agreement to be taken in hand would be a relief to her mother—he’d begun to realize that she was, indeed, an original, and a fascinating original at that.
He’d also begun to suspect that Camilla might succeed with effectively reintroducing Adelaide into society, what with how she’d already seen success with the whole Adelaide-avoiding-being-ostracized business. All she’d had to do to accomplish that impossible feat was arrange a tête-à-tête with Mr. Ward McAllister.
During their little chat, Camilla had presented Ward with a proposal he’d been unable to refuse—she would host a spectacular ball during the Season and give him carte blanche to plan out every detail of that event with no expenses spared. All Ward had to do in order to be given the privilege of organizing what would certainly be the talk of the Season was getAdelaide reinstated as a member in good standing within the Four Hundred.
It had taken Ward a mere day to persuade the upper crust they’d been far too hasty with their decision to banish Adelaide, and the rapidity of his success was all due to the insinuation that anyone who refused to accept Adelaide back into the fold would face his personal displeasure.
Evidently no one wanted to incur Ward’s discontent because within days of his involvement in the matter, Phyllis began receiving callers, all of whom seemed anxious to let bygones be bygones.
And just like that, Adelaide was once again considered a bona fide member of the Four Hundred.
Camilla had then set her sights on the next part of her campaign—laying the groundwork to have Adelaide declared the celebrated success of the upcoming Season.
