Phyllis snorted, drawing Lily’s attention, who blinked at her friend with a twisted brow. For her part, Victoria chose to ignore it. The tension between her friends had been growing over the past weeks, and Victoria was heartily sick of it.
Victoria clung to Lily’s hands, wishing there were more ways to describe the joy she felt at that news. “I told you it would happen, Lily. It was only a matter of time before some special gentleman snatched you up.”
“So very special,” echoed Phyllis, though her tone held nothing but frost.
Lily’s gaze darted to Phyllis, her brows drawing tight together. “Pardon?”
But no reply came. With a narrowed look, Phyllis held her gaze as Lily shrank before their eyes. With a murmured excuse, the young lady scurried away, and Phyllis took Victoria’s arm again with a smirk. Pulling free, Victoria whirled around to face her friend.
“This has gone on long enough, Phyllis. Neither Lily nor her brother is at fault for what has passed between us,” said Victoria. “I will not stand by and watch you treat her so shabbily.”
“You cannot be serious. I never welcomed Lily’s company when we were children, and I did not say a word when you insisted on including her because you and Mr. Kingsley were courting. I suffered countless hours of listening to that incessant chatterbox go on about all the useless details of her life because of you—”
“Perhaps we ought to have this discussion after tempers cool,” said Hettie, coming to stand at Phyllis’s side.
“I am not in a temper,” replied Victoria. “But neither will I remain silent when you abuse my friend in such a fashion.”
“Iam your friend!” said Phyllis, jabbing a finger to her own chest.
Victoria nodded but added, “And so is Lily.”
That was met with wide eyes and a wider gape as Phyllis stared at her. Hettie glanced between the pair, though Victoria wasn’t certain what the young lady felt. Locked in silence, the three stared at each other.
Then Mr. Charles Dosett approached with a deep bow and an appraising look for Phyllis, ignorant of the tension thrumming between the trio. “Miss Thompson. Might I be allowed to tell you how gorgeous you are tonight?”
Phyllis’s schooled her expression, and she turned to meet him with a coy smile. “I might allow it. This once.”
Mr. Dosett straightened, a hint of mirth gleaming in his eye. “If I am allowed to do so only once, then I must add that I hadn’t thought it possible for you to look any lovelier, but tonight you put Venus herself to shame.”
Offering up his arm to her, he asked, “Might I also be so bold as to claim this dance?”
Sucking in a deep breath, Phyllis took his arm with a sigh as though she was undertaking a great burden. “I suppose so.”
“And the next? And all the ones after it?”
Phyllis gave him a playful smack and shook her head, sending the dark curls framing her face bouncing as the pair wandered off towards the dance floor.
Once they were out of earshot, Hettie turned her attention back to Victoria. “You mustn’t be so hard on Phyllis. She is only defending you, and my own family, I suppose. It has not gone unnoticed that Mr. Kingsley began courting another so quickly, and it has set the gossipmongers in a dither. That it happened under our roof does not speak well of us.”
“Oh, Hettie,” said Victoria, taking her friend by the hand and squeezing. “I cannot believe I did not foresee that happening. I suppose I’ve been so consumed by my heartaches that I didn’t notice yours.”
Giving a shake of her head, Hettie waved the words away. “My family will weather the storm, and it is not a significant scandal by any means, but Phyllis is hurting for the both of us.”
Victoria sighed. “But there is nothing to hurt over. Nothing to be avenged. The courtship ended amicably because of a mutual decision.”
Pain flared in her temple, threatening to spread, and Victoria pressed a finger to it. She didn’t have the time or mental faculties to deal with such issues at present. Though she adored Hettie and Phyllis, there were such grander problems afoot than these petty squabbles. And why did it always feel as though she was playing peacemaker for their circle of friends? Victoria supposed she already had the answer, as Phyllis had already confessed her profound dislike of Lily.
Surely things could remain as they were for a few more hours. Tonight, the whole of Bristow society would gather in these four walls, and it was too great an opportunity to squander. Tomorrow, she would face the whole of it and decide how to heal the breaches in their friendships.
“Will you excuse me, Hettie?” asked Victoria, giving her friend a quick farewell before wandering to a group of gentlemen. There was no more time to waste.
***
Having never put much effort into her toilette, Sophie hadn’t understood how perilous each movement could be. Though Mama and her lady’s maid had given every promise that nothing would go amiss, it felt as though a gentle breeze in the ballroom might undo all their work. Surely it wouldn’t survive dancing. Sophie fought the fidgets whispering at her to retreat and straightened her spine, trusting that other ladies survived a night of merriment while more ornamented than she. The maid’s magic fingers had turned Sophie’s coiffure into a riot of controlled curls, framing her face in golden locks and flowers that complimented the color of her gown.
And what a gown!
Sophie had seen the fabric in the shop some weeks ago, and she’d known she must have it. Large, multicolored butterflies flew across cream-colored silk with a golden sheen, making it look as though the wearer were swathed in the creatures. But between the bold print and the uncomfortably low décolletage Mama had demanded of the seamstress, Sophie had never thought to wear it. Truly, it was not as low as some preferred, but the feel of it dipping precariously set her on edge—even as she reveled in wearing such a lovely dress.
