“August, perhaps September. Tell me, where do you winter?”
Elswyth smiled through his question. “And did you leave the same time last year?”
Lord Forrester looked confused. “Oh, well, I suppose yes. We always go in September.”
“So you missed Miss Forscythe’s ball last November? What a pity.”
Lord Forrester’s frown deepened. “Well, no, actually I was here.”
“Oh? I thought you’d left.”
Elswyth could see the confusion moving across the man’s face like wind over still water. “Well, we usually do, but last year I stayed for the ball. Say, would you like one of those flowery drinks?”
“But did you speak with Persephone last autumn? I saw a letter you’d sent, and I wanted to ask if she’d replied—”
The sound of a fork clinking on glass interrupted her, followed by a high, chirping voice. “Everybody! Everybody!” Venus said, smiling widely. The partygoers ceased their conversations and turned to look at her. Lord Forrester quickly turned to face her, cutting off conversation with Elswyth.So he was in London when Persephone went missing, at least,she thought,and not so forthcoming with his whereabouts. Forgetful, or deceitful?
“Thank you all so very much for coming,” Venus said, “and a special thanks to my mother and father for allowing me to host my little soirée.”
Venus gestured across the room to where her parents stood among the sparse older peers. They smiled genially and raised their glasses. Percival was still standing next to them and had taken to the hors d’oeuvres, and the crowd had turned to him as he put a second deviled egg into his mouth. Elswyth grimaced.
“Now, as is tradition, I thought we’d enjoy a little entertainment. I believe that my good friend Miss Drusilla Wilton has prepared a musical number for us.”
“Oh drat. Venus, I forgot to tell you, my cello broke a string this morning,” Drusilla said. “I’m afraid I have nothing to share.”
To her credit, Venus didn’t seem annoyed. “Bother. I would sing, but I’m sure everyone here is rather bored of my repertoire by now.”
A gentle laugh rose from the crowd. Venus appeared to think for a moment.
“I know! We have someone new here. Miss Elderwood, you wouldn’t happen to have any entertainment prepared, would you?”
Heat rose in Elswyth’s cheeks as the crowd turned to look at her.
“Oh—no, Miss Forscythe, I couldn’t possibly—”
Miss Forscythe stepped forward and took her hands. “Oh please, please, Elswyth, if I don’t have any entertainment, then the party is ruined. You must have something prepared, anything at all…”
Elswyth clenched her jaw. She couldn’t refuse Venus; the woman was her bridge to Persephone’s social circle. If she wanted to find out what happened to her sister, she had no choice but to perform the part of socially graceful debutante—and perform it well.
“I suppose I have been working on a tableau vivant, but it’s not ready. I should surely embarrass myself.”
Venus heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh no, that would be wonderful. Really, we want to see it.” Venus turned to the crowd and spoke. “Don’t we want to see Miss Elderwood’s tableau vivant?”
The crowd hooted and clinked their glasses. Percival looked worried but gave her a reassuring smile.
“Splendid, splendid, so it’s settled then. Can I get you anything? I think we may have some instruments upstairs or—”
“No,” Elswyth said. “Just some water, please. Perhaps food.”
“Right away,” Venus said. She squealed with glee and thenhurriedly began urging her guests to sit. Elswyth swallowed before making her way to the fireplace at the center of the sitting area. She turned to face the crowd, which looked at her expectantly. Percival lowered himself noisily onto the same chaise as Lord and Lady Forscythe, who leaned uneasily away from him. Florian sat with Venus, that crooked smile on his face, blue eyes shining beneath his spectacles. Elswyth fought a sudden surge of jealousy.
A servant brought her a tray of finger sandwiches and a tall glass of water, which she sipped from and then set aside.
“I shall need a volunteer,” Elswyth said. She tried to cast her voice confidently across the room. “A gentleman, preferably.”
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Elswyth let her eyes fall on Lord Forrester, but he was busy whispering to Venus. No one offered themselves, and for an awkward moment, Elswyth stood alone at the front of the room.
Percival looked over his shoulder, then to her, and began to stand. She fixed him with a stare and subtly shook her head. It would look desperate if her chaperone was the only one to answer the call. Percival frowned and relaxed back on the chaise.
