“That’s a relief,” I said honestly. The last thing I needed was to be worried about losing her pearls this evening.
Delia chuckled as she gently placed the comb on the side of my head. “There. Just a little something to elevate the look.”
“Thank you. It’s lovely.”
“You don’t wear much jewelry, do you?” she said as we made our way back downstairs.
“No, not really. It isn’t very practical on Corfu, where I spend most of my time in the garden or doing chores.”
Now it was Delia’s turn to look shocked. “Don’t you have a maid?”
“I have a housekeeper, but there is too much work for only one person. And besides, I like feeling useful.”
I did not add that, since Oliver’s death, money had grown tighter with each year. My work with Mr. Dorian over the spring had provided a much-needed surplus of funds, but it was only a temporary solution. I could always approach my parents for a loan, but I intended to avoid that scenario for as long as possible.
Delia looked dazed. “How wonderfully rustic your life sounds. I must come to Corfu one of these days.”
“Yes, you should.”
“Do you miss it?”
“I do,” I said. “But a change of scenery has been nice too.” After my near-death experience last spring, coupled with my tumultuous parting from Mr. Dorian, a strange kind of restlessness had come over me. When my aunt had come to visit over the summer and offered to pay for Cleo’s school, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to escape for a bit. ThoughI was sad to leave our home, I had easily found a tenant for the fall and winter. Our housekeeper, Mrs. Kouris, offered to stay on, so I knew the place would be well cared for until our return. When exactly we would return remained to be seen. As much as I didn’t like the idea of Cleo being at school so far away, I couldn’t very well stay in London indefinitely. Tommy loved our life on Corfu even more than I did, and it didn’t feel right to keep him here.
We then reached the entrance, where Morris was waiting. “The carriage is ready for you, ladies.”
“Thank you kindly, Morris. And don’t wait up!”
The usually dour-faced butler looked faintly amused and gave her a nod. “Yes, Miss Delia.”
“My goodness. Don’t tell me you can charm Morris,” I teased as we walked down the front steps.
Delia turned to me in surprise. “What do you mean? He is an absolute angel.”
“Not that I remember,” I said with a laugh. “We used to be terrified of the man as children.”
“Well, you and the boys were rather a handful,” Delia pointed out with a teasing smile.
“Perhaps,” I acknowledged. “I suppose it’s different when you’re the youngest.”
“Anda delight. Don’t forget that,” she said with a wink, before letting the coachman help her into the carriage.
I threw back my head and laughed. “As if I ever could,” I replied and followed right behind her.
I don’t know what I expected a gallery opening to be like, but it certainly wasn’t an absolute crush. Yet that was what greeted us when we entered the Elysium Gallery, located at the edge of Soho. My first instinct was to turn back, yet Delia sailed through the crowd, completely unperturbed, and I nearly lost sight of her in the swell of bodies until she grasped my hand.
“Come along, Min,” she said and tugged me behind her while she called out “Excuse me” and “Pardon” every few steps. Eventually we made our way towards the back of the gallery, where it was much less crowded.
Delia brushed a stray golden curl off her face and led me to the cloakroom. “I’m absolutely parched,” she said, once we checked our coats. “Did you see any trays of champagne going around?”
I shook my head. “Are gallery openings always like this?”
My sister looked around in confusion. “What do you mean?” Then she turned back to scan the room. “I suppose it’s crowded. Though everything in London is like this on opening night. Everything exciting, anyway. Oh! There’s Charlie,” she said and began to wave at someone behind me. “Come.”
Before I could respond, she took my hand again, and we headed back into the fray. I held back a sigh and straightened my shoulders. Perhaps I was simply out of practice with the social whirl. My life on Corfu had been quiet, mostly. And even when Oliver and I had lived in the more bustling Athens, we didn’t attend these kinds of events. Our social life had revolved around dinners with friends from the British embassy or excursions with the children.
Delia led me over to sandy-haired man of average height in a sleek evening suit with the kind of boyish handsomeness I never quite trusted. He smiled widely at my sister and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.
“Darling, you look lovely as usual,” he said before turning to me. “And who is your enchanting friend?”
