It wouldn’t be irrational of her to suspect that this year might be no different.
“You need to try these éclairs, by the way. Best things I have ever tasted,” Romeo said, holding what appeared to be a lemon éclair right up to her face.
“I’ll try some later,” Fola replied. She couldn’t eat much anyway while this dread festered inside her, even though she could desperately do with one of Mrs. Gray’s strawberry tarts. Maybe that would help settle her anxieties. She fanned herself then. Despite the cold day, it was warm in the library, under the bright lights and in her heavy dress; Fola could feel her own sweat practically melting her skin. “The town car is departing for the ball in less than an hour. I should go and get changed and have my makeup touched up before we leave.”
“I should probably head off as well. I haven’t seen my dad yet. He’s been pulled into the preparation for the ball. Apparently, a gardener’s touch is essential for themuch-neededshrubbery on the yacht,” Evelyn said. Fola frowned a little at the thinly veiled sarcasm in the girl’s tone. “It was really nice seeing you both though, it’s been much too long. I hope we get to hang out some more while I’m here,” Evelyn finished, her eyes lingering on Fola in a way that made her heartbeat quicken, her skin heat, and the hairs on her arms raise.
Preoccupied with the unsteady rhythm of her pulse, Fola couldn’t tell if she’d responded to Evelyn. All she knew was at some point the ballerina had waved goodbye and walked out of the library.
“It’s so weird, Evie being back, right? After so long…,” Romeo said, but Fola was barely listening to him, her eyes were trained on the door… on Evie, or rather on Evie’s shadow, which, to her mild disappointment, had swiftly retreated down the hall in the opposite direction of the drawing room and disappeared completely out of view.
Through the door a little farther down, Fola could see her father by the staircase across the hall, now pocketing his phone, seemingly having finished the call that he’d rejected Fola for. Fola watched him climb up the stairs that led to the east wing. She could see the side of his face, and the grimace he had on it.
She frowned. There was a frailty to his movements too, like he’d hit his leg or had a fall or something…
“Very weird,” Fola finally replied to Romeo, still watching her father struggle up the steps with a frown until he was completely out of her view too.
“Where are the others?” Romeo asked.
“What others?” Fola said, returning her focus back to her brother, blinking up at him confused.
“Bilal, Perdita, Octavius… You know, our siblings,” Romeo said.
“Oh, right… Well, Dee’s catching up on sleep before the car arrives. Billy says he’s gone to the bathroom, but I can tell he was lying about that because his right eye twitches when he lies—kind of like your nose thing. And only Fibonacci knows where the hell Tavi is at this point,” she finished with an exasperated sigh.
Romeo’s face twisted. “My nose thing?” he asked.
“Yeah, the way it scrunches up when you lie. It’s why you’re terrible at poker,” Fola said with a shrug, then she glanced down at her watch, which revealed that she was seven and a half minutes behind her pre-ball schedule. “Anyway, I should really get going. See you soon, Rome,” she said, patting Romeo on the arm tenderly before turning around and rushing out of the conference room.
She paused for a moment by the staircase, looking at the spot her father had just been, and then continued on, making her way toward the west wing, swallowing the dread building inside of her.
DEAR GUEST,
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND
THE TENTH-ANNUAL BUTTON PRODIGY BALL.
THIS WILL BE A CELEBRATION OF THE UNIQUE SKILLS AND
INTELLIGENCE OF OUR PRODIGIOUS ATTENDEES, WHO, OVER
THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR, HAVE SHOWN TRUE PROMISE
AND DEMONSTRATED THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE BUTTON
METHOD AND, THUS, TO EXCELLENCE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU INTO THE FOLD.
WARMEST REGARDS,
MR. LEONTES BUTTON
WHEN: NOVEMBER 23
LOCATION: THE HAMPTONS (ABOARD THETITANIAYACHT)
TIME: 6:00 P.M. (LATECOMERS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED)
