Page 29 of Courting the Country Miss

Isabella perked up and Aunt Alice smiled. “Yes, the very thing.”

Once they’d completed their shopping, they strolled to the sweet shop. A passing carriage splashed mud on Isabella, getting her feet and hem wet. Leticia wanted to shake her fist at the driver. By the time they arrived at the shop, Isabella’s teeth were chattering.

They found a table as far from the door as possible and ordered hot chocolate and pastries. At the ringing of the bell, and the blast of cold wet air that accompanied the opened door, Leticia looked up.

Lord Petre with his wife and mother entered. Leticia turned away, pretending she didn’t see the lord who’d renounced her cause and prevented his wife from participating.

Cradling her teacup, Isabella let out a sigh. “Ah, this is what I needed. Another four or five cups and I’ll feel right again.”

“We need to get you home and dry,” Aunt Alice said.

The dowager Lady Petre stepped into her line of vision and shook her cane at Leticia. “You are disgraceful. Young ladies should be looking for husbands, not sticking their noses into matters that don’t concern them.”

Leticia gaped at such rudeness.

Aunt Alice glared at the dowager. “How dare you insult my niece? She is a perfect lady, and I’ll not have you say ought about her.”

The dowager rounded on her. “If you were any kind of chaperone, you’d put a stop to these vulgar activities. Humph. Selling dances. Teaching urchins to read. Bah!”

Speechless, Leticia stared. Then, finding her voice, “Vulgar activities? Lady Averston and I are trying to help orphans.”

The dowager scowled. “One can forgive the Countess Averston. As a duke’s daughter and an earl’s wife, she’s entitled to her eccentricities, but you…you aren’t of high enough rank for such nonsense.” She wagged her cane at Leticia again. “Leave well enough alone and go find a husband!”

Lord Petre put a hand on his mother’s arm. “Come along, Mother. This little baggage isn’t worth your time. Thrown over by the earl, and now embroiled in radical behavior, no respectable gentleman would have her.” He turned a cold eye on Leticia. “Hussy. Go back to whatever insignificant little hole you crawled out of.”

Leticia’s stomach clenched and she ground her teeth. Her fingers itched to throw her chocolate into that boorish man’s face. “We have a great cause, and I’ll thank you to mind your own business.”

“How dare you!” Petre snarled.

Aunt Alice’s face reddened and she stood, staring down both of them. “You don’t intimidate us. Begone, vipers!”

Lord Petre held out a hand to someone out of Leticia’s line of sight. “Come. Let’s go patronize a shop with a more respectable clientele.”

Lord Petre’s wife came to him, her eyes downcast, and put her hand in his. As a group, they turned their backs on Leticia and left together. Only Lord Petre’s wife looked back with an apologetic expression before leaving with her husband and mother-in-law.

Leticia sat rigidly in her chair. Their opinions shouldn’t matter. But their words cut and Leticia bled inside.

Aunt Alice huffed. “Well, I never! They shall not receive an invitation to any of my parties, and I’ll be sure to cut them whenever I see them in the future. No one insults my family. No one!”

Isabella put an arm around Leticia. Unshed tears of sympathy shone in her eyes. “I’m sure their opinions aren’t shared by others.”

Aunt Alice patted Leticia’s hand. “That’s right. Though their rank should put them in high circles, no one likes Lord Petre and his draconian mother. Poisonous snakes, the lot of them. And Isabella, have no fear, they will not mar your entrée to society.”

“I’m not worried about that, Aunt,” Isabella murmured.

“Good.” Aunt Alice stood. “We ought to get you home and into some dry clothes, dear. Then we must lie down and rest before we attend tonight’s musicale. Oh, dear. I hope the Petres aren’t in attendance. Well, if they are I’ll cut them—publicly.”

Rallying herself, Leticia stood and tried to put on a smile. “Yes. The musicale tonight. Isabella, have you chosen the gown you’ll wear when you play?”

“The white with rosebuds.” Isabella looked at her as if she feared Leticia might burst into tears.

“Good choice.”

They left the shop discussing the upcoming musicale with forced cheer. Leticia weighed Aunt Alice’s optimism against realism. If the crusade to fund the school met with enough resistance, it might hurt Isabella’s chances of making a match. As much as she loved her cause, she’d give up anything to ensure that her sister found happiness.

Hours later, rested and dressed in their finery, Leticia, Isabella, and Aunt Alice arrived at the musicale and greeted their gracious hostess. Isabella carried her violin tucked under her arm in preparation to perform tonight in the musicale. Lovely and talented, she would surely attract attention. As long as Leticia’s imperfect performance at the pianoforte didn’t detract from Isabella’s talent, her sister would be a triumph this evening.

Elizabeth stood near Richard, each talking to their circle of acquaintances.