“I doubt Teresa and Rebecca would be very happy with that,” Valeria pointed out, chuckling. “Have you forgotten alreadywhat it is like to be young and bored, sequestered in family estates, far from the excitement of balls and parties?”
Isolde waved a dismissive hand. “No, no, Teresa would be thrilled. She would burrow away in your library and refuse to emerge until the winter, rather like our dear Amelia once was.”
Amelia shuddered. “Stillam. I am grateful to be out of it. Even now, I hear the word ‘ball’ and my stomach drops. If it were not for Rebecca, I would spend every month of every year at Westyork.”
Rebecca had been out in society for a year already, and though she had been inundated with proposals of courtship, she had refused them all, taking her time to find the right match. As the sister of one of the wealthiest men in England, she had that luxury. Meanwhile, at almost nine-and-ten, it was Teresa’s debut, and the only thing she had asked was that she be allowed to attend the theater.
“I do not envy them the stress of it,” Isolde agreed, her expression immediately shifting to something like panic. “Of course, they have all the time in the world to find husbands for themselves. There is no rush. They could reach your age unmarried, dear Valery, and still be content and successful, just as you are.”
Amelia nodded. “I think Rebeccaisfollowing your example. You have shown them that they should not settle for less than perfection, and if perfection does not come along, that is quite all right.”
Valeria had no choice but to laugh. “You do not need to be so cautious with your words, my dear friends. I know the situation that I am in, and I know that I am technically in competition with those darling girls out there.” She took another sip of her tea. “I wish them well, as I have always done. I have no real intention of being their rival. Ever.”
“Does this mean you have… given up?” Isolde asked, picking up a little cake studded with currants.
“On the contrary,” Valeria replied. “I have every faith that this year will be my Season.”
After all, I have a secret weapon.An irksome one, an infuriating one, but, hopefully, a useful one.
Amelia perked up, tilting her head in curiosity. “You aremoredetermined?”
“I am.” Valeria considered telling them that it was not exactly a voluntary decision, but she saw no reason to spoil the mood of the early afternoon.
She saw her friends so rarely, after all; she did not want them to worry about her, when they had so much to be joyful about. Besides, if Duncan fulfilled his promise as he had said he would, then there would be no reason for anyone to fret anymore.
“Then, you should come to London with us!” Isolde urged excitedly. “You can come to the theater, attend the balls and dinner parties with the girls, and find yourself a husband at last.”
Amelia nodded eagerly. “Wherever Rebecca goes, she is swarmed by potential suitors—you could use that to your advantage.Sheis not interested in any of them just yet, so you could swoop in and claim one for yourself.”
“I will not use dear Rebecca as honey to attract the flies, Amelia,” Valeria chided playfully. “I still have some semblance of pride remaining. If a gentleman does not approach me because he wants to, then I fear he would not be the suitor for me.”
“Oh, goodness!” Amelia gasped. “That is not what I meant at all! Of course, you can still attract excellent gentlemen of your own accord. You are as beautiful now as you were at your debut, and quite the most amusing person I have ever met. Naturally, you would need no assistance. I did not mean?—”
“I was teasing, Amelia,” Valeria interrupted with a soft chuckle. “I am well aware that gentlemen hear ‘five-and-twenty’ and run for the hills, regardless of how I look or how entertaining I am, but I am not without hope. You shall just have to trust that I have it in hand.”
“We have every faith in you, dearest Valery,” Isolde said. “Now, what do you say about coming with us? It shall be like old times again, the three of us together in London! I know that Joseph would be glad to spend more time with you.”
Valeria shook her head. “I am afraid it will not be possible. I may join you there in due course, but my cousin Beatrice will be arriving sometime in the next fortnight. Her mother is at her wit’s end, so we are to be her watchers for a while.”
“Beatrice? Oh, but that is perfect! She can spend time with Rebecca and Teresa, making friends.” Isolde clapped her hands together. “She has been out in society for several years, has she not?”
Valeria pulled a face. “There was some… incident and, as punishment, her mother has forbidden her from engaging in society this year.”
“But shewasout in society.” Isolde frowned. “I remember it. She was there at that dinner party, when Edmund and I were still being fools about our affection for one another. She danced. She gave me her words of wisdom about attraction and butterflies. Why, Amelia, you said that she was formidable with gentlemen, making them flee from her with her sharp tongue.”
A prickle of unease caught Valeria in the ribs. “She has technically been out in society since she was five-and-ten, causing all manner of trouble, as you well know.” She cast a look at Amelia, who knew Beatrice better than Isolde. “Her mother has since realized that she was out in society far too young, and has been far too wayward with that privilege, and so she is to be sent here instead of attending the usual events. I believe there were complaints, you see.”
“What manner of incident? What sort of complaints?” Amelia asked warily.
“But I assumed she must have been atleasteight-and-ten!” Isolde cried, blinking in disbelief. “She behaved as if she was much older. Why, I thought she was older than me, at the time. She spoke as if she was.”
Valeria nodded wearily. “She was left alone a lot in her youth, which I suspect forced her to mature quicker. No one kept an eye on her, so she did as she pleased. And when she asked if she could make her debut at five-and-ten, I suppose her parents saw no issue, believing she would soon become someone else’s problem. Of course, that did not happen, for gentlemen are terrified of her.”
“Poor thing,” Isolde murmured, frowning.
“As for the incident,” Valeria continued. “I believe she caught wind of a betrayal, by a gentleman to a friend of hers, and she may or may not have turned all of his horses and his dogs loose, before sneaking into his bedchamber and cutting the legs off every trouser at the knee, and putting holes in the rest of his clothing. There was also talk of a carp being stuffed into his pillow but, as I say, that cannot be confirmed or denied.”
Amelia blinked slowly. “Heavens…”
