“Iris?” Elizabeth’s voice boomed down the stairs, making Iris jump. “Is it really you? I cannot believe that you are here.” She raced rapidly down the stairs to embrace her sister. “Oh my goodness, it has been such a long time. I have so many things that I want to ask you. Everything has changed so much and I cannot believe how little I know about younow.”
Iris allowed her eyes to slide shut as she fell into her sister’s arms. She breathed in deeply to inhale Elizabeth’s familiar, floral scent, which instantly transported her back to a simplertime.
“I know,” she murmured into her sister’s hair. “I have so much that I need to talk with you about, but it needs to be in private. Is there any room in the house where we will not beoverheard?”
Elizabeth had been worried about Iris already, so this statement sent her into a tailspin. She pulled back sharply and stared into her sister’seyes.
“What is going on?” she demanded. “Is something wrong? Is it... what has beenhappening?”
She did not like the idea of Iris being married to the Duke, it had shocked her to learn that it had happened so quickly, but since it was a stipulation in their father's will, Elizabeth knew there was no getting away from it. She had been waiting for the right time to visit Iris, so she was glad that she’d come to her first. It meant they could sort whatever they needed to, without her horrible husbandaround.
“Is there something I can do? Tell me, Iris, whatever you need, I will helpyou.”
“You do not need to worry,” Iris replied with a smile. “Things are not bad, I just need to discuss things inprivate.”
"My husband is at work," Elizabeth replied thoughtfully. "And if we go into the drawing-room I can tell the staff to bring us some tea, after which they will leave us alone." She took in Iris's worried expression and her terror amped up to another level. “You do not need to worry, Iris, the staff here can betrusted.”
“Tea sounds wonderful,” Iris finally relented. “Thank you verymuch.”
Iris followed Elizabeth through the house and she waited in silence while her sister made the arrangements for them to have some drinks. As she took her seat, Iris had to really think to remember what it was like to sit like a lady. Admittedly, she had grown lax recently, she had allowed herself to sit in the more casual way that the lowborn people did. It felt oddly stiff and uncomfortable to sit with her back so straight. So much so that as soon as Iris and Elizabeth had their drinks, she allowed herself to slump ever soslightly.
“So, please,” Elizabeth started curiously. “Tell me what has been happening with you, I have not seen you since father’s funeral and it seems a lot has changed foryou.”
Iris’s mind whirred, she did not know how to start this next sentence. She certainly should have decided. "It probably is not what you think," she went with in the end. "Actually, I have a lot of stories to tell you, and I need you to listen withoutpanicking”
To her credit, Elizabeth’s eyes did widen with surprise, but she didn’t say anything. She nodded silently, allowing Iris to continue. She could tell from the terrified expression her sister had something huge to tellher.
“Well, I have not exactly... been honest witheveryone?”
“How do you mean?” Elizabeth jumped in without even meaning to. “Oh, sorry. Do not let me interrupt you, please carryon.”
“It all started as a game really, a way to help me get over my panic about marrying the Duke. It was Daisy’s idea, although I do not think she really meant it.” Iris was speaking at a million miles an hour, unable to stop herself. “It was never meant to get sofar.”
“Please, take a breath,” Elizabeth smiled kindly. “Start from the beginning, I am not exactly followingyou.”
The beginning...okay, Iris could dothat.
“Right.” She sucked in a deep breath of air. “Well, as you know I was terribly afraid of the idea of getting married to a man I did not know, a man who is rumoured to be cruel and mean. Daisy knew that, I cried to her alot."
Elizabeth felt guilty, she wished that she could have been there more, but unfortunately she had her own life tolive.
"She wanted to help me in any way that she could, which was when she suggested that we switch places so that she could put the Duke off the idea of wanting to marryme.”
“What?” Elizabeth gasped in a horrified shock. “But that is sodangerous...”
“I know.” Iris rested her hand over her sister’s. “Please, let me finish.” Elizabeth nodded and clamped her lips together. “Right, so we were not going to do it at first,Iwas going to put the Duke off me myself, but as it turned out I could not doit.”
“No, I cannot imagine you acting badly.” Elizabethsmiled.
"So, when our uncle came to our home, Daisy and I decided to try it out. She became me, and I becameher.”
“You served Daisy?” Elizabeth felt incredulous. “And our uncle fell forit?”
“He does not know me. No one really knows me, I have been hidden from society for a very longtime.”
“That is true... so, whathappened?”
“Uncle fell for it. He did not even blink an eye, so we decided to keep it up. Uncle was busy arranging the ball, so Daisy became me and I, her. I did all her tasks, and she lived life as a lady. Then she was going to put the Duke off me at theball.”
