But Lady Halliday was shaking her head. “I don’t mean that I’vemether,” she said. “But I’ve heard of her. My own daughters told me about her. Apparently they saw her in the park last weekend.”
Tabitha’s heart sank. Her hope had been that nobody knew about Esther’s social activities, and that she would be able to redirect her niece toward another suitor before anything became public. But if she had been seen in the park—
“Yes, I heard about this, too!” Lady Claremont chimed in. “She was walking with the Duke of Hallowbinder, wasn’t she?”
“She was!” Lady Halliday said. “That’s what I was told. My daughters and I couldn’t believe it. After all these years, the Duke of Hallowbinder, finally courting a lady? We thought it would never happen.”
“But I don’t understand,” Lady Claremont said, frowning. “Is your niece being courted by the Duke, Lady Harcourt?”
“She is,” Tabitha was forced to admit.
“Then why would you suggest a meeting with Lady Berkshire’s son?” Lady Claremont asked. “Surely, if she’s already involved with the Duke, Lady Esther wouldn’t want to be approached by another gentleman.”
“You never know what a young lady might want,” Tabitha said, feeling helpless and rather desperate. “I mean to say—the Duke is really the very first gentleman she’s spoken to. He’s the only one she spent any time with at the Bolton Ball. He came to ask permission to court her almost immediately. I just think it would be an awful shame if she didn’t take the opportunity to meet more gentlemen before making her mind up. I’d hate to see her trapped in a marriage that didn’t suit her because she hadn’t fully explored all her options.”
“No, that isn’t it,” Lady Halliday said.
Tabitha looked at her, eyes narrowed. “I beg your pardon, Lady Halliday?”
“You’re envious of Lady Esther’s success,” Lady Halliday said. “You have high hopes for your own daughter, and it troubles you that your niece has so quickly gained the attention of the most eligible gentleman of the Season.”
“You’re wrong,” Tabitha bit. “I want nothing but happiness for my niece. I have her best interests at heart.”
“Nobody is saying otherwise, Lady Harcourt,” Lady Berkshire said soothingly. “Of course you wouldn’t want to hurt your niece’s prospects.”
“Yes, she does,” Lady Halliday said. “Look at who her own daughter is.”
“Excuse me?” Tabitha felt a hot spike of rage shoot through her, though she tried not to let it show on her face. It wasn’t dignified to let oneself be angry in public.
“You shouldn’t speak so, Lady Halliday,” Lady Claremont said. “Lady Eugenia has done nothing to deserve your harsh words.”
“Oh, I suppose you’re right,” Lady Halliday said. “She’s a sweet enough young lady. But everyone knows she’s not the most appealing lady at the ball. At any ball.”
“My daughter has plenty of charms,” Tabitha bit out.
“She should probably work on bringing them out, then,” Lady Halliday said. “I’ve spent plenty of time in her company, and while she’s never been unpleasant or unkind, I’ve always found her rather dull. Her appearance is nothing remarkable. She’s not ugly, but she certainly isn’t beautiful. She has the kind of face you simply don’t see in a crowd.”
Tabitha had known this to be true of her daughter ever since Eugenia had been a child. It was one of the great sorrows of her life. Still, it pained her to hear it spoken of so publicly. “You ought not to say such things,” she said, her voice shaking. “You don’t hear me speaking slightingly ofyourdaughters, Lady Halliday.”
“Lady Harcourt,” Lady Halliday said. “Do forgive me. But you brought this conversation on yourself. You were the one who encouraged Lady Berkshire to bring her son to your Manor to try to engage the interest of your niece. You’re trying to distract your niece from her courtship with the Duke so that your daughter might have a chance with him.”
“I don’t know how you can accuse me of such machinations,” Tabitha said coldly.
“Because if that wasn’t what you were doing, you would have offered your own daughter to Lady Berkshire, instead of your niece,” Lady Halliday said coolly. “Unless I’m much mistaken, Lady Eugenia is not currently being courted by anybody, so why not allow her to meet Lady Berkshire’s son?”
“You completely misunderstand,” Tabitha snapped.
“Very well,” Lady Halliday said dubiously. “But that’s what it looked like to me.”
“I have to say, I agree,” Lady Claremont said. “Not that I judge you too harshly, Lady Harcourt. It must be difficult to watch your niece be courted by the Duke of Hallowbinder, all the while knowing that your own daughter’s prospects are so slim.”
Lady Halliday nodded. “Lady Eugenia will never leave her mother’s home,” she said. “Rest assured, we’ll see her at the next Seasons’ balls, and we’ll be having these very same conversations.”
“And it can’t help matters that she’s spending all her time in the company of such a beautiful cousin,” Lady Berkshire said. “When two ladies are side by side, men’s eyes will naturally travel to the lovelier of the two. Lady Eugenia is likely hurting her own chances—slim as they might have been—by attending balls at Lady Esther’s side.”
This was exactly what Tabitha had been worried about ever since Esther had come to London. She had tried to convince herself that her worries were nothing more than paranoia. But to hear these thoughts coming from other people’s lips was excruciating.
And how dare they speak this way about my daughter? Eugenia may be difficult, and heaven knows she doesn’t have Esther’s bewitching beauty, but she’s a good girl. She doesn’t deserve to be spoken of as if she’s completely hopeless!
