Hattie already knew how she would instruct Flora to speak with him. She just had to do it with the utmost discretion.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HATTIEWASFINISHINGdressing for the evening—she was to accompany Flora to call on her cousin Moses—when Daniel sauntered into her room. She turned from her mirror to look at him with confusion as he surveyed her furnishings. “Quite tidy in here.”
Daniel never came into her room. In fact, Hattie saw her brother rarely in the course of any week—occasionally at a family meal or passing as one came and the other left. Like her, Daniel seemed to prefer to stay as far from Portman Square as possible.
She folded her arms. “What are you doing?”
“I should ask the same of you.” He moved deeper into her room, his hands clasped casually behind his back. “Just whathaveyou been doing, Harriet Woodchurch?”
Hattie sighed. “I don’t know what game you are playing, but I haven’t time for it. I’m expected at a friend’s house.” She turned back to the mirror to attach her earrings.
“Something came for you today.”
“What?” she asked without looking at him. Where her brothers were concerned, there was always some trick waiting for her she would not find amusing.
“It’s an invitation.”
Hattie hesitated. She didn’t believe him, but still, she turned to look. Daniel held up a cream-colored folded piece of vellum between two fingers. It did indeed look like an invitation. “It’s for me?”
“See for yourself.” He held it out to her, but when Hattie reached for it, he jerked it out of her reach.
Hattie groaned. “Daniel, please. Is it addressed to me or not?”
“It is.” He flipped the vellum in his fingers again.
“The seal is broken!” she cried. “How dare you read something addressed to me.” She tried to grab it from him again, but with a laugh, Daniel held it overhead, just out of her reach.
“Give it here,” she insisted. “You’ve sorely abused my privacy.”
“Calm yourself, Hat. I broke the seal because...” He flipped the vellum around again and held it out so she could see what was written on it. “It is addressed to us both.”
Hattie stopped moving and stared at their names, written very clearly on the envelope. There was simply no universe in which she and Daniel would be invited to any function together. If at all. Whatever that was, Hattie wanted it, and she lunged for it. This time, she successfully nabbed the invitation, then turned away from her brother to open it.
Her eyes scanned the words, but she couldn’t believe what she was reading. The invitation, addressed to Mr. Daniel Woodchurch and Miss Harriet Woodchurch, was to dine with Mr. and Mrs. Forsythe and guests Saturday evening. The opening event for the social Season. The same dinner where all the Quality would gather to admire themselves.
“What in heaven? Is this some sort of trick?” It had to be. Her brother was trying to make her look foolish. She tossed the invitation at him. “Do you honestly expect me to fall for it? Is this your idea of a jest?”
She had to hand it to him—he looked astounded by the accusation.“Me?”He dipped down to pick up the invitation. “I am demanding an answer from you, Hattie! What is this about? And why must I be dragged into whatever it is?”
She was confused. She’d never met a Forsythe before. “It’s not real,” she insisted.
“It’s real,” he said, and forced her to take the invitation again. “Look at the seal.”
Hattie looked at the red wax seal and the indentation of a signet. “This is not your doing?”
“Mydoing? I wouldn’t know a Forsythe if I ran them over with my mount. You’re the only one in this house pretending to be part of theton.”
“No, I don’t know them, either.” She held it up between them. “Do you know what this is? This dinner...this dinner is the one everyone in town is talking about.”
“I’m not talking about it.”
“I’m quite serious, Daniel! Their special guest of honor is Lord Abbott. He’s to meet potential matches at this dinner.”
“What?” Daniel asked with confusion. But then he looked at Hattie...and burst into laughter. “Surely no one thinks thatyou...” He laughed louder.
“All right,” she said, frowning. “It’s not possible, I understand.”
