upon her again, do you?”
“Yes, I rather think I do. She seemed so very lonely, don’t you think?”
“She practically fell upon our necks in joy. She must not get many visitors.” Julia and Selina sat a moment in silence. “What she must do is find someone to marry
her. She’s obviously pining away for
another husband.”
“What made you think so?” Selina asked, with obvious
irony. Gertie had spent almost the
entire thirty minutes of their visit discussing men and marriage.
Julia ignored Selina’s remark, pursuing her own
thoughts. “I am afraid I don’t know
anyone who would suit her, though. She
is so dreadfully vulgar,” she finally said.
“But she is sweet, don’t you agree?” Selina asked.
“Yes, I do. I rather
liked her. Although I cannot say I am
eager to visit her again. I felt in
imminent danger of being injured by a precariously placed piece of furniture
the entire time.”
Selina laughed. “I
felt a little as if I were suffocating myself.”
Selina did not feel like laughing when she eventually
learned the purpose of Julia’s dinner party. It appeared that Cassie had informed Julia that one of the items on Mr.
Malcolm’s list was “Accomplished in music and singing.” The dinner party was to be Selina’s
opportunity to display her talents in that regard.
Selina was sick to death of Malcolm’s list. If it hadn’t been for that blasted thing she
felt that their mutual attraction would be allowed to take its natural
course. With a lady and gentleman the
natural course was courtship, followed by marriage. Without Julia’s interference she would have
been able to wholeheartedly enjoy Malcolm’s attentions to her, without feeling
the whole time that she was participating in some despicable scheme.
Selina hated that feeling. She was by nature very open and honest and she disliked anything that
smacked of deception. She particularly
disliked the charade Julia had involved her in, and resolved to no longer be a
party to it. She wondered what would
happen if she failed to meet some requirement on Malcolm’s list. Surely that would have to bring the foolish
game to its end.
Tuesday evening, the date for Julia’s dinner party arrived,
and Selina resolved to find out.
It was a small party of six: the Thistlewaite ladies,
Selina, Lord Cassidy, Mr. Malcolm, and Mr. Ossory. Cassie escorted Mrs. Thistlewaite into
dinner, Mr. Malcolm escorted Selina, and Julia followed with Mr. Ossory. Selina was beginning to suspect Julia had a tendre for Mr. Ossory. His very appearance on
the guest list seemed proof of this, as Julia viewed Mr. Ossory as a threat to
her scheme to humiliate Mr. Malcolm yet she had invited him anyway. It was unfortunate that Mr. Ossory seemed to
consider Julia something of a nuisance and was still intent on courting
Selina. However, he did manage to
converse politely with Julia throughout the many courses, only glancing
occasionally at Selina, who sat across from him.
Selina was a little shy with Mr. Malcolm, as this was the
first time she had encountered him since the evening of that travesty of a
waltz and their aborted kiss. She
attempted to converse with Cassie, who sat on her right, but he was much too
interested in his meal and she was forced to turn back to Malcolm for
conversation. Unfortunately, his first
question concerned the state of her injured foot.
“It is fine, thank you,” she said, blushing furiously.
“That’s a pity,” Malcolm said, with a wicked smile.
“You found me quite graceful hopping about like a wounded
bird, did you?”
“No, not at all. I
much preferred it when you ceased the hopping and came home to roost, to
continue your bird analogy.”
“Perhaps we should not continue this conversation at all,”
Selina said, giving Mr. Malcolm a warning glance.
“It seems a shame not to when you blush so delightfully but,
if you insist, it
“Yes, I rather think I do. She seemed so very lonely, don’t you think?”
“She practically fell upon our necks in joy. She must not get many visitors.” Julia and Selina sat a moment in silence. “What she must do is find someone to marry
her. She’s obviously pining away for
another husband.”
“What made you think so?” Selina asked, with obvious
irony. Gertie had spent almost the
entire thirty minutes of their visit discussing men and marriage.
Julia ignored Selina’s remark, pursuing her own
thoughts. “I am afraid I don’t know
anyone who would suit her, though. She
is so dreadfully vulgar,” she finally said.
“But she is sweet, don’t you agree?” Selina asked.
“Yes, I do. I rather
liked her. Although I cannot say I am
eager to visit her again. I felt in
imminent danger of being injured by a precariously placed piece of furniture
the entire time.”
Selina laughed. “I
felt a little as if I were suffocating myself.”
Selina did not feel like laughing when she eventually
learned the purpose of Julia’s dinner party. It appeared that Cassie had informed Julia that one of the items on Mr.
Malcolm’s list was “Accomplished in music and singing.” The dinner party was to be Selina’s
opportunity to display her talents in that regard.
Selina was sick to death of Malcolm’s list. If it hadn’t been for that blasted thing she
felt that their mutual attraction would be allowed to take its natural
course. With a lady and gentleman the
natural course was courtship, followed by marriage. Without Julia’s interference she would have
been able to wholeheartedly enjoy Malcolm’s attentions to her, without feeling
the whole time that she was participating in some despicable scheme.
Selina hated that feeling. She was by nature very open and honest and she disliked anything that
smacked of deception. She particularly
disliked the charade Julia had involved her in, and resolved to no longer be a
party to it. She wondered what would
happen if she failed to meet some requirement on Malcolm’s list. Surely that would have to bring the foolish
game to its end.
Tuesday evening, the date for Julia’s dinner party arrived,
and Selina resolved to find out.
It was a small party of six: the Thistlewaite ladies,
Selina, Lord Cassidy, Mr. Malcolm, and Mr. Ossory. Cassie escorted Mrs. Thistlewaite into
dinner, Mr. Malcolm escorted Selina, and Julia followed with Mr. Ossory. Selina was beginning to suspect Julia had a tendre for Mr. Ossory. His very appearance on
the guest list seemed proof of this, as Julia viewed Mr. Ossory as a threat to
her scheme to humiliate Mr. Malcolm yet she had invited him anyway. It was unfortunate that Mr. Ossory seemed to
consider Julia something of a nuisance and was still intent on courting
Selina. However, he did manage to
converse politely with Julia throughout the many courses, only glancing
occasionally at Selina, who sat across from him.
Selina was a little shy with Mr. Malcolm, as this was the
first time she had encountered him since the evening of that travesty of a
waltz and their aborted kiss. She
attempted to converse with Cassie, who sat on her right, but he was much too
interested in his meal and she was forced to turn back to Malcolm for
conversation. Unfortunately, his first
question concerned the state of her injured foot.
“It is fine, thank you,” she said, blushing furiously.
“That’s a pity,” Malcolm said, with a wicked smile.
“You found me quite graceful hopping about like a wounded
bird, did you?”
“No, not at all. I
much preferred it when you ceased the hopping and came home to roost, to
continue your bird analogy.”
“Perhaps we should not continue this conversation at all,”
Selina said, giving Mr. Malcolm a warning glance.
“It seems a shame not to when you blush so delightfully but,
if you insist, it
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