brows together in an annoyed frown. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember Emily being along, although she must have been. "You were there, weren't you?"
"That's exactly what I mean." Emily grinned. "You're in love."
Cece stared, an uncomfortable realization growing inside her. "I have been acting odd lately, haven't I?"
"Even more so than usual." Emily's tone softened. "I think it's delightful if you have finally found love, whether you want to admit it or not. And as tedious as I find all this horseless carriage nonsense, I can see how much you enjoy it. But you simply cannot continue the kind of disgraceful behavior in which you've been engaged."
"You're right, of course." Cece said thoughtfully. "And I won't continue." She nodded with newfound resolution. "I shall introduce him to Mother and Father. Then everything will be aboveboard and we'll see what happens."
"Excellent." Emily breathed a sigh of relief. "Shall I call Mother back?"
"Heavens, no!"
Confusion crossed Emily's face. "Why not?"
"I shall introduce Jared, but not tonight." Cece shook her head. "No, the time is not quite right."
"When?" Emily demanded.
Cece spread out her hands before her in a gesture of uncertainty'. "I don't know exactly. But not until I'm certain of my feelings. I would hate to get up their hopes that I have finally found an acceptable man."
"I suppose I shall have to settle for that." Emily muttered. "But don't take too long. I am close to bursting with all the confidences you have entrusted to me."
"Thank you." Relief rang in Cece's voice. This whole idea of actually being in love was new to her. She did like Jared. of course, and he did have an odd, but not unappealing, effect on her. She needed time, not only to get to know him better, but to come to grips with whatever this unexpected emotion was he inspired in her. "You'd better go on downstairs; Mother and Father will be waiting and I'd hate for them to return looking for you."
Emily nodded and studied her sister for a moment. "I'm going, but please be careful. You're accompanying a man, almost a stranger, at night, in Paris of all places. If you were to see anyone you know, the scandal would quite destroy Mother. And Father would more than likely destroy your young man."
"That's the delightful thing about Paris, Emily." Cece said saucily. "We don't know anyone here. The very possibility of scandal is minimal. It's an evening almost without risk, an escapade without danger. It should be great fun."
"Fun." Emily snorted in disdain. "Fun will surely get you in a great deal of trouble one day."
Cece threw her a teasing glance. "Sometimes, Emily, a great deal of trouble is the price one pays. And sometimes it's well worth it."
Emily groaned. "I doubt that. As much as I hate to say it, go ahead and have your fun tonight, but if you don't tell Mother and Father soon, I shall."
"I will tell them ... eventually." Cece nodded solemnly. "I promise. In the meantime, I'll continue my efforts to know the fascinating Mr. Grayson better. I'd hate to stir up our parents over him unless I'm certain he's worth the trouble." She paused and widened her eyes, struck by an unexpected detail. "He should get to know me somewhat better as well. I just realized, he doesn't even know my last name."
"At this point." Emily said wryly, clasping the crystal doorknob and opening the door, "that may be for the best." She stepped out of the room and shut the door firmly behind her.
Cece stared at the closed door for a long moment, then smiled slowly to herself. Emily was no doubt right in one respect whether she knew it or not: Whatever else might happen, tonight was definitely for the best.
Jared handed Cece down from the landau he'd engaged for the evening. She'd brushed away his suggestion of a bite to eat or a stop at one of Paris's more notorious nightspots, insisting instead that they simply drive the boulevards and enjoy the nighttime ambience of this fascinating city. Cece was
"That's exactly what I mean." Emily grinned. "You're in love."
Cece stared, an uncomfortable realization growing inside her. "I have been acting odd lately, haven't I?"
"Even more so than usual." Emily's tone softened. "I think it's delightful if you have finally found love, whether you want to admit it or not. And as tedious as I find all this horseless carriage nonsense, I can see how much you enjoy it. But you simply cannot continue the kind of disgraceful behavior in which you've been engaged."
"You're right, of course." Cece said thoughtfully. "And I won't continue." She nodded with newfound resolution. "I shall introduce him to Mother and Father. Then everything will be aboveboard and we'll see what happens."
"Excellent." Emily breathed a sigh of relief. "Shall I call Mother back?"
"Heavens, no!"
Confusion crossed Emily's face. "Why not?"
"I shall introduce Jared, but not tonight." Cece shook her head. "No, the time is not quite right."
"When?" Emily demanded.
Cece spread out her hands before her in a gesture of uncertainty'. "I don't know exactly. But not until I'm certain of my feelings. I would hate to get up their hopes that I have finally found an acceptable man."
"I suppose I shall have to settle for that." Emily muttered. "But don't take too long. I am close to bursting with all the confidences you have entrusted to me."
"Thank you." Relief rang in Cece's voice. This whole idea of actually being in love was new to her. She did like Jared. of course, and he did have an odd, but not unappealing, effect on her. She needed time, not only to get to know him better, but to come to grips with whatever this unexpected emotion was he inspired in her. "You'd better go on downstairs; Mother and Father will be waiting and I'd hate for them to return looking for you."
Emily nodded and studied her sister for a moment. "I'm going, but please be careful. You're accompanying a man, almost a stranger, at night, in Paris of all places. If you were to see anyone you know, the scandal would quite destroy Mother. And Father would more than likely destroy your young man."
"That's the delightful thing about Paris, Emily." Cece said saucily. "We don't know anyone here. The very possibility of scandal is minimal. It's an evening almost without risk, an escapade without danger. It should be great fun."
"Fun." Emily snorted in disdain. "Fun will surely get you in a great deal of trouble one day."
Cece threw her a teasing glance. "Sometimes, Emily, a great deal of trouble is the price one pays. And sometimes it's well worth it."
Emily groaned. "I doubt that. As much as I hate to say it, go ahead and have your fun tonight, but if you don't tell Mother and Father soon, I shall."
"I will tell them ... eventually." Cece nodded solemnly. "I promise. In the meantime, I'll continue my efforts to know the fascinating Mr. Grayson better. I'd hate to stir up our parents over him unless I'm certain he's worth the trouble." She paused and widened her eyes, struck by an unexpected detail. "He should get to know me somewhat better as well. I just realized, he doesn't even know my last name."
"At this point." Emily said wryly, clasping the crystal doorknob and opening the door, "that may be for the best." She stepped out of the room and shut the door firmly behind her.
Cece stared at the closed door for a long moment, then smiled slowly to herself. Emily was no doubt right in one respect whether she knew it or not: Whatever else might happen, tonight was definitely for the best.
Jared handed Cece down from the landau he'd engaged for the evening. She'd brushed away his suggestion of a bite to eat or a stop at one of Paris's more notorious nightspots, insisting instead that they simply drive the boulevards and enjoy the nighttime ambience of this fascinating city. Cece was
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