“Of course you would.”
“But this is Corisande…why are we friends with her again?She’s certainly more of an enemy given her proclivity to gossip.”
“Some people you just have to play nice with, no matter how unkind they are in return.”
“I suppose…” Tempy ruminated, clearly unconvinced.
Corisande was making her way through the crush at the ball with the fabric napkin stuck to her skirts and no one was doing a thing about it.“So far it seems as though no one has noticed.I’ll be quick about it.”Pru took a few steps toward her, but just as she lifted her toe to step down on the napkin, Corisande was on the move again.
“Corisande,” she called out in hopes of stopping her.The task of extricating the napkin would be so much easier if she wasn’t working with a moving target.
Even though Pru was quite certain she had spoken with enough volume to catch Corisande’s attention—but not with too much volume so as to make a scene—her frenemy neither glanced over her shoulder nor showed any indication of slowing down.She was headed straight toward the huddle of men laughing at the one charmer in the middle of them.
Oh botheration.
But then, to give Pru the perfect opportunity and save her from this clumsiness, Corisande stopped to snag a drink from a passing tray.
Pru picked up the pace and lifted her toe as discreetly as she could, but where she intended to land on fabric appeared as a hard floor.
Corisande was already on the move again.
In slight exasperation, Pru turned back to look at Tempy, only to find her sister’s fan covering what she could only assume was stifled laughter.
But she was in it now.Really, as much as she didn’t particularly like Corisande, she also didn’t wish any awkwardness upon her.Women had such a hard time as it was to snag the right husband for themselves, and it was always so competitive.Pru wanted to add nothing to the typically hostile forces between her fellow women.
One last chance arose as she hurried—as quickly as she dared—behind Corisande.An acquaintance stopped Corisande in a pleasant greeting, and Pru stole her chance.With all the agility she possessed—which truly wasn’t much—she raised her slippered toe and pounced on the napkin.
To which, her toe said,No, this is not the way we normally take a step.And then slid forward further under Corisande’s hem.And of course, being as it was her toe, her leg followed, as did the rest of her body.
Bumping into Corisande hadn’t been the plan.Nor had spilling ratafia on Corisande’s gown been the plan.
Alas, life was making plans without her.Again.
“Oh my!”Corisande gasped.“What have you done?”She turned angrily toward Pru.
“I’m sorry.I was—”
“My gown is ruined.”
“The napkin—” Pru pointed lamely to the ground.
“I’ll find one myself.You’ve done enough.”And she stormed off, most likely to the retiring room.A gaggle of women behind her.Where they came from, Pru didn’t know.Why none of them had spotted the pet napkin, she also didn’t know.
But she did know two things.
One.The pet napkin, as it were, was now masterless.Laying innocently on the ground.
Success had never felt so hollow.
Two.The laughter from the charmer’s group had only grown louder since she last took note of it.
And that’s when she looked up.
She caught his eyes.Staring directly at her.Her heart stopped.Her stomach rioted.Her mouth dried out, leaving space for air.Pure air—but solid like a rock—resided in her mouth, while perspiration was making a run for it like her body had the plague.
And that’s exactly when everything changed.
Chapter 2
