Lily blinked. “The topic hasn’t come up.”
Nor would it, as even thinking about such things made her queasy.
“Beatrice is going to be absolutely livid if she finds out we were hiding without her,” Sylvia said, lifting the edge of the tablecloth again.
Rachel slapped at her hand. “Stop that. I only invited you into my tablecloth sanctum under dire threat of secrecy.”
She rubbed her hand, frowning. “I haven’t told anybody.”
“A technicality, nothing more. You keep opening the door and letting more people in.” Rachel turned to Lily, “No offense meant, but this is a sanctuary for those who need it. I’m not sure you truly do.”
“No offense taken.”
Rachel turned to Margaret and continued, “And with her here, who knows how long it will take for the hordes of gentlemen to descend upon us.”
“I hardly think there arehordes,” Lily said faintly.
Rachel scoffed. “Of course there are. To hear Margaret tell it, your parlor is fuller than my sister’s. Which is truly saying something.”
“It’s not as if I encourage them,” she said a bit defensively. “They just show up.”
“So I’ve heard. Your situation is actually far worse than that of my sister. Dahlia at least encourages some of them to suit her own purpose. You’ve been left with all the aimless gentlemen who require no encouragement whatsoever.” Rachel nodded as if she’d considered her own words and found them especially sound.
“So who amongst them do you prefer?” Sylvia asked, her eyes bright.
Lily didn’t want to admit that though many of the gentlemen were kind and witty, she felt little for any of them. The men were much like the flowers they brought—nice to look at, but if she got too close, they made her eyes water.
“It’s still fairly early…” Lily finally began.
“The Season’s nearing the end,” Sylvia said, gesturing at her hair. “Why do you think I stooped to this act of desperation?”
“Do you truly not fancyanyof them?” Margaret asked, tilting her head. “I thought you were just being coy when I asked you before.”
“Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink,” Rachel quipped.
Lily pursed her lips. She couldn’t help but agree with Rachel’s assessment. As of late, the only gentleman in her parlor she was interested in was Bradford, and she still wasn’t certain as to his true motives. If he were only there to question her, why on earth wasn’t he tired of it yet? She’d answered every question he’d asked and then some.
A little voice whispered that surely he was there for reasons past friendship. Lily shoved the voice back until she heard it no longer. It was too confusing to entertain such an idea, not when her feelings on the matter were tangled at best.
And if she did take the time to extricate what she truly wanted, if she put words to it, that would only open the door for the deepest of disappointments.
“It’s no wonder,” Rachel remarked. “If you don’t know how to discourage the gentlemen you don’t want, all the good ones will be put off by the likes of Lord Rigsby.”
Lily frowned. It was true. She didn’t know how to dissuade any gentleman from visiting—politely or otherwise. Bradford had been the only one successful at sending any of them away.
“I suppose you’re right,” she finally admitted.
“Then you’re in the best company.” Sylvia patted her hand, smiling. “For I am excellent at driving suitors away unintentionally, and there’s no one better at driving them away on purpose than Rachel.”
Lily felt the need to apologize to the young lady, though she hardly knew why. “I am open to suggestions.”
They all looked at Rachel, who straightened her shoulders as if she felt great responsibility on the topic. “Very well. You’re simply too pretty to employ the more subtle tactics that Sylvia uses—not listening well, not asking questions, yawning when they speak, stepping on their toes when they ask you to dance.”
“It’s not as if I do it on purpose,” Sylvia muttered, tucking a purple curl behind her ear.
“Perhaps you should take up reading the encyclopedia or scientific journals. That’s where most of my best material comes from.”
“That will take too much time.” Margaret shook her head. “Can’t you just give her some topics you know are successful?”
