“You are married to the son of a marquess. How can you go along with this madness?” Clarissa asked.
“I do not consider it madness,” Anette replied.
“Well, it is,” Clarissa declared as she gracefully lowered herself onto a chair. “It is utter madness and it could very well ruin my father’s good name.”
Emilia poured two cups of tea, extending them graciously to her guests. “Shall we discuss the particulars of the ball?”
Clarissa, taking a sip of her tea, responded after a pause, “Very well. I shall go to the boarding school. However, my intention is to prove the absurdity of the idea.”
“The boarding school is situated in the rookeries,” Anette interjected.
With a determined set of her jaw, Clarissa acknowledged, “I know, but if this is the only way to prove that I am in the right, then so be it.”
Emilia exchanged an apprehensive look with Anette, uncertain of Clarissa’s sudden change of heart. Did she want Clarissa to visit the boarding school with her if all she was going to do was criticize everything?
“You may come, but you mustn’t be mean to the girls,” Emilia said. “I will not tolerate such behavior.”
Clarissa brought a hand to her chest. “I would never be mean to innocent children.”
Emilia doubted that but she kept her opinion to herself. “We shall depart tomorrow after breakfast.”
“Willshebe coming with us?” Clarissa asked, her critical gaze directed at Lily.
“Yes, Lily will be coming since she will be a teacher at the boarding school,” Emilia said.
Glancing down at her tea, Clarissa scrunched her nose. “This tea is awful. Did Mrs. Crowe quit?”
“No, it is the same tea that she always prepares,” Emilia replied.
Clarissa leaned forward and placed her teacup down. “I have a few ideas about the ball, particularly the decorations.”
“What do you suggest?” Emilia inquired.
“You shall need a chalked dance floor, and may I suggest my father’s crest… er… our father,” Clarissa corrected.
Anette nodded in agreement. “A chalked dance floor is all the rage right now.”
“You also must ensure that the chandelier and sconces have been properly polished,” Clarissa said. “Nothing is more embarrassing than an unkempt ballroom.”
Emilia still wasn’t quite sure why Clarissa had agreed to help her, but she remained cautious around her. However, if there was even a chance that Clarissa wanted a relationship with her, she was going to accept it. She had never had a sister before and she quite liked the idea of having one.
Fredrick had just begun to descend the stairs when he saw that Anette was in the entry hall. A look of relief came to her face when she saw him. “Good, you are ready,” she said.
“Ready for what?” Fredrick asked.
Anette’s lips curled into a frown. “Roswell was supposed to tell you,” she replied. “We are going on a ride with Miss Sutherland.”
Fredrick stepped down onto the marble floor. “I am unable to do so. I am rather busy at the moment.”
Anette glanced around the room before she lowered her voice. “The French spies can wait, but Miss Sutherland cannot,”she remarked. “This is the first time she has taken a ride through Hyde Park and I thought it would be best if we were there to support her.”
“A ride through Hyde Park is hardly difficult,” Fredrick said.
“No, but she was not raised with horses as we were,” Anette argued. “Fortunately, she knows how to ride a horse, but she is not very experienced.”
Fredrick enjoyed his time spent with Emilia, but he couldn’t relent too easily. If he did, then Anette might suspect he had developed some feelings for Emilia, just as Roswell had wrongly assumed. While Emilia was undoubtedly a delightful and charming young woman, he harbored no feelings for her but considered her a cherished friend.
As he opened his mouth to continue arguing, Roswell’s voice came from behind him. “There is no point in arguing with Anette. She always wins.”
