“I do not see why our husbands should worry we are up to something, just because we all come together in one party,” Verity said.
Felicity had laughed and said, “We have too often been up to something. And just have a look at us this moment, Verity. All together, we look very formidable. They probably have a right to be worried.”
They looked round the carriage at one another and then laughed the rest of the way to Lady Darlington’s front door. The Nicolet sisters piled out of the carriage, collected their dear Papa, and made their way inside.
As they made their way into the ballroom, Winsome looked round it. She did not know for certain what Lord Manderbey would wear, but she suspected it would be a simple domino and half mask. There were those gentlemen who would compose elaborate costumes, but that would not suit him. He was elegant and sophisticated; he would hardly arrive as Zeus or a Turkish potentate.
“Does he know that you come as Cleopatra?” Felicity whispered.
“No, I do not believe we ever touched on the subject,” Winsome said.
“Well now, here we all are,” the duke said jovially, “at the masque that is not a ball. Thank the heavens for good sideboards.”
It was true that Lady Darlington’s masque was not done in the usual way. There were some violinists providing soft music, but no orchestra. It was held in a ballroom, but there was no dancing. There was no supper, either. Rather, there were sideboards lining the room with all sorts, as well as footmen coming round with small bites of food. Verity had said that their father was so fond of the thin-sliced ham rolls, stuffed with herbed creamed cheese, that he’d been known to take over an entire tray. Verity suspected that the footmen were now well-acquainted with the duke and his habits and they would givehim a wide berth.
For entertainment, everybody would drift round talking and admiring one another’s costumes before voting on them, prizes to be announced at the end of the evening. There were small tables placed here and there for those who did not like to be on their feet for hours at a time.
“Ho there, you,” the duke called to a footman.
The young man trudged over to the duke, holding a tray of petite ham rolls.
“Might as well leave that with me,” the duke said.
“Yes, Your Grace,” the footman said with a sigh. Winsome suspected the poor fellow had been warned by Lady Darlington’s butler to avoid just such a circumstance.
“He is so tall,” Winsome said to Verity and Felicity. “I should be easily able to pick him out but I do not see him.”
“I am certain he will come,” Felicity said.
“He would not have sent that cheeky letter to Valor if he would not,” Verity added.
As she talked to her sisters, Winsome caught sight of an alarming vision. A lady, who she believed was the dowager, had come into the ballroom in some sort of costume, though she was not clear what. She was dressed in an old beaver coat that swept the floor and topped by a too-large beaver hat slipping down her forehead. Very improbably, her slippers were covered in tufts of fur.
Perhaps she came as a beaver? It would be unusual, to be sure, but then Serenity had come to her first masque as a bee so Winsome supposed anything was possible.
The dowager looked round, then her eyes settled on Winsome and her sisters. She shuffled her way over.
Why was she alone? Why did not Lord Manderbey escort her?
“Duke, Lady Winsome, glad you are not hiding yourself away. Not the thing.”
“We never hide,” the duke said, “nor do we have any reason too.”
“Quite right,” the dowager said.
“Duchess, I am off to the sideboard to pour a glass,” the duke said. “I presume you are not opposed to a glass yourself.”
“Very perceptive, Duke, as always. That will be just the thing.”
The duke set off for the nearest sideboard.
“I put the blame on Landry,” the dowager said.
Winsome was stock still, hardly knowing what to say to that.
Patience jumped to the rescue. “That is a unique costume, Your Grace,” she said. “I wonder if Serenity set off the trend of coming as wildlife when she came as a bee two seasons ago.”
“Wildlife?” the dowager said.
