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Looking at her, Victoria could see that her cheery smile was forced. Her sister was jealous! And not just a little jealous, but truly, wholeheartedly jealous.
Withington downed his sherry in a single draft, apparently forgetting that one did not typically do such a thing in the presence of ladies.
Amelia’s eyes narrowed in disapproval, and he quailed.
Victoria sighed with disappointment. “Shall we return to hear Lady Portland’s recitation?”
“Ah, yes,” replied Withington. “In just a moment, my lady. I needs must speak with someone first. If you will both please excuse me.”
Amelia stared after him as he fled. “I wonder if he’ll be able to walk a straight line by the end of the evening, at this rate,” she said in a sour voice.
“You do him a discredit,” Victoria snapped. She softened her voice, hoping to convince her sister to soften as well. “He really is a very sweet man. If you would only stop looking for the bad in everyone, you would see it.”
It was the wrong thing to say.
“So speaks a besotted child with no better sense than a chicken in the rain,” said Amelia, her eyes growing cold and hard. “You’ll drown in your own foolish sentimentality before you learn your lesson.”
So much for the truce. “There is no winning you over, is there? You’re so blinded by suspicion that you refuse to see the good in anyone. You’ll drown in your own loneliness before you learn your lesson.” She left her sister and returned to the entertainment.
Low laughter rumbled from behind her as she sat.
“I fail to see the humor,” she grumbled at Julius, vexed in spite of the tingles elicited by the sound of his voice.
“Then you should look through my eyes,” he said quietly. “Shakespeare at his finest could not have concocted a more tragically humorous situation than the one in which we now find ourselves.”
Turning around, she glared at him. “And in order to disentangle it, we shall be forced to humiliate my family!”
“We could always elope,” he whispered.
“An even worse scandal.”
“But shorter lived.”
“Perhaps publicly,” she admitted. “But my family would never forgive or forget such an act of blatant disrespect.”
“They would, given time.”
“You don’t know my father. He might even disown me.”
“It would not matter, as you’d be my wife.”
“It would matter to me.”
He paused. “I thought you didn’t much care for propriety?”
“I don’t,” she said. “But I do care for my family’s good name, regardless of how frustrated I am with them. Papa may be stubborn and old-fashioned, but I respect him. More than that, I love him. I have no wish to break his heart. A sma
ll scandal might be tolerated, but running to Scotland…”
He nodded. His father would not approve of such an act, either. But if it came down to it…it was a plan to be held in reserve as a last resort.
“She’s looking this way,” she said, turning around to face forward.
Amelia managed to prevent her and Withington from speaking privately for the rest of the event. At long last, she bid their guests good night.
Victoria was taken by surprise as her sister linked arms with her, chattering merrily as if they were the very best of friends while they walked upstairs. She had no choice but to allow herself to be escorted to her room.
“Good night, Amelia.”
