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Arabella didn’t care about London lace or French fripperies. Caroline was the prettiest woman in the assembly rooms and had more elegance and grace in her little finger than most of these other women had in their whole bodies.
The attendant gave her a glass of wine. Arabella turned toward the room and bumped into Mr. Worthington.
“Miss Seton, what a pleasure it is to see you.”
Her pleasure in the evening dimmed, and she struggled to keep a smile on her face. “I hope you are enjoying yourself, Mr. Worthington.”
“Might I have the pleasure of a dance?”
“I do not think it wise.” Dancing would draw attention to their acquaintanceship, and she didn’t want to explain to anyone how she knew him.
“Not even for old time’s sake?” He smiled at her, and she remembered the good times that they had enjoyed. He was a wonderful conversationalist, and they had talked for hours about art and music. She had felt very worldly during her year in Bath. It was altogether too odd to see him in provincial Inverley.
“I am afraid not, sir.”
“I hope I can convince you at another time, then. I would be happy to rekindle the friendship what we once had.”
“Perhaps.” She sipped the wine, wishing for nothing more than to flee.
“I thought I ought not rank myself too poorly and give up just yet.” He smiled. “I hope you would not begrudge me my efforts?”
Arabella bit her lip, then shook her head before taking her leave of him.
Drat her cursed shyness. She knew she should have said no right away, but it was so much easier to let things happen and to handle the consequences later. He mightn’t be in Inverley long enough for her to see him again anyway, so what was the harm in allowing him to believe that she would say yes to a dance?
Her face burned. The last time she had tried that with Mr. Worthington, she had allowed things to go much too far before finally saying no.
She needed to work on being less passive.
A suitress wasn’t passive. She needed to have confidence. Like Caroline did. Caroline was the strongest person she knew, determined to do right by her family no matter the circumstance that they found themselves in. She would do better to follow her example.
But she had to admit that the extra wine also helped, so she took another healthy gulp before she made her way back to her friends.
She thrust the half-empty glass at Caroline. “I’m sorry, I was woolgathering and forgot myself.”
Caroline laughed as she accepted it. “This isn’t the first wineglass we’ve shared together of an evening.”
“You deserve better now, to match your new finery,” Arabella teased her. “Soon you shall have a snooty London maid and you shall flounce around your new townhouse forgetting about your old ways and your wardrobe of fustian and twice-turned-up hems.”
Caroline’s smile was rueful. “My London maid started this morning, in fact. She was the one who persuaded me into this hairstyle.”
Caroline might be a confirmed spinster, but she was gaining as much attention as her younger sisters, if not more—after all, Betsy and Susan were as silly at a ball as they were anywhere else.
Caroline no doubt would be giving them a scold when they returned home.
But for now—well, was it not enough to simply enjoy the magic?
James strolled up to them, and Arabella bit back the sound of dread that crawled up her throat. All of the well-to-do were here, and he probably missed the indulgences of London more than most.
“Caroline, you have never been in finer bloom. I swear, you grow lovelier each time I see you,” James announced, picking up her limp hand and bringing it to his lips. He smirked at Arabella. “We can see who thebelleof the ball is, can we not,Arabella? It is not in the name, to be sure.”
“Leave off,” Caroline snapped. “Why must you be so odious?”
He shook his head. “Here is how I can tell that you are newly arrived to your fortune and to your elevated station. Your sense of wit is not yet refined to town ways. Worry not—I can guide you to a better understanding of your position.”
He edged his way between Caroline and Arabella.
“If these are town ways, I need no guide as I want no part of them.”
