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Selena let out a chuckle. “Breathe. You’re going to be great. Just put on a smile and act. Pretend like you know what you’re doing.”
“But I don’t know what I am doing.”
Selena’s smile turned gentle. “Then get them something to drink.”
“Whisky?” Jo frowned.
Selena’s face turned so exasperated that Jo would have laughed if she wasn’t absolutely mortified at the moment. “Tea.”
Ah, refreshments! Jo rushed to the servants’ bell and asked for tea to be brought into the blue parlor. Who could the visitors be? Should she have asked Doyle?
Blast!
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She would find out soon. “You’ll go with me, right?” Jo pleaded with Selena and she smiled.
“When did I ever leave you in trouble?” She weaved her arm with Jo’s and they both walked to the blue parlor. Even before they entered, they heard some indistinct feminine chatter. Ladies then. Multiple ladies.
Jo opened the door and a smile touched her lips, all her rioting thoughts calming down.
Isabel, Sam, the Duchess of Somerset, and one more lady all sat in a circle, discussing something in a lively fashion.
They turned as they heard them enter and stood, smiling.
Thank God!
Jo was afraid they were some gossiping ladies who would judge her every move and then spread the news that the new viscountess was not only scandalous but also inept. She had nothing to fear with these ladies by her side.
They had a lively little reunion with hugs and giggles. The fourth guest turned out to be Julie, the Countess of Clydesdale.
Evie and Julie had both traveled from the Clydesdale estate the moment they heard about the scandal surrounding Jo and Richard. They were both still in mourning, although none of them wore black, and both of them were intent on joining society for the sake of Jo.
“Mary disliked the color black,” Julie said with a sad smile. “She would loathe seeing us draped in dark colors. So we are mourning her differently. We are mourning her by wearing colorful clothing and facing society. What better way to honor her if not like this?”
Evie took her hand and squeezed. “Absolutely, my dear cousin.”
The conversation easily flowed from one topic to the next, so by the time the refreshments arrived, they were already discussing Button and his progress with training.
“However, Button is not the reason why we came here today,” Isabel said at last.
Jo smiled. “I thought you just came here to share gossip.”
“Absolutely that,” Sam said with a smile. “But also we were quite taken with your idea of starting a new theater.”
Jo blinked up at her. “You were?”
“Absolutely,” Evie chimed in. “I know, I was not invited to join in—”
“Oh!” Jo blushed. “You are absolutely invited. All of you. I just assumed you were in mourning and had other things on your mind.”
“Mary would have loved to be part of an undertaking like that. She was the kindest person I ever knew. She is probably smiling, looking down on us now,” Julie said, then swallowed, reining in her emotions. “Now that Mary is gone and the asylum is working perfectly… I have space in my life for a new venture.”
“Yes,” Evie confirmed. “We all want a share in the theater and the boarding house and any other related enterprise.”
Jo’s eyes filled with tears, and she bit her lips to stop them from trembling. “I shall inform my solicitor to draw up the papers then.”
“I have one condition,” Julie said. “Please, add Mary Weston as one of the owners if possible. Or even as an honorary member. She would have loved to be a part of it.”
Jo swallowed and nodded, while warmth mixed with butterflies rioted in her stomach. Never in her life had she imagined that she would marry advantageously. Happily. But even less than that she had expected to find such friendships and support along the way.
