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Chapter One
Evelina looked on as her younger sister, Diana, twirled in the baby-blue dress she would be wearing for the first appearance of her debut Season.
“Well,” she smiled at Evelina, “what do you think?”
Evelina and their mother both rose from where they were seated on a settee across the room. Their mother had actual tears in her eyes. “Beautiful, Diana, simply beautiful. There won’t be a gentleman in attendance who won’t have eyes for you!”
Privately, Evelina agreed. Diana had a bright, charming demeanor about her that never failed to draw the attention of the entire room. Such a comment proved true even now, as the three women of the renowned household went about something as innocuous as dress shopping—the other young ladies in the shop, also undoubtedly preparing for the beginning of the Season, kept sneaking glances in Diana’s direction. At the quiet urging of the shopkeeper, even the head seamstress had stepped out from the back to see the beautiful younger daughter of the Duke of Alderleaf model the gown.
“Thank you kindly, Mother, but I know I am always beautiful in your eyes,” teased Diana, before shifting her gaze to Evelina. Her face took on a questioning, almost shy look.
“I agree with Mother, of course,” said Evelina, fondness swelling at her younger sister’s sweet nature. “Though I do wonder if perhaps the embroidery around the collar might do with a little more silver? To further bring out your eyes.”
“I see what you are getting at,” said the seamstress, stepping forward to examine Diana more closely. She was looking at Evelina’s sister as though she was a fine work of art, or at least the canvas for the beautiful gown. “Yes, I do certainly believe that can be done!”
The rest of their time at the shop passed quickly, with Mother taking over to discuss details and payments with the shopkeeper and seamstress. After the attendants finished assisting Diana as she changed back into the dress she’d arrived in, she rejoined Evelina on the settee.
“I’m so looking forward to the first ball,” Diana said wistfully.
“Yes,” said Evelina, though her own tone erred on the side of matter-of-fact rather than outwardly enthusiastic. “It shall certainly be a Season to remember.”
Diana’s brow pinched. “What is this melancholy I hear in your voice, Evelina?”
Evelina wanted to kick herself for letting her mood bleed into her words. “I’m not melancholic,” she lied. “Merely a bit tired. It’s quite a bit of effort, finding just the right gown, isn’t it?”
“You say that, yet we haven’t even begun looking for your dress,” said Diana.
“Oh, I don’t need a new dress. I have plenty of lovely gowns at home—”
Diana twisted her body toward Evelina and cut off her words. “Sister, shame. This is your third season, and you have yet to commit to an engagement! It does not bode you well to treat this process with such apathy.”
Evelina knew Diana meant well, but in all honesty, her younger sister also didn’t know the first thing she was talking about. It was Diana’sdebutseason, after all. As storybook-like as the process seemed from the outside, Evelina had come to believe that the ‘suitable gentlemen’ other girls of their age dedicated so much time to swooning over had little more substance to them than crème puffs.
“Now you sound like Mother,” Evelina teased, though she failed to fully hide the slight note of bitterness from her voice.
Diana softened and place her hand over Evelina’s. “Evelina, perhaps this isn’t my place,” she said quietly, so that the others in the dress shop wouldn’t overhear. “But it seems as though you are actively tryingnotto enjoy the Season.”
“I never said such a thing.”
“You may not have said it, but with your overall demeanor, you’ve certainly implied it.” Diana squeezed Evelina’s hand and rubbed a thumb over her knuckles. “What is it specifically that’s got you so glum?”
Evelina pressed her lips together in a tight line. She didn’t answer right away, instead regarding the other young ladies in the dress shop, so excited about the forthcoming parties and the prospect of meeting suitable gentlemen worthy of engagement.
The Season wasn’t just about the fine time supposedly offered by the endless parties and outings across London’s high society venues. It was about claiming a future for oneself—more so, finding a partner to claim that future alongside.
Twice, now, Evelina had turned down offers of engagement from respectable suitors. It wasn’t that either of the gentlemen had anythingwrongwith them. They had been kind for the most part, and neither had been unattractive or without prospects.
Yet the conversation they’d offered to Evelina had left her thoroughly unstimulated. She found herself nodding along and halfheartedly agreeing with everything they said, while they’d hardly let her get a word in edgewise.
If such drudgery was the only option for Evelina’s future, she was in no hurry to claim it. She would rather spend her days alone with her books than with a man who made her feel as though her only purpose was to prop up his ego with her beauty and agreeableness.
“Perhaps you are right,” Evelina said, making herself smile. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Diana with her feelings. But perhaps this was a conversation for after the Season. She didn’t want her own foul mood to spoil her younger sister’s debut. “I promise to try and cheer up.”
Diana gave Evelina’s hand one final squeeze before popping up to her feet. “I’m glad for it,” she said brightly. “There are plenty of fine men out there, after all, if only you would give one of them a chance!”
Evelina refrained from mentioning that shehadgiven them a chance. Indeed, she had given the eligible gentlemen of thetonchances for two years now, with little to show for it.
Yet Evelina couldn’t help but laugh a little at her sister’s fervor. While she wasn’t looking forward to the stilted conversation promised by the endless cycle of balls and chatter, if nothing else, she was glad to use this time to make memories with her sister.
