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Goose clapped her hands. “See? Bianca has a tendre for him, too.”
“If you value your reputation,” Tina said quietly, “you’ll stay away.”
“You should valueyourreputation,” Joy instructed her sister, who sighed dramatically.
“Oh, very well.” Goose made a shooing gesture toward Bianca. “You can have him.”
“Did it not occur to you that Biancaalsovalues… ” Doc began, then turned her face skyward as if seeking celestial guidance.
For her part, Bianca’s feelings toward Eagleton were conflicted. On the one hand, the man known as The Huntsman was undeniably dangerous. On the other hand… he’d saved her. It was because of him that she was free to be here now. For that, she would always be grateful.
Grateful and careful. The others were right. It would be wise to keep her distance.
Perhaps it was best that they had not shared that kiss.
Goose tapped Bianca’s shoulder. “Do you want to attend Starry, Starry Night with us?”
“Uh… What does ‘Starry, Starry Night’ mean? Going outside after dark?”
“Oh, Goose.” Joy shook her head fondly at her sister. “Give a little context. It’s a ball, hosted by Lord and Lady St. Trevelyon in honor of their daughter Fulvia’s debut.”
“I… I wasn’t invited,” Bianca admitted.
“Joy can acquire an additional invitation,” Doc said confidently.
“I’m not sure I’ve an appropriate gown to wear. I wasn’t prepared for—”
“Oh, is thatyoursatchel on the guest bed?” Goose asked, eyes wide.
“It is. And I’m afraid it doesn’t contain anything current.” Bianca bit her lip. “I don’t have any money, either. Although I did pay the hackney driver with decorative pearls that I pulled off an old gown.”
Goose gasped and clapped a hand to her bosom. “There’s no defacingfashion.”
“Miss Drowsy has loads of money,” Peavy said. “She probably sleeps on a mattress of it at home, and the excess lumps are what keeps her up at night.”
“But we don’t need her money,” Joy put in, smiling at Bianca. “Not when you have something seven times better.”
“What’s that?”
Joy beamed at her. “Friends. Of course.”
Friends.
Of course.
Warmth flooded Bianca’s chest. This tight-knit group of friends had accepted her on sight, no questions asked. They didn’t look at her and see a rival, or an unworthy peasant, or a pitiful runaway. They saw her as a potential friend.
Bianca’s heart buoyed. Their easy acceptance felt like a warm hug. The first hugs she had received since the fateful morning her parents bade her goodbye and set out for a drive in the country.
Hopefully this time, the consequences would not be so tragic.
CHAPTER10
Harry slumped away from the documents on the wide mahogany desk before him and shoved a hand through his hair. This was his father’s study, his father’s desk. The marquess should be the one tearing out his hair, desperate for a solution to a problem that had been growing worse for decades.
Instead, Father was off at the Savoy Club, searching for solace at the bottom of a bottle they could not afford.
If Harry had done Lady Quinseley’s bidding… But no, that was not an option, should never have seemed a remote possibility. The family might not have money, but Harry at least had honor. He might never see Miss White again, but at least he wouldn’t be the cause of her downfall.
