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"I care, and what's with this language of yours?"
"I'm in the company of my dear brother, so I don't need to watch what I say. Don't worry. I'll put the mask back on when we rejoin the party."
"You better. If Dad hears you, he'll think you've lost it."
"Dad won't, but Charlotte will. Her precious ears would probably burn." Rada snickers, a devious smile flickering on her lips.
"All right, that's it. We need to rejoin the party before you go completely bonkers on me. Come on, up with you." Dane stands and moves to the door, waiting for Rada to join him.
"Fine." Rada exhales a loud breath. "We'll go back and mingle with London's finest."
"Now, who's the one being dramatic?"
"Oh, hush." Rada grins, bumping Dane with her hip as she walks by him.
They rejoin the party, which soon moves downstairs to the formal dining room. Rada laughs behind her palm at Dane's scowl when he sees his name card on the table beside Eloise, who is already seated. Dane glares at Rada, then sits, half-heartedly listening as Eloise immediately tries to engage him in small talk while the staff serves the first course.
Bored with Eloise's chatter about the latest trends, Dane glances around the table at his father's guests, his mind drifting. It dawns on him that today is Thanksgiving in the United States—the day most people spend with their family and friends. He wonders who Brittany is spending it with, assuming at least one of the people will be that wild sister of hers. He laughs when he remembers Brittany's embarrassing phone conversation in the pharmacy and the look she had on her face when he presented her with the box of condoms.
"What's so funny?" Eloise demands.
"Excuse me?" Dane turns toward her, reluctantly drawn from his reverie.
"You were laughing. I'm curious what you found so funny."
"It's nothing."
"It must be something, or you wouldn't be laughing," Eloise admonishes. "If you found something amusing, I'd appreciate you sharing."
"Seriously, it's nothing important."
"Why are you being difficult? I'm simply asking you to tell me what's so funny."
"I'm not being difficult. I was reflecting on something that happened during my last cruise. As I said already, it's not important."
"I want to know, and I insist you share," Eloise says petulantly. "After all, I wouldn't mind a little humor. So, where were you, and what happened?"
Dane sighs at the intensity in Eloise's gaze. She's not going to give up until he tells her.
"I was at a store in Budapest and watched a customer do something. That's all."
"Really, Dane? I shouldn't have to go back and forth with you like this to find out what happened. I want to know what the person did and demand you tell me."
"All right, since you insist. I went to a pharmacy to get something for a headache and discovered a woman I'd met earlier standing in front of a display of condoms, trying to figure out which kind to purchase. She seemed distraught and was yelling at someone on the phone. I walked over, chose one, and presented it to her. The look on her face was priceless."
The look on Eloise's face is inappropriately satisfying and just as priceless, especially after her unrelenting badgering. She's staring at Dane, her face drained of color and a gurgling sound coming from her throat. The gentleman seated next to Dane, Thomas Rutherford, is quietly chuckling. Thomas raises his glass to Dane and nods in apparent appreciation of the story.
After a few moments of silence, Eloise manages to find her voice.
"That was a horrid story and a wretched thing for you to do. I assume the woman took offense and left."
"On the contrary, I took her to dinner."
Eloise's eyes widen as she sucks in her breath. Her expression turns angry when Thomas Rutherford raises his glass again and grins.
"That woman. She isn't the American Rada mentioned, is she?"
"She is. We became close when she joined me as a passenger on the cruise."
