Page 28 of The Fifth Life of Alicia
“The tea party. You deliberately took her place there!”
“Took her place?” I hardened my tone and raised my eyebrows in question. “How could I take her place when the invitation was addressed to me? Although I suppose you’d both know all about taking someone else’s place at a tea party, wouldn’t you?”
Her face distorted with rage, and she raised her hand. “You little—”
“Annalise!” Father’s voice thundered through the air as he stepped in front of me, blocking me from what was sure to be the slap of my life. “What are you doing?”
I glanced back at Bella and gave her a discreet thumbs up.
Right.
Time to ham it up.
“Oh, Father!” I clutched his arm. “I just returned from town and heard Mother shouting at Caldwell, then she started shouting at me about a tea party and raised her hand! I don’t know what I’ve done!”
He rested his hand on top of mine on his forearm. “Annalise, explain what’s happening and why Sophia is making such a show of herself. And Sophia, for Khimos’ sake, do stop that awful racket.”
Sophia’s eyes widened at his admonishment, and I imagine it’s the kind of expression one would make if they’d just been randomly stabbed.
What a drama queen.
My stepmother pressed her fingers to her temple, lowering her fan. “Sophia was invited to Lady Georgina’s tea party today, but she tells me that when she arrived, Alicia was in her seat and there was no place for her.”
I blinked innocently. “But Mother, that can’t be. The invitation was addressed to me.”
Father looked between us. “Alicia did inform me yesterday that she would be visiting the Alansia estate for the tea party. Was there a mix up with the invitations?”
“She must have taken Sophia’s!” My stepmother clenched her jaw.
“Why would I do that?” I asked. “Besides, Lady Georgina was expecting me, but she seemed to have no idea that Sophia was attending. Still, we made space for her so she could join us even though she wasn’t supposed to be there.”
My father sighed. “Alicia…”
“I didn’t take her invitation! I have plenty of my own. Just ask the messenger boys how many I replied to a few days ago! Why would I need to steal Sophia’s?” I gazed up at him pleadingly.
“I suppose nobody has the invitation still to prove it either way.” Father removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do you—”
“My lord,” Bella squeaked out. “I—I have the invitation.”
We all jerked around to look at her, and she flinched.
“You do?” Father said, gently extricating my hands from his arm. “Is it on your person?”
“Y—yes, my lord.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “I was cleaning in here two days ago and saw some letters addressed to Lady Alicia, so I took them with me. I wasn’t sure of the entry protocols for today, so I made sure to take the invitation with me. I apologise if I overstepped.”
Bella! My darling, my lamb, my little sneaky baby genius!
Father took the invitation from her and opened it, putting his glasses on to read it. “This invitation is addressed to Alicia both inside and out, and it’s got the Alansia seal at the bottom.” He slid his gaze towards Sophia, who now looked more afraid than heartbroken. “Do you have one, Sophia?”
She said nothing.
“Do not make me repeat myself.”
Huh.
So that was where I got it from.
Actually, I’d hated repeating myself in my past life, too, but it was nice to know that I had a little something in common with my father.
