Page 69 of The Highlander Is All That

“Come, Elizabeth. You must get dressed.”

“Do go away.”

“I can’t. Aunt Esmeralda made me promise to bring you down.” With this, she yanked the pillow from under Elizabeth’s head, which then dropped onto the mattress.

“Victoria—” she said in a warning tone.

“Do you want me to fetch Mary?”

“No!”

“Then up with you.” Victoria bounced off the bed and Elizabeth heard a great slurp.

She cracked open a lid. “Are you drinking my chocolate?”

“I am. Come and stop me.”

“You are a fiend.”

“The croissant is delicious too.”

“A demon from hell.” She forced herself up and groaned. Her head felt like a stone. “I am so tired.”

Victoria tsked. “I see that. So tired you’re still in your ball gown. Let me help you change.” Before Elizabeth could protest, Victoria had undone her buttons and the gown fell to the floor.

How mortifying. “Please—”

Thankfully, Elaine was there with a pretty morning dress, so she was not naked for long.

“Oh dear,” her sister said as she picked up the gown. “Are you having your courses?”

Elizabeth stilled and stared at the small stain on her dress. A reminder of last night. “I . . . ah . . . must be.”

“Pity. That was a pretty gown.”

“It can be saved,” Elaine said, gathering it up. “I’m sure of it.”

“Thank you, Elaine.” Oh dear. Elizabeth sucked in a breath and faced herself in the mirror. Her hair was a horror. “But we’d better deal with this first,” she said, gesturing to the nest of curls.

“Of course.”

“Well,” Victoria gusted. “My work here is done. I shall go downstairs and have Henley bring you another chocolate in the sitting room. I’ve had all of yours.”

And her sister was gone before Elizabeth could even scowl her displeasure.

* * *

It occurred to Elizabeth that morning calls were, beyond all things, irritating.

And it wasn’t just the overwhelming scent of Twiggenberry’s lilies pollenating all over the room. The family’s reemergence into the season had unleashed a wave of curiosity about the St. Claire sisters and all the gossips came to call.

Lady Callinda Frey arrived with her companion, the beak-nosed Althea Clark, and they stared about the room like birds seeking crumbs. Belinda Battersby was there as well, along with the venomous Sally Albright, though none of the St. Claire sisters even remotely considered her a friend.

That was the horrible thing about polite society.

On occasion, one had to be polite.

Elizabeth sat on the divan and sipped her chocolate and listened as a truly distasteful conversation swirled around her. All the allegations of last night were regurgitated and explored over and over again. But Elizabeth let Aunt Esmeralda do the talking. For one thing, her aunt was infinitely better at setdowns, and for another, Elizabeth was happy to sit silently and reflect on last night.