Page 32 of The Best of Friends
The tallying of points continued. They both received points for the chamber orchestra performance and the poetry night. Toss received points for playing the pianoforte at the gathering the night before, though he did tell them how badly it went. Daria received a point for her purple dress, for asking her parents to allow the soiree, and for procuring food by means more common to the country, which her parents were likely to think uncouth.
“You had an ice at Gunter’s yesterday,” Ellie said. “You were meant to receive a point for that.”
“I’d forgotten.” Daria motioned to the paper on which Charlie was keeping score. “Give me a point for that as well.”
Charlie looked back to Toss. “At the moment, she is winning this competition.”
“I visited a lending library this morning, which my brother says ought to be reserved for boring and scholarly gentlemen, as well as blue stockings.”
Charlie added a point to Toss’s total.
“My brother suggested I ride in Hyde Park at the fashionable hour today,” Toss said, “and I didn’t do so. I’m not certain that counts though: choosingnotto do something because my brother would wish me to rather than choosingto dosomething he wouldn’t choose.”
“I think it should count,” Daria said.
She did want to win the competition, as it would mean knowing for certain she would get to attend the next house party. She wanted to know that should she be required to live with Great-Aunt Theodosia, she would have something to look forward to.
But should Toss win, all the Huntresses would put in the effort needed to help him find a musical mentor, which might mean he wouldn’t give up on his music entirely. She wanted that for him as well. She hadn’t any connections to facilitate such a thing and couldn’t accomplish it on her own. But it would be managed one way or the other if Toss were the victor, she knew that much.
A few more point-earning events were thought of, and in the end, Daria was ahead by two points.
Toss was subject to some good-natured teasing while she was offered heartfelt congratulations. The evening continued on, pleasant and enjoyable. Toss seemed to regain his spirits, which did Daria’s heart a great deal of good. The scones were delicious, prompting Daria to thank Eve profusely when no one else was listening. The fact that she hadn’t been the one to tell Daria that she’d baked them, and the further fact that she had never mentioned her ability to the Huntresses, told Daria she might not wish for it to be widely known. At least not yet.
Games were played. Lively conversation was enjoyed by all. By the time the guests began to leave, Daria felt certain the evening could be considered a success.
Toss approached to make his farewell.
Exhausted but unspeakably pleased, Daria said, “I did it, Toss. I planned and hosted an entire evening.”
“You did, and it was wonderful.”
She couldn’t hold back a smile. “I hope this doesn’t make me sound unforgivably conceited, but I am so proud of myself.”
Toss took her hands in his. Three times he’d done so that night alone. And all three times her heart had trembled in response. “You absolutely should be proud of yourself, Daria. And not just owing to tonight’s success.”
“I’m not accustomed to feeling proud of myself.” She held fast to his hands, not wanting him to let go yet. “It is a nice feeling.”
“If ever you need a reminder of all the reasons you should feel exceptionally pleased with the person you are, you need only ask me. I’ll give you a list.”
She was not merely going to miss him when her time in London came to an end, she was going to be a little lost. “Everyone should have a friend like you, Toss.”
He offered her another bow and made his way from the house, taking a bit of her heart with him.
The only guest remaining was Rose. “Your soiree was an inarguable success,” she said.
“You told me it was time I begin choosing some things for myself. I chose this.”
Rose’s gaze hovered a moment on the door still held open after Toss’s departure. “Now decide what you mean to choose next.” After a brief but pointed look, she, too, slipped from the house.
“The entire evening was brilliantly managed, Daria,” Tobias said. “I intend to make certain Mother and Father know as much. If they know what you accomplished with little time to plan, perhaps they’d be willing to allow you to remain at home instead of going to Anglesey and return to London for the Season on the promise that you would help Mother hold successful evenings such as this.”
It wouldn’t be quite the same as hosting such evenings for herself, to be enjoyed with her particular group of friends, but she would still enjoy it. And it would mean she was in London, which would be wonderful. And when not there for the Season, she wouldn’t be relegated to the outer stretches of the kingdom. And she would see the Huntresses.
And Toss. Her heart pleaded with her to do all she could to make certain that happened.
Rose had told her to decide what her next choice would be. Rose had warned her during their previous discussion on the topic that Daria would not always have all the choices she wanted but that she would have some.
Perhaps deciding to ask for this soiree had given Daria a few more precious choices.
