Page 8 of The Best of Friends
“Do not castigate yourself,” Tobias insisted. “Thinking out loud is not a failing.”
Itwas,though, when a person’s thoughts weren’t overly intelligent. Daria walked with Tobias to where Charlie and Artemis stood, flanked by admirers and would-be associates. Their approval and presence was quickly becoming sought after in Society.
As Daria and her brother approached, Toss Comstock saw her and smiled. Charlie’s friends and the Huntresses had attended a house party together several months earlier and had ended the gathering on a first-name basis, though they all knew better than to use them out loud in public.
“Miss Mullins. A pleasure to see you again.” Toss bounced a little as he offered the greeting, and even as he executed an otherwise proper bow. Daria smiled broadly and easily at the sight. He always felt so very alive.
That was a rather ridiculous way to think about a person. Everyone she knew was alive. Well, everyone she knewhad beenalive when she’d met them, though not all still were. Toss certainly was.
Her mind seemed to forever be spinning itself in unending circles.
Both Toss and Tobias were watching her, amused and expectant.
“Oh crumpets,” she muttered, realizing she’d been so lost in her thoughts that she’d left the group in a very awkward situation. “Tobias, this is Mr. Thomas Comstock. Mr. Comstock, my brother, Mr. Tobias Mullins.”
Bows and words of pleasure were exchanged. Tobias was teasing and comfortable with her, but she’d noticed a tendency toward bashfulness when around others. That held true here as well. Thank the heavens Toss had shown himself well able to put people at ease. He’d done so for her at the house party, treating her with kindness and smiling comfortingly at her when she’d felt overwhelmed. He’d seemed to understand without being told that she was struggling, and she had deeply appreciated that.
“The last I heard, Miss Mullins, your presence here in London was in question. The Huntresses must be delighted to have you among them after all.”
“Our entrance would have been lopsided otherwise.”
“I am certain they are pleased for more reasons than that.” Tobias offered the response in kind tones but with a sharp look at Toss.
With hands held up in a show of innocence, Toss said, “I hadn’t given even a moment’s thought to the potential asymmetry of the Huntresses’s formation. It is for the joy of your company, Miss Mullins, that I believe they are pleased to have you in London.”
She had made a mull of the introduction so quickly. If only Gillian weren’t so very married; she had always rescued Daria when she’d bungled things like this.
“I would introduce you to Scott,” she told her brother, “but he is leading Gillian out to dance.”
“Another time,” Tobias said. “In fact, I am engaged for this set as well and must abandon you both.”
“For a waltz?” Daria asked, recognizing the tune being played.
“The lady’s parents agreed to let me walk about with her,” Tobias said. “Waltzes aren’t entirely scandalous any longer, but none of us wishes to give any unintentional impressions.”
“I will see your sister returned to your parents,” Toss offered.
With bows between the gentlemen, Tobias went off in search of his partner, and Toss walked beside Daria along the edge of the ballroom.
“You really needn’t go out of your way,” Daria assured him. “My parents don’t wish me to hover around them all evening.”
“Most parents prefer that their daughters stay close by,” Toss said.
“Mineare very particular that I not cause them too much bother. I often do rather silly things, and my father finds that tedious.” Seeing surprise register on Toss’s face, Daria realized she’d said aloud something she likely shouldn’t have. Speaking ill of one’s parents was considered quite a breach of etiquette. “He is only teasing me,” she insisted. “He teases like that a lot.”
“Does he?” Toss didn’t sound amused.
She supposed it wasn’t actually very funny. Butteasingwas the only way she’d thought of to explain the things her father said that weren’t as kind as they ought to be. She didn’t want people to think badly of her family, but neither did she want them to think of her as tedious or slow-witted or any of the other things that her father sometimes called her. And she certainly didn’t want whispers about her unflattering comments getting back to her parents. She endured them mostly in silence for the sake of maintaining the peace. That peace would vanish should they think she wasn’t being loyal enough to the family.
“Will he ‘tease’ you the entire time you’re in London?” Toss asked.
Their circuit of the room was slow, as the size of the crush made navigating difficult. Daria didn’t mind; she liked Toss’s company. She suspected most everyone did.
“We don’t interact overly much during the Season,” Daria said. “Father is very busy with his club, and Mother has friends she spends time with when she’s not planning whatever gathering she chooses to host that year.”
“Does the nature of that gathering change from year to year?”
Daria nodded. “She hasn’t yet found one variety that she is good at planning.” Merciful heavens, she’d done it again. “I shouldn’t speak unflatteringly of my mother.”
