Page 2 of The Misfortunate Miss Farthington
“That’s one reason I’m sorry for you,” Daphne said under her breath.
Tessa just barely held back a laugh at Daphne’s dry tone, hidden so well by her sweet expression.
“They’ve been talking this past hour about your prospects,” Daphne added. “I hate to inform you that your plight is even more dire than mine.”
“But you haven’t even made your debut yet,” Tessa felt compelled to point out.
“Doesn’t matter.” Daphne lifted a shoulder. “It seems my inability to make inane small talk with the gentlemen of our acquaintance has doomed me to spinsterhood before I’ve even begun.” Her lips quivered with the start of a smile. “At least, that is Mother’s fear.”
“Oh dear,” Tessa said, joining in her cousin’s teasing tone. “How sad for us.”
“Isn’t it though?”
Her aunt’s voice cut through their conversation. “It’s high time you found yourself a good match, Tessa, after doing such an excellent job securing matches for those pitiable young ladies at your school.”
“Oh, they were never pitiable and I didn’t have anything to do with—”
“Past time, if you ask me,” her mother cut in with a far less cheerful tone. “I had no choice but to let you take that position after the dreadful scandal you caused calling off your engagement to Captain Lorimer, but the whispers have subsided now. And for good measure, I’ve invited the captain and his wife to be our guests this week.”
Tessa brightened. “Truly? That’s wonderful news.”
Her mother sighed. “You don’t have to act so very happy for them. It’s one thing to be a gracious loser, but we all know you looked like the veriest fool at the way those two carried on until you were forced to call off the engagement.”
Tessa opened her mouth to protest—again. But her mother and aunt kept talking amongst themselves, and she’d already talked herself blue in the face trying to convince her mother that wasn’t at all what had happened. But her mother refused to believe that Tessa had been relieved to end the engagement. She’d liked Anthony. As a friend. But there was something sad about their engagement from the very start.
She’d known as his friend that he’d been in love with the girl next door since he was a child. He’d given up any hope of marrying her when he’d heard about the plan for her to marry a duke.
Truly, Tessa had considered herself lucky to be marrying a man she respected and admired, but some part of her had grieved the lack of romance. The lack of passionate love she’d always dreamt of.
So, when his beautiful beloved arrived for their wedding and Tessa had seen the bond that was so very apparent between them, it wasn’t with sadness that she’d ended their engagement, but with relief. Watching them together and exchanging letters with them in the months since…it was as if an upside-down picture had been flipped right side up.
Anthony was with his beloved Marian, Tessa had found her calling helping the girls at the school, and all was right with the world.
Except for the fact that she didn’t have a husband, much to her mother’s chagrin.
“I spoke to Miss Lydia’s mother the other day,” her aunt was saying. “By all accounts you worked miracles on all those girls.”
“Oh, I definitely wouldn’t say—”
“Which is why I am so glad you and Daphne will have time together during our stay,” her aunt continued uninterrupted.
Daphne’s sigh was soft and nearly inaudible, but Tessa caught it. “This was the other reason I apologized,” she murmured. “I’m afraid you’re stuck trying to make me…what was it mother called it?”
“We need to make herappealing, don’t you see,” her aunt said.
“Appealing,” Daphne muttered the word like it was a curse. “That was it.”
“She’s already appealing,” Tessa said stoutly.
Her cousin gave a little snort of amusement.
“There, hear that? That was not ladylike, Daphne,” Aunt Beatrice said.
“Yes, Mother.”
“And that’s not the worst of it,” Aunt Beatrice went on, as if Daphne had just caused some long litany of offenses while standing there quietly. “The girl never speaks.”
“I do too,” Daphne started.
