Page 114 of Marry in Haste
“Or slap her,” Lily added, “no matter how much she deserves it.”
“All right, but I still don’t see why,” George grumbled.
“Because we are a family now, and what one family member does affects the reputation of the others,” Lily said, echoing something that Emm had said an age ago. “If you punch that horrid woman it will reflect badly on Emm.”
Emm’s mouth trembled. She pressed her lips together, striving for composure, unable to speak, deeply moved by their unquestioning support. And their faith in her.
Seeing her dilemma, Cal slid an arm around her. “That’s what happens when you’re a family. We’re all going to be there tonight, even Aunt Agatha.”
“Aunt Agatha?’ the girls chorused.
He nodded. “Facing down the hounds of hell.”
George corrected him. “Not the hounds, the bitches.”
***
There was a sudden hush in the Braxton ballroom when Emm and Cal entered, followed by the three girls. Their names hadn’t been announced—it was just an informal party—but the hush, followed by a buzz of conversation, showed that people knew, that either they had or hadn’t expected Emm to show up, and that now they were speculating as to what might happen.
Cal led them to a line of seats opposite the entrance. Emm had told him she wanted to be there if and when Mrs. Oates arrived. She intended to have words with the woman.
He seated them and then went to fetch champagne for her and the girls. Emm smoothed her skirt. Miss Chance had sent her a dress in pale jonquil silk. It was beautiful, but Emm was wound up tight as a spring and couldn’t enjoy it as she wanted.
She sat up suddenly, spying a familiar face. “Look, isn’t that Sally Destry? Lady Maldon, I mean.” Sally was looking very different from the sensitive young schoolgirl Emm remembered, very dashing and fashionable and confident-looking. “I hope she hasn’t heard what’s been said about me. I must have a word, oh, but then I might miss the guests arriving.” She hovered indecisively. It wasn’t like her.
“And there’s Susie Morton from school as well,” Lily commented. “She married some viscount, I forget his name.”
“Viscount Burford,” Rose said. “And see who she’s with tonight? Julia Hampton.”
“Goodness me, what a lot of former Mallard girls there are here tonight,” Emm exclaimed, noticing several more. “I had no idea they were all in London, and what a coincidence that they’re all at the same party. Of all the nights. Oh, I almost wish we hadn’t come.”
“An amazing coincidence,” Cal said. He recognized some of those names from certain letters recently delivered.
Rose smiled at him. “Isn’t it just?”
Emm stiffened. “There she is, Mrs. Oates.” She handed Cal her glass. “Right. I want this over and done with. I’ll just— Oh!”
For as Mrs. Oates entered the room on her husband’s arm, a group of dashing and elegant young women, led by the former Sally Destry, linked arms with her and bore her gaily off to an adjoining anteroom. She went with them, flushed and laughing. Emm counted five former Mallard girls.
Emm sat back down with a thump. “They must be friends of hers. How very disappointing. I’ll have to wait until she comes out. I don’t want to involve anyone else.” Cal handed her the champagne glass. She emptied it in one gulp.
“There’s your aunt, Cal.”
Aunt Agatha entered, dressed magnificently in silver and deep claret. She gave Emm and Cal a gruff nod and started to move toward a group of her cronies. Then she noticed her three nieces and stopped in midstep. The elegantly plucked brows drew together, she pulled out her lorgnette and gave each one of them a long, unnerving scrutiny. Her forehead furrowed a moment, then she turned away.
All three girls heaved a sigh of relief. “I thought for a minute she was going to come over and yell at us for not getting our gowns from All-Tense,” Rose said.
“Yes, and if she’d told me I looked fat in this I would have had to kill her,” Lily said.
Rose laughed. “Silly, You don’t look fat. Haven’t you noticed the admiring glances you’ve been getting?”
Cal had. He was torn between wanting to protect his wife from the vicious rumors and wanting to lock his sisters and niece in a tower. Or at least throwing a blanket over them to stop all those fellows from staring. Lily’s dress was perfectly modest and covered her quite adequately. And yet...
He gritted his teeth. Rose’s and George’s dresses were no better.
Cal speared an icy glare at a pair of dandified young fellows who looked as though they were nerving themselves to come over and meet the girls. The boys blanched, straightened their cravats and strolled away, trying to look unconcerned.
One of them glanced back. Cal bared his teeth and the lad recoiled, bumping into a dowager, who gave him a blistering rebuke. Served him right.
