“Oh well.” Kat sighed softly, fanning out her skirt on Tricia’s bed. “My skirt makes noise.” She giggled.
“It’s made of taffeta. It rustles.”
“I like the sound of it.”
“So do I.”
“I never imagined I’d have such a fine dress.”
“Nor did I, Kat.”
“Do you think I’ll ever have another dress like this one?”
“I’m sure you will. The way you’re growing, that one will no longer fit you by the end of the summer.”
“What of yours?”
“Mine will fit me for a while,” Tricia said, giggling, “unless I grow fat.”
“You won’t,” Kat said. “Mum isn’t fat.”
“True.” Tricia put the finishing touches on her hair. “There.” She turned to face her sister. “How do I look?”
“Like a princess,” Kat breathed. “Now pinch your cheeks and bite your lips.”
“Bite my lips?” Tricia smiled. “How did you know about that little trick?”
“I’ve seen you do it.”
“You are the observant one.” In more ways than one. Tricia turned her attention back to the looking glass and was pleased with the results. Her mind wandered for a moment to the handsome Lord Jameson, Lady Rose’s brother. She would no doubt never see him again. Well, it was just a silly fantasy anyway.
She quickly glanced at the clock on her night table. “We’d best go down,” she said to Kat. “Cam said the coach was coming for us promptly at eight. Are you ready, Miss Katrina?”
“Yes, Miss Price.” Kat put her small pink hand into Tricia’s and skipped alongside her down the hallway to the staircase.
* * * *
Rose stared out her chamber window as two carriages pulled away from the Lybrook mansion. She had begged out of the theatre this evening, and but for her parents and Evan’s brother and sister, was alone in the house. The earl and countess had decided to stay in as well, as the countess was feeling a bit poorly. Rose used her mother’s illness as an excuse, stating that she must be coming down with the same thing. Truthfully, although she wasn’t feeling her best, due no doubt to her condition, she could hardly say she felt ill. In fact, her nausea had lessened a bit today, after her encounter with the gypsy crone. Melina’s ramblings had no merit, of course, but Rose’s heart wanted to be here at midnight to scatter the rose petals to bring her love home to her. She would scatter them off the back terrace, over the area where she and Cameron had nearly made love.
After a small supper, she bathed and changed into her nightdress. She wasn’t going anywhere anyway, and she desired the comfort of her night clothes while she played the grand piano in the conservatory. She ran through her repertoire and played through a few new pieces that she was working on. After two hours, she went to look in on her mother, and finding her well, returned to her chamber to read.
* * * *
Daniel led the group consisting of himself and Lily, the dowager duchess and Lucy, Iris and Lord Brighton, Alexandra, Sophie, Evan, and Thomas to their reserved box at the new Regal Theatre.
“My, this is divine!” Alexandra gushed, caressing the red velvet chairs with her gloved fingers. “Are all theatres this elegant?”
“They are all elegant, though perhaps not quite this elegant,” Daniel said. “Newland really pulled out all the stops, I’d say.”
“If your contribution helped pay for this, I’m all for continuing our patronage,” Lily said. “This is wonderful.”
The ladies took the front row of seats, while the gentlemen sat behind them. “A box that seats twelve,” Lucy said. “This is decadent.”
“Newland built two large boxes to accommodate his patrons,” Daniel explained. “The other boxes seat six.”
“I’m so sorry Rose isn’t here,” Sophie said. “She would love this.”
“Yes, she would,” Lily agreed.