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Authors: Laurel McKee
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After the spectacle of military might, and seeing Will such a part of it all, she felt all turned around.
"Do you need to deliver that note?"
She glanced sharply at her sister. "Note?"
Anna gave her an innocent smile. "The one the man waiting at the gate gave you. Is it terribly important?"
"He is courting, one of the housemaids," Eliza said carelessly. Why, oh why, couldn't she have been born with finer acting skills?
"How romantic!"
"But not urgent Shall we go by the milliner's shop before we go home?"
"Oh yes! After I collect all the latest Minerva Press novels."
"P erhaps you could buy some gifts for Caro, too," Eliza said. "To soften the blow of dance and deportment lessons."
"Quite right And an etiquette book for Mama! She always wants to be so sure she is absolutely correct"
As they turned toward the bookshelves, Eliza decided not to mention what was in the rest of their mother's latest letter. One of the tenants at Killinan had been arrested for hiding pikes in his barn, another for allegedly taking the United Irish oath—both capital offenses. Katheri ne was worried what else might be behind the ordered little kingdom she had painstakingly built on her estate.
Eliza was sending Anna home thinking it was safer than Dublin. But was Will right? Should she send her family to London? Or was anyplace at all really safe?
Chapter 5
Lady Smythson's ball looked to be what in London would be called a "great crush," Eliza thought as she peered out the carriage window. They crept minutely forward toward the great house, which was near the assembly rooms on Rutland Square, hemmed in by other vehicles and by a flock of richly dressed pedestrians who had lost patience with the waiting.
Eliza rested her chin on her gloved hand, in no hurry to follow them. Dublin society was always in a vast hurry to get to their amusements, to dancing, cards, quarrels, flirtations. No more so than of late, when those amusements were life's best distractions. But Eliza felt strangely distant from it all, as if more than window glass separated her from the glittering desperation.
Even Anna seemed subdued. She had been quiet ever since their excursion on St Stephen's Green, retreating to her chamber with her new books as soon as they returned to Henrietta Street Now she sat on the carriage seat next to Eliza, twisting her fan in her ringers.
Eliza caught sight of her own reflection in the window.
Her face was pale in the frame of her fur-lined hood, her eyes wide and shadowed with worry. No wonder Anna was so quiet
She turned back to her sister with a determined smile. 'Tell me, Anna, which of your ardent suitors will you dance with first?"
A faint answering smile touched Anna's lips, but she still twisted her fan around and around. "Whoever asks me, I suppose."
"Even Mr. Andrews, the ever-preaching curate?" Eliza teased. "Or perhaps Lord Simonson, who mashed your slippers to shreds last time?"
"I heard Lord Simonson gave up dancing entirely, much to every young lady's great relief. And this hardly looks like Mr. Andrews's sort of gathering. Too crowded and loud, too fast" Anna paused as the carriage lurched ahead a few feet "What about you, Eliza?"
"Me? I never danced with Mr. Andrews in my life, I frighten him, I think."
"I mean, will you dance with Will Denton, if he's here?"
Eliza felt a sharp pang in the region of her heart at the mention of his name. "Ah, now, he frightens me."
"I doubt anyone frightens you, Eliza! You are so very brave. But I see what you mean."
"Do you?"
"Yes. After seeing him today, so severe and stern, so..."
"Military?" Eliza murmured.
"He was so different from when we knew him at Killinan."
"He is different," Eliza said. And she should not forget that.
"Still, he stopped that man from singing that ghastly song."
"Only because he did not want to have to quell a riot there on St. Stephen's Green."
"Perhaps, but it still should be worth something, I think."
"Worth a dance?"
The carriage
"Do you need to deliver that note?"
She glanced sharply at her sister. "Note?"
Anna gave her an innocent smile. "The one the man waiting at the gate gave you. Is it terribly important?"
"He is courting, one of the housemaids," Eliza said carelessly. Why, oh why, couldn't she have been born with finer acting skills?
"How romantic!"
"But not urgent Shall we go by the milliner's shop before we go home?"
"Oh yes! After I collect all the latest Minerva Press novels."
"P erhaps you could buy some gifts for Caro, too," Eliza said. "To soften the blow of dance and deportment lessons."
"Quite right And an etiquette book for Mama! She always wants to be so sure she is absolutely correct"
As they turned toward the bookshelves, Eliza decided not to mention what was in the rest of their mother's latest letter. One of the tenants at Killinan had been arrested for hiding pikes in his barn, another for allegedly taking the United Irish oath—both capital offenses. Katheri ne was worried what else might be behind the ordered little kingdom she had painstakingly built on her estate.
Eliza was sending Anna home thinking it was safer than Dublin. But was Will right? Should she send her family to London? Or was anyplace at all really safe?
Chapter 5
Lady Smythson's ball looked to be what in London would be called a "great crush," Eliza thought as she peered out the carriage window. They crept minutely forward toward the great house, which was near the assembly rooms on Rutland Square, hemmed in by other vehicles and by a flock of richly dressed pedestrians who had lost patience with the waiting.
Eliza rested her chin on her gloved hand, in no hurry to follow them. Dublin society was always in a vast hurry to get to their amusements, to dancing, cards, quarrels, flirtations. No more so than of late, when those amusements were life's best distractions. But Eliza felt strangely distant from it all, as if more than window glass separated her from the glittering desperation.
Even Anna seemed subdued. She had been quiet ever since their excursion on St Stephen's Green, retreating to her chamber with her new books as soon as they returned to Henrietta Street Now she sat on the carriage seat next to Eliza, twisting her fan in her ringers.
Eliza caught sight of her own reflection in the window.
Her face was pale in the frame of her fur-lined hood, her eyes wide and shadowed with worry. No wonder Anna was so quiet
She turned back to her sister with a determined smile. 'Tell me, Anna, which of your ardent suitors will you dance with first?"
A faint answering smile touched Anna's lips, but she still twisted her fan around and around. "Whoever asks me, I suppose."
"Even Mr. Andrews, the ever-preaching curate?" Eliza teased. "Or perhaps Lord Simonson, who mashed your slippers to shreds last time?"
"I heard Lord Simonson gave up dancing entirely, much to every young lady's great relief. And this hardly looks like Mr. Andrews's sort of gathering. Too crowded and loud, too fast" Anna paused as the carriage lurched ahead a few feet "What about you, Eliza?"
"Me? I never danced with Mr. Andrews in my life, I frighten him, I think."
"I mean, will you dance with Will Denton, if he's here?"
Eliza felt a sharp pang in the region of her heart at the mention of his name. "Ah, now, he frightens me."
"I doubt anyone frightens you, Eliza! You are so very brave. But I see what you mean."
"Do you?"
"Yes. After seeing him today, so severe and stern, so..."
"Military?" Eliza murmured.
"He was so different from when we knew him at Killinan."
"He is different," Eliza said. And she should not forget that.
"Still, he stopped that man from singing that ghastly song."
"Only because he did not want to have to quell a riot there on St. Stephen's Green."
"Perhaps, but it still should be worth something, I think."
"Worth a dance?"
The carriage
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