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case, however, Suzette was very aware that she would have to attend the Hammonds’ ball to choose her substitute husband, and while Daniel had assured her that he would talk to Dicky and convince him to let the girls attend the Hammonds’ ball, she wasn’t at all sure he could manage that. Not that she was particularly worried about Dicky. She planned to attend the ball whether he liked it or not and there was little he could do to stop her. He might have full control over Christiana as her husband, but he wasn’t hers and she had no intention of bowing to him and his whims. But she suspected if she was forced to do that, Christiana would pay for it in some way and she didn’t like the idea of that at all. Perhaps rather than simply walk out and openly going to the ball, she should sneak out to attend it.
    Suzette grimaced at the necessity. Truly, Dicky would have been doing them all a favor had he stayed dead, she thought for the umpteenth time that night. It made her cast a pitying glance Christiana’s way, for she was the one who would now have to continue to put up with the horrible man’s critical and controlling ways, and—from what Christiana had confessed that day as they’d packed Dicky in ice—her marriage thus far had been a nightmare.
    Suzette’s expression turned to a frown of concern when she noted that her older sister appeared to be a little unsteady on her feet. Christiana had seemed to have a little trouble quitting the carriage when they’d arrived as well and Suzette was beginning to worry that her sister was a bit soused. It wouldn’t surprise her. Christiana had accidentally downed Robert Langley’s whiskey just before they’d left the ball. Not being a drinker, it was entirely possible the potent drink had gone to her head. That possibility became a certainty in Suzette’s mind when Christiana said, “He must have made a deal with the devil to come back.”
    The words made Suzette’s eyes widen incredulously. She was usually the one to make such improper statements. Christiana was more likely to hush her and warn her to be polite and smile and keep such nasty thoughts to herself. It seemed drink had loosened her tongue, however. Worried about what she might say in this state, Suzette found herself in the rare position of cautioning, “Hush, one of the servants will hear.”
    The words had barely left her lips when Haversham appeared at the end of the hall, hurrying toward them. He paused, however, and turned away when Christiana waved him off. She then staggered a bit to the side.
    Catching her arm, Suzette eyed her with concern. “Are you all right, Chrissy? You are not at all steady on your feet.”
    “I’m fine,” Christiana answered gaily.
    “I fear those drinks Langley gave her may have affected her after all,” Lisa said with concern, taking her other arm as Christiana next weaved in her direction.
    “Surely two drinks wouldn’t affect her this much,” Suzette protested.
    “Two drinks on an empty stomach might,” Lisa reasoned.
    “Three drinks,” Christiana muttered.
    “Three?” Suzette peered at her with surprise. “When did you have a third one?”
    “A firsht one,” Christiana corrected and paused to frown at the slur. She spoke with more care as she explained. “I drank Dicky’s whiskey earlier. It’s okay though, I actually feel good.”
    “Oh dear,” Lisa said.
    Suzette merely shook her head. She had no idea when Christiana had consumed the third drink, or the first one as she claimed. However, it seemed she’d had two glasses of whiskey as well as the punch. It was no wonder she was in this state, and it was sure to get worse since the last two drinks had only been downed a matter of ten or fifteen minutes ago and would still be working their way through her system.
    “Well, at least she feels good, probably for the first time since marrying that odious man,” Suzette said wryly, and then added, “He probably did make a deal with the devil to