Page 9 of The Pureblood Daughter
Lady Gray opens the letter and unfolds the parchment. Her eyes scan the page quickly, her lips puckering.
“What is it?” Adelina asks.
“Another ball. But we need not attend. No reason to tire yourself.” The tone with which she says it is strained; Lady Gray has never been particularly good at lying, and Adelina knows well enough that her mother would strongly like for her to attend the ball—if only Lord Gray would allow it.
Adelina laughs, but the sound is sharp and humorless. “I am not tired, Mama. I am perfectly capable of attending a ball and will happily watch from the wings. You cannot truly mean to let Papa keep me locked up in this house forever.”
“You arenotlocked up. Your father just wants what’s best for you.”
Adelina rolls her eyes.
Lady Gray sets the letter down on the ottoman, her brow pinching. “Why, that is averyladylike expression.”
“What does it matter if I should be ladylike if I’m not allowed to attend balls and mingle with gentlemen?” Adelina stands from the pianoforte and crosses the drawing room in a huff. “I shan’t stand for it, Mama.”
Lady Gray tilts her head to the side, one brow arching thoughtfully. “Why the passion now for balls and mingling? You’ve never had a taste for such things before.” A mischievous look comes over her eyes. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with the viscount, would it?”
“Of course not.” Adelina straightens up and turns away as her cheeks tingle with warmth. She looks out the window, watching as horses clop down the cobblestone street. “I do not wish to be a spinster, Mama. You know what the other ladies will say.” Adelina glances over her shoulder as her mother nods. “You will talk to Papa? Convince him to allow me to attend the ball?”
She imagines sweeping across the floor with Lord Rosetti, watching the way his eyes reflect the candlelight. If she’s forced to sit out the rest of the season, there’ll be no chance to dance with him, no chance to feel his hand on her waist or the small of her back. She must do something.
“I will try, but I can promise nothing. You know the way your father gets.” Lady Gray reaches for a cookie from the jar sitting on the tea table beside her. After taking a bite, she looks suddenly at Adelina. “What was it you needed before Simon came in?”
A smile pulls at Adelina’s lips.
It took some convincing, buther mother finally agreed to promenade in the park. The air is warm, bordering on muggy, but the breeze cools the back of Adelina’s neck, playing with the wisps of hair that managed to escape her chignon. She carries a parasol over her shoulder and twirls it lightly as she and her mother stroll leisurely about the park.
Geese soar overhead and land in the lake around which the promenade winds, squawking to one another, their voices the sounds of summer. Adelina wonders what it might feel like to toss her parasol, kick off her shoes, and dive into the cool water. Would her skirts weigh her down, drag her to the bottom? Or would she float like a flower blossom while the sun warmed her cheeks? As a lady, she’ll never find out.
“Well, look who it is,” Lady Gray whispers.
Adelina looks up quickly, hoping to see Lord Rosetti walking toward them, but it is Eliza and her mother, Lady Fletcher. Eliza wears a look of exhaustion, while Lady Fletcher seems none the wiser, her lips still moving in animated conversation.
“Lady Gray, Adelina!” Eliza says, appearing relieved to have a moment’s respite from discourse with her mother. Her face is rosy with heat, and a summer glow touches her brow.
Pleasantries are exchanged among the four women, and Adelina and Eliza pull away, walking a few steps in front of their mothers.
“Thank you for saving me,” Eliza whispers, walking close so that she is shaded by Adelina’s parasol. “My mother wants only to speak of children.”
A twinge of jealousy sings through Adelina’s veins, but she tries not to let her dearest friend see it. She only wishes she were in a position to discuss children with her mother. It would bring both of them great joy, should that day ever arrive.
“And you’re dissatisfied by this?” she asks, trying to keep her voice level.
Eliza groans. “Oh, very much.” She walks closer and lowers her voice further. “Can a woman not be allowed to enjoy her husbandbeforeshe’s expected to give him children?” She pushes her strawberry hair back with a sigh. “There’s time enough for children in the future. I’d like forthisstage to last as long as possible, if you know what I mean.”
Eliza’s freckled cheeks flare pink, and Adelina smiles, letting her aggravation go. It’s not Eliza’s fault she’s still unmarried, and her friend certainly doesn’t deserve her ire.
“But enough about that. What happened at the Rosetti ball? I could barely see you through all the commotion.”
“Oh, that.” Adelina twirls the parasol again. “It’s nothing new. I got overheated is all. The room was too stuffy.”
“We’ve been to many balls together, and never have youcollapsedlike that. I worry for you.” Eliza places a gentle hand on Adelina’s forearm and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “You would tell me if something were amiss, wouldn’t you?”
Concern swims in Eliza’s pale blue eyes, and adoration swells in Adelina, making her regret her earlier frustration.
“Of course I would. You are my dearest friend.”
“Andyouare mine.” Eliza’s smile is tender. “Don’t you forget it.”
