“Maybe we should check with Crossley first. He isn’t likely to be too excited about your desire to fill up his rooms so soon after he thought he was to be free of all this.”
“You just leave him to me,” Georgia countered with a twinkle in her eye. “You have more important things to consider just now. Which gentlemen do you most want to know a bit better?”
“Are you suggesting I ought to set my cap at someone?”
“Surely nothing so vulgar, Vick. I know I wasn’t raised as a member of the nobility, but even I know that would never do. But we can choose our guests appropriately.”
Finally, Vicky joined her friend in laughter. “You’re right, George, I’m being far too serious about all of this. And you’re also correct that a house party is exactly the thing. I will have to think a little bit about who I might suggest as guests since, as I said, no one has really struck my fancy in the least. But as to the timing, I would say three weeks from now would be best.”
Georgia regarded her curiously, so Vicky explained. “We already have invitations for at least the next ten days, and you said you expect many hostesses to be hurriedly planning more events to end off the Season, so that should give us three or four more weeks of entertainments. But if we leave the house party too late, everyone will have become ensconced upon their own estates, especially the gentlemen, and might not be as inclined to venture forth to a house party. This way, if they’d like, they can stop at Crossley on their way to their own homes. If not three weeks from now, then perhaps it would be best to wait until the middle of the summer when people have grown bored.”
“No, you’re right, as usual, Vick. Three weeks it is. Or do you think we ought to do it even sooner?”
“The only way you could do it even sooner is if you were to send out your invitations immediately, before any hostesses have their entertainments planned. If you expect to return next year with Crossley, you wouldn’t want to have put the other ladies’ noses out of joint.”
Georgia laughed once more. “No, you’re right, I wouldn’t want to irritate the other hostesses, but I also am unlikely to be coming up for the Season next year,” she concluded with a significant gesture toward her midsection. Vicky fought to swallow her jealousy, nodding with a smile that felt a little tight.
Slipping away from Vicky’s side, Georgia slid into the chair at theescritoire, pulling paper toward her and frowning over her nibs.
“So, who would we most enjoy? Mr. Northcott, of course.” Again, Vicky was grateful that her friend wasn’t looking at her while she concentrated upon her list. The sound of more footsteps outside the room made her stomach clench with inexplicable nerves.