The Season (Season Series #1)

Chapter 23.1: Daylight Ultimatums

Ella's command sent Emily and Rosanna into a tizzy, arguing with one another over what exactly would make the best cloud-imitating shawl. They disappeared from the room in search of the costume chest, their bickering still audible in the suite even once they'd closed the door.

"I'm thinking a pile of curls tonight," Ella said, twisting her hair atop her head so that it cascaded down around her face.

"That would be lovely," I said. She glanced at me.

"Yes, but I'd prefer Rosanna to be the one to set it," she said. I frowned as she dug through her cosmetics. Hadn't she just asked me to stay to attend to her hair?

"The most peculiar thing happened last night," Ella said, powdering her nose as I hesitated behind her, "The prince spent the entire night with some foreign girl, only for them both to disappear at the same time after they were cornered together, alone, on the terrace,"

"How scandalous," I offered, hoping my face didn't betray the turmoil within. I felt something ominous looming over me.

"Indeed," Ella said, setting down her powder brush and opening one of her vanity drawers, "But the most scandalous part of the entire evening was that somehow, the necklace belonging to said foreigner turned up in my suite,"

A pit of dread opened in my stomach as she pulled the black velvet bag out of her vanity. She dumped the necklace into the palm of her hand, turning towards me.

"Ella, it's not-" I started. But it seemed she was already convinced of my guilt, pursing her lips as she turned away. That she was unable to look at me set my eyes to prickling with tears.

"I'd always wondered how I grew to be so favoured by the prince," she said, setting the necklace down on her dressing table to stare at it, "I'd thought it was because of James, when really it was because of you,"

"Ella please! I promise you, nothing untoward happened!" I pleaded, falling to my knees beside her. She was already assuming that I'd earned her the prince's favour in a most unsavoury way, she didn't need to know that he had indeed hunted me down in the workshop and kissed me.

"It's abundantly clear to me now that I was only one of the princes' favourites because of you," she said, leaning forward to continue applying her cosmetics, "And while I do appreciate your maneuvering to earn me a place of favour, I absolutely cannot condone how you've gone about it. Do you have any idea what you've done to your reputation and family name?"

"It's not like that!" I said, the tears flowing in earnest now. She looked at me in the mirror.

"It isn't?" she demanded coldly. I inhaled shakily, my silence enough of an answer for her.

"Ah yes, now I see," she nodded, her eyes narrowing, "Now that I'm attached to James, you think that by winning the prince's attention with your vile tricks that the family will name you as my successor when I get engaged,"

She rose then, nearly knocking over the vanity chair as she towered over me.

"Well that is not the way this works!" she snapped, pausing for a moment to collect herself, "Because they have already confirmed that my sister Annabelle will be our next debutante,"

I knelt there, crying silent sobs as she watched the effect her words had on me.

"Serves you right, you rotten social climber. It's unseemly and preposterous," she said, sitting back down without an ounce of pity in her gaze, "You'll be lucky if anyone will marry you at all now,"

"Oh Ella please!" I whispered, the world turning hazy as it blurred with tears.

"I'll strike a deal with you," she said finally, "I haven't told anyone out of regard for my uncle's reputation and family name, but if you aren't gone when I return from the ball, I will tell the whole sordid tale to all of the debutantes,"

"You wouldn't," I gasped. She didn't even look at me.

"I would. I suggest you pack your things and leave while we're out tonight," she said, slipping the necklace back into its velvet bag and dropping it back into her vanity drawer. I watched the drawer close with a thud as my world shattered around me.

Andrew had only asked two things of me today: don't get sent home and don't miss the masquerade. Ella sending me home now would mean that I'd failed him. When word got out that she suspected me of dallying with the prince, my parents would disown me and my chances of making a good marriage would be ruined, just as she'd said.

I swallowed and stood, crossing the suite to my bedroom wordlessly. Ella's eyes had left me, focusing instead on perfecting her face, likely lost in the fantasies of Lord Amberly and the second masquerade tonight. I sat on my bed, looking down at my trunk. How had I not noticed that it had been riffled through? It must have been Emily, especially since she'd been so keen to get me ejected after discovering me with Andrew in the library. She must have suspected something when Anne snuck me off.

It didn't matter now.

I'd dashed my tears away before Emily and Rosanna returned with an appropriate cloudlike shawl for Ella's costume. I feigned illness while they fussed around her, attempting several different drapings while I looked on. No matter how hard I tried to force a smile and act excited, I couldn't, so I retired to the sitting room to lie on the loveseat. Neither Rosanna nor Emily even bothered to ask about me when I didn't get changed into my ball gown with them.

I'd known it was too good to be true. It had been too much to hope that Andrew and I could have been together. The pit in my stomach deepened when I realized that I would never again feel his arms around me, never again feel the butterflies from his kiss. I hated myself for allowing him to corner me and give me a glimpse of something I'd never known I'd wanted so badly, only for it to be taken away the very next day.

"I do hope you enjoy your evening, Libby," Ella said eventually, suddenly standing before me as I snapped out of my nightmarish thoughts. The time had flown and Emily and Rosanna were flanking her, attired in their costumes. My cousin cocked an expertly plucked eyebrow as if to remind me of our bargain. I replied with as much of a smile as I could muster.

"I'm certain it won't be nearly as enjoyable as yours," I replied, earning a single nod from my cousin before she swept from the room with Emily and Rosanna in tow.

When the door closed behind them, I collapsed into a heap of tears.