The Princess and I

Chapter XVI: Detective Arlington?

Diana Mornington's everlasting gossip still reaches my house one day. It is the day after Liam's Polo match and I am just having breakfast in my dressing room, when my sister Naomi enters my room. Luckily, I am already dressed since she does not wait for an affirmative. 'Good day to you too, sister,' I say annoyedly, when she sits down opposite me.

Naomi never was one who holds etiquette in high regard, so she takes a piece of bread from my plate, takes a greedy bite and asks me: 'I spoke to Helena the other day, who told me something quite disturbing about you.'

I can imagine where Helena has gotten her stories from, since Diana is her big gossiping sister. 'And what did you hear about me, if I may be so bold?'

'It comes down to the parties of Mrs. Maxwell to which you have been invited a couple of times now. I hear so many exciting stories, but I want to hear it from you. You are my sister after all.' She actually takes out her notebook and I look at her disgusted. I always admire my sister's talent for writing, but now she really gets on my nerves.

'Put away that book of gossip, Naomi. There's nothing to write about anyway.'

'That's not what Helena said.'

'So, it runs in the Mornington's family to gossip about me?'

'Helena does not mean you harm. She's just as excited as I am by your current misbehaviour.'

'I did not misbehave at all! I went to a party, where we played a couple of card games with Mrs. Maxwell, who's actually pretty good at them. Oh, and I made a drawing there, while Christina painted.'

She raises an eyebrow questioningly. 'And that's all you want to say about it?'

'There is nothing more to say. Yes, women of all classes attend and in general we drink and smoke a bit more than is appropriate for a woman. But no, furthermore there's nothing weird to tell you.'

'That's all?' She actually looks disappointed, which makes me smile.

'Yes, Naomi. If I were you I would not listen to gossip too much, before you write down only lies in your book of marvels.'

'I thought you got really drunk, kissed a few men, which weren't yours and stuff like that.'

I laugh. 'There aren't any men present, dear sister.'

Naomi looks disgusted. 'What kind of party is that?'

'A very nice one. I had a great time. With no mischief at all, if I may add.'

'Boring.' Naomi picks off a few of my grapes and then leaves my room skipping, while I roll my eyes.

Luckily all of society's gossip has not reached my parents yet. They are discussing the engagement ball of Mary-Ann and when I enter my mother gleams at me. I look at her suspiciously. 'Good morning, maman, papan. What are you looking all happy about? Did we win a prize or something?'

'As a matter of speaking.'

My father silences her. 'Would you sit down for a moment?' He looks so sternly at me that I doubt my former thought all of a sudden: did my father hear about the gossip after all? Was he about to tell me I could never attend aunt Emma's parties ever again? But why was my mother smiling then? That wasn't an appropriate response to me misbehaving.

I sit down obediently and nervously wring my hands. I feel like a child, who is about to get a lecture. I look at my father expectantly, who sighs and asks me: 'How have you been doing of late?'