Aspire - Kanthony's continuation story

Chapter 15 - Charades

"Perhaps we could play some charades!" Hyacinth suggested when Francesca and her small orchestra had played for a good half hour already, after the anniversary dinner.

"What a wonderful idea, darling!" Violet chimed in.

"Do we still have our old cards tucked away somewhere?" Daphne wondered.

"I believe they are in that golden box over there on the shelf! Hyacinth, would you be so kind and get them so Daphne does not have to stand up?" Violet smiled and waved towards the shelf on the opposite side of the room. Hyacinth scurried happily away, came back with the box and handed it to her oldest sister.

"Now, let us see..." Daphne muttered as she had opened the box and was leafing through the pack of cards in her hands.

"What is the topic of those cards?" Kate wondered.

"Why, members of the ton, of course!" Daphne grinned. "This one is dead, this one is married and has a new family name, this one is also dead..." She mumbled, picking away the outdated cards. "Oh, I just realised, we have to add the Sharma family into this game!"

"That is quite unnecessary, we will play with the existing cards." Kate stated quickly. She did not want to know how someone would act when they were supposed to be her, probably waving their finger around in a scolding manner and looking displeased, since there was no Anthony in the room whose arms they could collapse into.

"Fine, we will play with these then... I believe I have plucked out all the old and dead ones, so we can begin!" Daphne declared. "Who wants to go first? The youngest?"

"Yes!" Hyacinth whooped and took the cards from Daphne. She picked the one on top, read it, flashed a smile and began to act. She moved as if she was walking with a stick and studied her audience with a cunning look.

"Lady Danbury!" Daphne screamed and was the first one to shout out the right answer.

"I do not look like that!" Lady Danbury protested. "Or, maybe I do..." She laughed.

"Daphne, you are rather good at this game as well!" Kate grinned.

"I am good at most games." Daphne announced proudly, as she struggled for a moment to get up from the sofa with her large belly – a lot less proudly – and took the cards from her sister. She picked one and burst into laughter as she read it. "Oh, this is easy..." She smirked, sat down in a chair facing the others and began staring at Kate with a smouldering, seductive look, before quickly turning away with an upset snort and then turning back to stare hungrily at her. Kate laughed so hard she could not get the obvious name out from her mouth. Everyone screamed out Anthony's name almost in unison, but Eloise had got a slight head start, so she was deemed the winner. She took Daphne's spot on the chair, picked up a card and got a weird, almost offended look on her face. Then she began to act as if she was writing.

"Writing? Who writes all the time?" Daphne wondered.

"Colin?" Violet suggested.

"You, to the duke." Daphne grinned.

"Oh, hush you!" Violet snorted and blushed.

"No, no!" Kate huffed. "Lady Whistledown!!" She burst out.

"Finally, thank you!" Eloise sighed and the rest applauded as Kate picked a card. She smirked as she read it, ruffled her chest to make her appearance more stouty and busty, crossed her arms on her chest and began to study the others with a designing and manipulative smile.

"What, this could be anyone!" Daphne, who seemed to be the first one guessing every time, complained sourly. "Lady Cowper? Miss Cressida Cowper?"