*On Hiatus* A Midnight Dance

Spreading the News

News of my outing with Lord Nightingale spread quickly. Yolanda was the first to send me a few letters because I accepted her invitation for tea. All the ladies were present. Lady Leah, Melanie, and Tasha were eager to listen to my account of the outing.

A soft rain pitter-pattered against the large windows. Shivering, I warmed my hands on my teacup.

"Did you ask him to meet you?" Lady Tasha asked. "I didn't think you'd be so bold."

"What's wrong with that?" Lady Melanie asked. "It's time for us girls to take the initiative. Otherwise, we'd remain partnerless."

"You give me too much credit," I told them. "I met Lord Nightingale by coincidence."

"You expect us to believe that?" Lady Yolanda asked. She gave me a look.

"I helped me pick out a few things for his sister, Delilah."

"That was very kind of you," Lady Leah said.

"You were seen entering a restaurant together," Lady Melanie prompted. "An obscure one at that."

I sipped my drink. The warm cinnamon tea warmed me. "It's not like he can eat at any restaurant," I reminded her. "His diet is different."

The ladies grew quiet.

"Nothing happened?" Lady Tasha prompted.

"Nothing happened," I assured them.

Lady Yolanda nudged me under the table. I gave her a look. She might be the only one I could tell about my relationship with Lord Nightingale. She wouldn't assume the worst. With her, I didn't have to worry about rumors going around town either.

No longer digging for information, the rest of the ladies left soon after until only I remained.

"So, is it safe to assume you tell us the whole story?"

I sipped more of my tea as the servants cleared away the other tea cups. The drawing room was smaller and more intimate with a touch of spring colors and decorations.

"Lord Nightingale will escort me to Dominic's party," I told her.

Yolanda grabbed my arm. "Are you two courting each other?"

I bit my lip trying to hide my smile. "

Yolanda squealed in delight. "I'm so happy for you. What did your brother say? Does he know?"

"I think so. He hasn't expressed his dislike so I think he's okay with it."

"Now, we need to make sure your first party as a couple is perfect. Here let's go over the details."

Smiling, I followed her to her office. I had a feeling I wasn't leaving any time soon.

A few days after the tea party with Yolanda, Marie returned to work. Almost immediately, she started cleaning Mother's bedroom. While Vivian went to work, and Elaine visited friends, I stayed with the twins as they attended their lessons.

Sitting in the library, my mind wandered to Mother's condition. She hadn't had a recent episode but how long would that last? The twins needed their mother . . . I needed my mother. Maybe if she was here, she could tell us how to solve all our problems. Wouldn't that be nice?

Sighing, I sat up straighter. Wishing for someone else to solve everything wasn't going to help. Instead, I busied myself creating a list of all the expenses for the month. These were things Vivian and I could manage. I'd share it with Emily so we could pool together our resources.

When I stepped out of the lesson for a break, I met Emily outside. She held out an envelope for me. Lady Kain had sent it to me. Melanie's letter was short informing me of the appointment at Needle Point. It was two weeks from now.