Alexandra

Chapter Eleven

"Lady St. Quentin," Alexandra said that afternoon in the drawing room, adding the name to their guest list in her careful, tutored script. "We cannot forget her."

"I'd like to forget her." Corinna stood and stretched and, leaving her easel, wandered over to where Alexandra sat at their mother's pretty rosewood writing desk. "She's a busybody."

Seated on one of the blue sofas, Juliana looked up from the menu she was creating. "Do you think we should serve beef or lamb?"

"Both." Corinna peered over Alexandra's shoulder. "Holy Hannah, how did this list get so long? I was unaware we even knew so many people."

"How many?" Juliana asked.

Alexandra pulled out a third sheet of vellum. "A hundred and thirty-eight, so far."

Juliana's eyes widened. "Griffin has hardly had time to become reacquainted with anyone these past months. Where did he come up with all these names?"

"He's always been friendly," Corinna said in a tone that made the statement more like a complaint than a compliment. "Consider all the young men he's managed to bring around to meet us already. My hand is hurting just thinking about writing all these invitations."

"Think about the new evening dress you're going to make him pay for instead," Juliana suggested.

Corinna grinned. "It's going to be pink. With embroidery and seed pearls."

"I sent a note to the mantua-maker this morning," Alexandra said. "She should be here in a week."

"Excellent. I can scarcely wait!" Corinna plopped onto a coral velvet chair. "What shall we say on the invitations?"

"There's proper, accepted wording, I'm certain." Alexandra pointed her quill at her youngest sister. "You've finished reading The Mirror of the Graces. What does A Lady of Distinction have to say?"

"Nothing. She is distinctly opinionless concerning invitations. She discusses dress and deportment only. We're supposed to choose the colors of our new evening apparel by candlelight, you know. For otherwise, she says, 'If in the morning, forgetful of the influence of different lights on these things, you purchase a robe of pale yellow, lilac, or rose color, you will be greatly disappointed when at night it is observed to you that your dress is either dingy, foxy, or black.'"

"Black!" Juliana laughed heartily at that. "Perhaps A Lady of Distinction is colorblind."

"A Lady of Distinction is a twit," Corinna said.

"None of this is helping with the invitations." Alexandra frowned. "Mama always knew what to write."

"She had a book with examples of correspondence," Corinna reminded her. "Remember that slim volume with the dark green cover?"

"Oh, yes!" Juliana exclaimed. "I think I saw it in the library last week."

"Will you fetch it, then, please?" Alexandra asked. "We'd best get busy writing if we're to give everyone proper notice."

"Proper," Corinna muttered as Juliana rose and left the room. She went back to her easel and dabbed a brush in blue paint. "Everything must be proper."

Less than two minutes later, Juliana returned. "I think you'd best fetch it yourself, Alexandra. It's up too high for me to reach."

Alexandra was busy adding yet another name to the list. "Use the ladder."

"The ladder is at the far end of the room." Juliana sat on the sofa and picked up her menu. "And it's dreadfully heavy."

"It has wheels." Corinna set aside her paintbrush. "Was there ever anyone more lazy? I shall fetch the book. Where in the library is it located?"