The Season (Season Series #1)

Chapter 9: Secret Invitations

The next morning, the light from the curtains opening awoke me. Rosanna stood by the window, stretching out her arms before throwing the windows open to let the birdsong in.

"It's freezing!" Emily moaned, rolling over in her bed to burrow further under the covers.

"Nonsense, it's absolutely beautiful outside!" Rosanna said, dreamily leaning her elbows on the window sill. I tumbled out of bed in my haste to check the sitting room for any messages. Emily and Rosanna both watched me stumble through the doorway and pause, looking around.

"Is something the matter?" Rosanna asked, coming to stand next to me.

"Not at all," I said, disappointed at the utter lack of neatly folded envelopes on the side table by the door.

"We shouldn't wake Ella just yet," Rosanna said, reaching around me to close the sitting room door, "We need to dress ourselves before we can dress her,"

"Of course," I muttered, turning to where Emily had installed herself at the one vanity the three of us had to share.

"I simply must do something different with my hair," she whined, holding it up in a pile on top of her head, "Did you see the way Sarah Thornbury's ladies had their hair all done up yesterday? It was positively glamorous,"

"It's not our job to look glamorous," Rosanna scolded gently. Emily shot her a dirty look in the mirror.

"Just because this isn't my Season doesn't mean I have to look like a spinster," Emily snapped. Rosanna didn't seem to hear her, already into the closet to pick out a dress.

"When do the maids normally bring messages?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant as I sat on my bed to brush out my hair. Emily looked at me in the mirror as she started to powder her face.

"Whenever there are messages to bring," she responded, adding with a sly look, "Why, are you expecting one? You know it'll take a miracle to keep you here, especially since you keep disappearing to lengthy 'fittings',"

I flushed, mortified that she was implying something scandalous yet again. After my run-in with James the night before, I'd wandered through the hallways some more to get my bearings. I discovered the hallway where I'd first met him and the prince was a lonely place between a study and a relatively unused sitting room. The study had a small fire in the central fireplace, a sign it was a room very much still in use. I tried to find the library that Princess Anne had told me about earlier that week, but I was again very nearly discovered by a maid lighting candles to keep the hallway lit as the sun started to set. I'd hurried off in the opposite direction, ducking into the first corner I could find to hide, only to discover it was really an entrance to the service corridors.

Too curious not to investigate further, I tried to navigate the service corridors back towards Ella's suite. The narrow, dim passageways seemed to run between the walls and I was fairly certain my combination of turns and tight little staircases had brought me back to the first floor of the debutantes' wing, only for me to run smack into another maid hurrying through with some dresses. She's scolded me for wandering places I shouldn't, ejecting me out into the hallway that I recognized with glee as being on the ground floor, very close to the library Princess Anne had brought me to for tea. I took note of the strategically hidden service door and vowed to further investigate the passages whenever I could sneak away again.

By that time, the dinner bell was sounding and I had to lurk in the hallway, hiding in an alcove while the debutantes all made their way to dinner. When the hallway was safely free from chatter, I crept back upstairs and into the suite, earning disapproving looks from both Emily and Rosanna for being late to our own little dinner.

"I'm expecting word from my family," I shrugged, hoping my nonchalance would mask my obvious embarrassment. Emily's little smile didn't disappear and I knew I hadn't succeeded.

"I'm thinking we should all be in blue today," Rosanna said, coming out of the closet with a stack of navy blue dresses on her arm, "Come see what I've picked out,"

She draped a lovely dress of deep blue linen with little flowers embroidered along the neckline on Emily's unmade bed, no doubt something she'd brought with her. For me, she laid out a much plainer version of the same thing. No ruffles, no lace, no embroidery, just a plain dress that looked more like something an uptight governess would wear rather than a courtier.

"I trust your fitting went well last night for they had this delivered," Rosanna asked, adding apologetically, "It was only blue one I could find in the dresses they sent you,"

"I need to go back again," I lied smoothly, hoping that I could beg something else from Audra so I could stop looking so drab.

"They certainly aren't very quick," Rosanna remarked. Emily snorted, shooting me the same sly look, obviously not buying my story about my many fittings. Turning away from her so I wouldn't blush again, I changed into the ugly linen dress. I was fastening the buttons that rose from the bodice to the exceedingly modest neckline when there was a gentle knock at the door and all three of us turned to see a maid come in with a cream envelope on a tray.

"Miss Marks-Whelan," she said, looking around to see which of us it was. I abandoned my buttons, rushing over to her with my underclothes still visible to take the envelope.

"Thank you," I said distractedly. She bobbed a curtsey and exited.

"Who is that from?" Emily demanded, rising. I ripped the blank envelope open and sat down on my bed to pull the letter out.

With hopes that your jaw is well-recovered. Meet me in the west rose garden after lunch. -J

"Who's it from?" Emily repeated, making as if to snatch it out of my hands.

"Just someone who owes me a favor," I replied, holding it away from her. Her brows creased as she tried to figure out my meaning.

"I hope you're not involving yourself in any of this ridiculous court intrigue to prove your worth," Rosanna said, "Ella will not be impressed if you embarrass her again,"

"I'm sure she won't mind this one errand," I said, slipping the letter into my bodice before doing up the last buttons. Emily looked discouraged when she watched me stow the letter away, far from her prying eyes. I followed Rosanna out as Ella's voice carried over from her room.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Emily hissed under her breath as she shoved past me to ensure she entered Ella's room before I did, "Because if you make one more wrong step, I will personally make sure she sends you home,"

The venom in her words was backed up by a frigid glare, only to be replaced by a bright smile as she entered Ella's room, chortling a good morning. I inhaled, pushing down my temper and forcing a suitable smile onto my face.