“Mr. Turner, you are going to be the most envied man in the room, walking in with Lady Elizabeth on your arm.” Elizabeth’s eyes followed Miss Loxley’s hand as it reached out and landed on Oliver’s forearm. “I predict she is going to be the Diamond of the Season. And my predictions are never wrong.”
“When is Turner not the most envied man in the room?” said Carver from behind them.
Vienna laughed, a lovely, soft, fluttering sound. “Quite right. Such a flirt!” She tossed a saucy look at Oliver that peeved Elizabeth. Her feelings toward Vienna were shifting rapidly, and they were beginning to smell terribly of jealousy. “Lord Kensworth, I almost feel as though I’m seeing a ghost. How many years has it been since you’ve been out in Society?”
Elizabeth felt Oliver’s arm stiffen at the exact moment that she did. Elizabeth and her family knew to the day how long it had been since Carver had become something of a recluse. His fiancée had died a little over three years ago, and for those three years, her brother had felt lost to all of them. It wasn’t until Rose had come along and helped Carver heal that he had been able to surface from his grief.
“It’s been too long,” Carver said. It was enough. He looked down to Rose with a look of deep adoration--a look Elizabeth very much wished that Oliver would give her. “Miss Loxley, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Lady Rose Kensworth. Love, this is the famous Miss Vienna Loxley, Mary’s closest friend.”
Vienna laughed again. “I doubt Lord Hatley would appreciate me still holding that title, but I do love Mary dearly, so I shall claim it proudly. Lady Kensworth, welcome to my absurd home! I hope you find it…amusing.” Shocked by those words, Elizabeth looked at Miss Loxley to judge her meaning. But she looked neither sarcastic or self-deprecating. Instead, she looked rather pleased and joyful.
“I can honestly say I’m pleased to be here,” said Rose with a curtsy, looking at ease and confident, as always. “I have heard endless tales from your parties. I am extremely intrigued about what entertainment we may encounter this evening.”
Vienna smiled a little wickedly. “All I will say is, you will not be disappointed.”
Just then, the butler opened the front door again and a new line of guests gathered behind them. Vienna excused herself to welcome the newcomers. The four of them moved into the expansive drawing room, and Elizabeth watched with dismay as Carver and Rose were almost immediately pounced on by those already assembled. Would she be next? She didn’t feel ready. Her legs felt weak and she feared she looked ridiculous in her brightly colored gown.
Oliver must have sensed her nerves because he guided them toward the edge of the room, farthest away from the other guests. Part of her hated that he knew how she felt before she expressed it. Actually, all of her hated it. It was annoying for him to be so in tune with her and yet to not have more tender feelings toward her. It made not loving him anymore all but impossible.
“What do you think so far?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“A little stunned. Does Miss Loxley know her decor is ridiculous?”
Oliver
chuckled a little and retrieved two glasses of champagne from a tray as a footman passed. He handed one to Elizabeth and she eyed it, realizing she had never tried champagne before. Wine, yes. Although, if she was being honest, she didn’t much care for its bitter flavor. This drink, however, looked light, airy, and promising.
“Would it surprise you to know Miss Loxley had this whole house designed with only the intention of making her guests laugh?” Elizabeth watched Oliver put the champagne flute to his lips and take a sip. Never had she envied glassware before.
She forced her mind back to Vienna Loxley. “Actually, it does not surprise me in the least. She seems like a fun sort of person, and so confident.” She eyed Oliver, searching his face for any signs that he harbored feelings for their beautiful and eccentric hostess. Not that she had any right to care about such things. Oliver was her friend. Nothing more. Heavens, she was growing weary of having to constantly remind herself of that fact. The sooner she could find someone else to distract her mind, the better.
Elizabeth took a tentative sip of the bubbling drink and was surprised to find that she liked it. She liked it quite a lot, in fact.
“She does give that impression. But when you look closer, you’ll see something different,” said Oliver.
“What do you mean? You do not find Miss Loxley to be confident?”
He shrugged and took another sip of champagne. “She will try her best to convince you that she is. But in my experience, sometimes confidence can simply be a mask—something to hide behind so others can’t hurt you.” His eyes locked with hers and Elizabeth suddenly felt like maybe they weren’t talking about Vienna anymore. Oliver was the epitome of confidence. His manners were engaging, his whole person was beyond attractive, and Elizabeth was certain Oliver could flirt with a fern and make it blush. But she also knew the parts of him he kept hidden—his deepest injuries. She had always assumed his personality was a product of overcoming his childhood hurts. Never, until that moment, had she considered it could be his mask.
This, however, was not the place to engage Oliver in a deep discussion.
She raised her glass to her lips again, casting her eyes out on the quickly filling room. “This is an annual party that Vienna hosts, is it not?” She took another sip, realizing for the first time that the walls were pink. Actually—everything in the room was pink. The curtains, the settee, the rugs. Had there ever been a more absurd room?
“Yes. She’s been hosting it since she inherited her fortune from her uncle several years ago. You must count yourself lucky. It is ridiculously difficult to secure an invitation to one of her parties.”
“More difficult than procuring a voucher to Almacks?”
Oliver chuckled. “Exceedingly. In fact, Lady Jersey and her whole set have never once been able to garner invitations to Miss Loxley's. It’s rumored that she’s been so ill about it that she’s tried to have the Watch shut it down for several years now.”
Elizabeth laughed, feeling a little lighter with every sip of her new favorite drink. “And what is it that makes this party so fantastic?”
Oliver’s eyes filled with amusement. “The entertainment. She converts her ballroom into a staged theater for the occasion.” Elizabeth’s excitement grew at the eagerness in Oliver’s voice. “Every year, Vienna hires some sort of entertainment, but manages to keep it completely under wraps until it is revealed the night of the party. One year, Lord Byron performed a reading of one of his poems that scandalized the entire room. The next year, Vienna somehow arranged for an exclusive bout between two prizefighters. No less than five ladies fainted dead away at the sight of so much blood.” Elizabeth could easily imagine it. Mary was always saying the ladies of the ton adored fainting. It made them interesting, apparently.
“Last year’s party,” continued Oliver, “was much less bloody, but certainly no less shocking. Beau Brummel himself walked onto the stage in his underclothes and proceeded through his dressing routine, step-by-step with his valet, for the next three hours. Gentlemen all through the crowd requested pencils and notepads to record the way he tied his cravat.” He chuckled. “At least three ladies fainted that night as well.”
Elizabeth laughed, feeling a bit lighter and more at ease. As much as she adored the country, it was wonderful to finally be in Town sharing this moment with Oliver. Her nerves calmed a trifle, and her trepidation receded a touch. For once, Elizabeth hadn't been left behind. She wouldn’t have to hear the tales second-hand from Oliver when he came to stay for the summer. She was here, experiencing the eccentrics of London with him—her best friend, the man she loved.
Elizabeth stared at Oliver with her lips poised against her champagne glass. If only she possessed a bit of Rose’s confidence, perhaps she would be able to tell Oliver how she felt about him. Risk everything and declare her love. She wasn’t sure how she could feel so bold when it came to climbing out of windows, but act like complete mush when it came to sharing her heart. Because at that moment, wearing the brightest color gown she had ever worn, and standing amidst an event that she felt like she was sneaking out of the nursery to attend, she didn’t feel at all confident.