the sidewalk in front of their Fifth Avenue mansion. “It was hardly my fault that gentleman dashed in front of me and almost caused me to run him over. Why, if I wasn’t so proficient with the reins, he would have suffered a horrible fate.”
“The only reason we were able to miss him was because another gentleman, one, I might add, who seemed quite elderly, hobbled to his aid and pushed him out of the way.”
Gloria ignored that statement as she looked past Arabella and grinned. “Oh, lovely, my dear friend has come to call.”
Arabella turned. A lady about her mother’s age was striding their way, with a beautiful younger lady by her side. Theyounger lady was gowned in the first state of fashion and had an air about her that sizzled with barely suppressed energy.
“Cora, what a delightful surprise,” Gloria said as she gave the woman a hug, then did the same to the younger lady. “Agatha, you’re looking as lovely as ever. Come, I’ve been dying to introduce you to my daughter.” She pulled the two ladies over to Arabella. “Arabella, this is my very good friend, Cora Watson, and her daughter, Agatha.”
Cora beamed at Arabella. “We’re not here for long, since everyone does need to get ready for the dinner party, but I just had to make certain you returned home safely.”
“That was very kind of you, Mrs. Watson,” Arabella said.
Mrs. Watson’s eyes twinkled as she lowered her voice. “If you must know, I had planned on going with your mother to greet you at the station, but then . . .” She gestured with her head toward the phaeton and shuddered.
Arabella swallowed a laugh. “I do believe that might have been the reasoning behind my own father not making the journey to welcome me home.”
“I am standing right here,” Gloria muttered before she turned to Agatha. “Tell me, dear, is that why you accompanied your mother? Were you afraid I’d done Arabella in with my driving?”
“Not at all,” Agatha said. “I simply came to make certain Arabella had not suffered overly much from her forced time in Theodore’s company.”
She and Agatha Watson were destined to become great friends.
“Theodore is a charming gentleman, Agatha,” Cora said, “and eligible.”
“Theodore is only charming with ladies who do not challenge him, Mother, and you of all people should know Theodore is the last man I’d ever consider as a future mate.” Agatha reached out, grabbed hold of Arabella’s hand, and gave it agood pat. “I said from the very beginning that it was madness to send Theodore after you. You’re known for your independent ways, and putting you and Theodore in direct contact with each other was a certain recipe for disaster.”
“He can be difficult at times,” Arabella agreed with a smile, “and I did, upon occasion, long to throttle the gentleman.” Her smile widened. “I must say I’m delighted to finally make your acquaintance, Miss Watson. Theodore mentioned you frequently, and any lady who has the ability to confound that gentleman with her progressive ways is a lady after my own heart.”
Agatha’s smile dimmed. “Miss Beckett, we’ve met before at a rally.”
“Have we really?”
Agatha heaved a dramatic sigh. “Why is it that no one in your family ever remembers me? Zayne thought I was fresh out of the schoolroom when we ran into each other a few months back, and then I encountered your mother in Central Park and she didn’t recall meeting me, and now . . . you.”
“I can assure you that Arabella will never forget you again, dear. As for Zayne, well . . .” Gloria glanced at Cora. They exchanged a strange look and then, without speaking another word, spun on their heels and marched up to and into the house, closing the door behind them with a resounding thud.
“What was that about?” Arabella asked.
“They’re plotting,” Agatha replied. “They’re always plotting these days.” She took Arabella’s arm and began to stroll toward the
“The only reason we were able to miss him was because another gentleman, one, I might add, who seemed quite elderly, hobbled to his aid and pushed him out of the way.”
Gloria ignored that statement as she looked past Arabella and grinned. “Oh, lovely, my dear friend has come to call.”
Arabella turned. A lady about her mother’s age was striding their way, with a beautiful younger lady by her side. Theyounger lady was gowned in the first state of fashion and had an air about her that sizzled with barely suppressed energy.
“Cora, what a delightful surprise,” Gloria said as she gave the woman a hug, then did the same to the younger lady. “Agatha, you’re looking as lovely as ever. Come, I’ve been dying to introduce you to my daughter.” She pulled the two ladies over to Arabella. “Arabella, this is my very good friend, Cora Watson, and her daughter, Agatha.”
Cora beamed at Arabella. “We’re not here for long, since everyone does need to get ready for the dinner party, but I just had to make certain you returned home safely.”
“That was very kind of you, Mrs. Watson,” Arabella said.
Mrs. Watson’s eyes twinkled as she lowered her voice. “If you must know, I had planned on going with your mother to greet you at the station, but then . . .” She gestured with her head toward the phaeton and shuddered.
Arabella swallowed a laugh. “I do believe that might have been the reasoning behind my own father not making the journey to welcome me home.”
“I am standing right here,” Gloria muttered before she turned to Agatha. “Tell me, dear, is that why you accompanied your mother? Were you afraid I’d done Arabella in with my driving?”
“Not at all,” Agatha said. “I simply came to make certain Arabella had not suffered overly much from her forced time in Theodore’s company.”
She and Agatha Watson were destined to become great friends.
“Theodore is a charming gentleman, Agatha,” Cora said, “and eligible.”
“Theodore is only charming with ladies who do not challenge him, Mother, and you of all people should know Theodore is the last man I’d ever consider as a future mate.” Agatha reached out, grabbed hold of Arabella’s hand, and gave it agood pat. “I said from the very beginning that it was madness to send Theodore after you. You’re known for your independent ways, and putting you and Theodore in direct contact with each other was a certain recipe for disaster.”
“He can be difficult at times,” Arabella agreed with a smile, “and I did, upon occasion, long to throttle the gentleman.” Her smile widened. “I must say I’m delighted to finally make your acquaintance, Miss Watson. Theodore mentioned you frequently, and any lady who has the ability to confound that gentleman with her progressive ways is a lady after my own heart.”
Agatha’s smile dimmed. “Miss Beckett, we’ve met before at a rally.”
“Have we really?”
Agatha heaved a dramatic sigh. “Why is it that no one in your family ever remembers me? Zayne thought I was fresh out of the schoolroom when we ran into each other a few months back, and then I encountered your mother in Central Park and she didn’t recall meeting me, and now . . . you.”
“I can assure you that Arabella will never forget you again, dear. As for Zayne, well . . .” Gloria glanced at Cora. They exchanged a strange look and then, without speaking another word, spun on their heels and marched up to and into the house, closing the door behind them with a resounding thud.
“What was that about?” Arabella asked.
“They’re plotting,” Agatha replied. “They’re always plotting these days.” She took Arabella’s arm and began to stroll toward the
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