Lady Siderow’s.”
“Eh? What the devil are you talking about, Clay? Why would Wanda go to Lady Siderow’s?”
“Wanda? I was speaking of Ellie.”
“Oh, Ellie. She’ll go to London, certainly. Next year is to be her year. That was always understood. Can’t see why they didn’t take her this year. Looked very well last night. If they’d got her rigged out like that earlier, she could be getting married this year as well as Wanda.”
“She said she wouldn’t go to London.”
“She will, though. Won’t have a thing to say about it. Why’d she say she wouldn’t?”
Clay squirmed uncomfortably in the seat of the curricle and prevaricated. “She doesn’t care much for the social whirl, I believe.”
“Pooh. What’s that got to do with it? Got to go to London. How else will she make a decent match? Wanda got Hibbard. Ain’t anyone else around here except me, and I don’t mean to have her.”
“I suppose she will go when the time comes.” A soft smile curved his mouth. A frightful temper the girl had. Ripping up at him only because he had tried to compliment her. There would be some burning ears next Season, for she would come in the way of a good many compliments if he knew anything of London beaux.
Wanda and her mama sat in state in the Green Saloon, awaiting congratulatory callers. Wanda was exquisite in a white gown with a blue satin sash, a pert blue bow tucked into her coiffure. She began demurely batting her lashes and smiling smugly when Claymore offered his congratulations.
“Fortunately for me, George does not prefer blondes,” she said to him, flirting still in spite of her new status as a betrothed lady, and with the same tired old joke. The girl was incorrigible. She would never fly into the boughs and rip up at you only because you praised her a little, nor ever mistake a genuine compliment for an insult.
“Where is your sister this morning?” Clay asked.
“She has the headache,” Wanda replied, still smiling smugly. “Very odd that my becoming engaged before her should bring on the migraine,” and she laughed, showing her even little white teeth. He felt a strong desire to box her pink ears.
“Yes, particularly as it was you who had the Season in London,” he could not refrain from reminding her.
“I was only there for two weeks,” she replied angrily.
Later he overheard her say in a stage whisper to Rex that she was afraid she had hurt Claymore more than she thought, and she hoped he would soon get over it. He could barely keep his tongue between his teeth, and arose after only ten minutes, excusing himself and Rex on the pretext of their imminent departure for Bath.
Strangely enough, Ellie’s headache cleared up immediately she heard their curricle pull down the drive, in spite of her younger sister’s engagement. She joined the others in the Green Saloon.
“What hadRex to say?” Ellie asked, meaning what had Claymore to say.
“They didn’t stay above a minute,” Wanda told her. “Claymore was very blue, but trying to hide it, you know.”
“I still think you would have done better to have taken Claymore,” Mrs. Wanderley repined, for perhaps the tenth, but certainly not the last, time that day. Wanda tossed her black curls and pouted.
“He only wanted me to parade in front of Miss Golden. I do not see why I should oblige him.”
“She could not very well have taken him, Mama, when he didn’t make her an offer,” Ellie pointed out.
“Pooh! I could have had an offer any time these last days if I’d given him the least encouragement,” Wanda boasted.
“He wasn’t lacking any encouragement all week,” Ellie returned.
“Jealous.” Wanda sneered, and even stuck out her tongue, child that she was.
“Next Season you might make a push to attract him,” Mrs. Wanderley said to Ellie. “I notice he dined with you last night. Did he say anything of interest at all?”
“No, nothing of interest,” Ellie replied, so grimly that her sister was
“Eh? What the devil are you talking about, Clay? Why would Wanda go to Lady Siderow’s?”
“Wanda? I was speaking of Ellie.”
“Oh, Ellie. She’ll go to London, certainly. Next year is to be her year. That was always understood. Can’t see why they didn’t take her this year. Looked very well last night. If they’d got her rigged out like that earlier, she could be getting married this year as well as Wanda.”
“She said she wouldn’t go to London.”
“She will, though. Won’t have a thing to say about it. Why’d she say she wouldn’t?”
Clay squirmed uncomfortably in the seat of the curricle and prevaricated. “She doesn’t care much for the social whirl, I believe.”
“Pooh. What’s that got to do with it? Got to go to London. How else will she make a decent match? Wanda got Hibbard. Ain’t anyone else around here except me, and I don’t mean to have her.”
“I suppose she will go when the time comes.” A soft smile curved his mouth. A frightful temper the girl had. Ripping up at him only because he had tried to compliment her. There would be some burning ears next Season, for she would come in the way of a good many compliments if he knew anything of London beaux.
Wanda and her mama sat in state in the Green Saloon, awaiting congratulatory callers. Wanda was exquisite in a white gown with a blue satin sash, a pert blue bow tucked into her coiffure. She began demurely batting her lashes and smiling smugly when Claymore offered his congratulations.
“Fortunately for me, George does not prefer blondes,” she said to him, flirting still in spite of her new status as a betrothed lady, and with the same tired old joke. The girl was incorrigible. She would never fly into the boughs and rip up at you only because you praised her a little, nor ever mistake a genuine compliment for an insult.
“Where is your sister this morning?” Clay asked.
“She has the headache,” Wanda replied, still smiling smugly. “Very odd that my becoming engaged before her should bring on the migraine,” and she laughed, showing her even little white teeth. He felt a strong desire to box her pink ears.
“Yes, particularly as it was you who had the Season in London,” he could not refrain from reminding her.
“I was only there for two weeks,” she replied angrily.
Later he overheard her say in a stage whisper to Rex that she was afraid she had hurt Claymore more than she thought, and she hoped he would soon get over it. He could barely keep his tongue between his teeth, and arose after only ten minutes, excusing himself and Rex on the pretext of their imminent departure for Bath.
Strangely enough, Ellie’s headache cleared up immediately she heard their curricle pull down the drive, in spite of her younger sister’s engagement. She joined the others in the Green Saloon.
“What hadRex to say?” Ellie asked, meaning what had Claymore to say.
“They didn’t stay above a minute,” Wanda told her. “Claymore was very blue, but trying to hide it, you know.”
“I still think you would have done better to have taken Claymore,” Mrs. Wanderley repined, for perhaps the tenth, but certainly not the last, time that day. Wanda tossed her black curls and pouted.
“He only wanted me to parade in front of Miss Golden. I do not see why I should oblige him.”
“She could not very well have taken him, Mama, when he didn’t make her an offer,” Ellie pointed out.
“Pooh! I could have had an offer any time these last days if I’d given him the least encouragement,” Wanda boasted.
“He wasn’t lacking any encouragement all week,” Ellie returned.
“Jealous.” Wanda sneered, and even stuck out her tongue, child that she was.
“Next Season you might make a push to attract him,” Mrs. Wanderley said to Ellie. “I notice he dined with you last night. Did he say anything of interest at all?”
“No, nothing of interest,” Ellie replied, so grimly that her sister was
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