bouncing excitedly.
“Congratulations,” offered Admiral McCray, and Daniel and Josephine echoed him.
“Congratulations,” Scarlet muttered, although she couldn’t imagine what Ben had been thinking, falling in love with a thing like Cecily.
Thankfully, the butler arrived then to let them know that dinner was served, and Humphries ushered them off to the dining hall.
Scarlet hung back, and Ben did the same, but before they could say a word, Cecily turned around and beckoned Ben with her finger.
“Right. Coming,” he said, hurrying to catch up with her.
“Right,” Scarlet said. “Coming.” She waited a moment longer, to see if the floor might still split open and swallow her.
When it didn’t, she gave in and followed.
The table was enormous, draped with a spotless white cloth, set with white dinner plates, and decorated with white flowers. Scarlet took her seat, certain she was going to spill something. Something red. Something that could never be removed.
Don’t think. Just do,
she told herself, remembering Jem’s advice.
Just act like everything’s normal. It’ll all be over soon.
Unfortunately, Ben took a seat right across from her, and Cecily took the one beside him. “What a lovely party we’ll be,” she remarked.
“Lovely,” Josephine agreed, slipping into the chair next to Scarlet.
Don’t think. Just do.
When the first course arrived (a rich red soup, of course), Scarlet went to pick up her spoon, only to find that there were not one, not two, but
three
spoons laid out before her, each a slightly different size. She looked around, wondering if the servants had made a mistake and given her
everyone’s
spoon. But no, every single place had three.
Blimey,
she thought. After studying each one, she picked up the medium-size spoon.
A bony elbow landed in her ribs, and she stole a glance at Josephine, who looked as if Scarlet had unknowingly picked up a snake.
All right, then.
Scarlet dropped the medium-size spoon and moved her hand toward the small one, but Josephine shook her head. That obviously wasn’t right, either. Scarlet pulled back, hand hovering over the large one, and Josephine relaxed.
Scarlet picked up the large spoon, making a mental note to explain to her cousin that in the tropics, spoons usually only came in one size.
“Josephine, my father tells me you attend a finefinishing school back in the Old World,” Cecily spoke up. “And Scarlet, you’re at boarding school here in the tropics?”
Scarlet nodded, then realized that there couldn’t be
that
many schools in the tropics. Cecily might well have gone to one. “Um, yes. Did you?”
Cecily shook her head. “I completed my schooling back in the Old World, then joined my mother and father here once I was finished.”
Scarlet sighed with relief. “Oh. That’s good. I mean… you must have… a good education.” She sunk her spoon in her soup, concentrating hard on not spilling.
Cecily nodded. “Schools in the Old World are far superior. They teach
real
manners.”
Scarlet paused with her spoon halfway to her mouth. Had Cecily just insulted her?
Ben cleared his throat. “Do you have a favorite class, Josephine?” he asked.
“Etiquette,” Josephine replied, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a cloth. “It’s just
so
important.”
Cecily nodded. “I agree. I don’t suppose they teach etiquette at your school, Scarlet?”
Scarlet set her spoon down, bristling on behalf of her nonexistent school.
Why, you lily-livered…
she thought, then replied, too sweetly, “Of course we do. But we also know it’s not the only course that matters.”
“How fascinating it must be,” Josephine cut in, her voice a bit too loud. “To live on a plantation. We were discussing it in the carriage. It just sounds… very interesting,” she finished, giving Scarlet a nervous glance.
“That’s right,” said Scarlet, staring Cecily square in the eye. “We were wondering about your laborers. Maybe you could
“Congratulations,” offered Admiral McCray, and Daniel and Josephine echoed him.
“Congratulations,” Scarlet muttered, although she couldn’t imagine what Ben had been thinking, falling in love with a thing like Cecily.
Thankfully, the butler arrived then to let them know that dinner was served, and Humphries ushered them off to the dining hall.
Scarlet hung back, and Ben did the same, but before they could say a word, Cecily turned around and beckoned Ben with her finger.
“Right. Coming,” he said, hurrying to catch up with her.
“Right,” Scarlet said. “Coming.” She waited a moment longer, to see if the floor might still split open and swallow her.
When it didn’t, she gave in and followed.
The table was enormous, draped with a spotless white cloth, set with white dinner plates, and decorated with white flowers. Scarlet took her seat, certain she was going to spill something. Something red. Something that could never be removed.
Don’t think. Just do,
she told herself, remembering Jem’s advice.
Just act like everything’s normal. It’ll all be over soon.
Unfortunately, Ben took a seat right across from her, and Cecily took the one beside him. “What a lovely party we’ll be,” she remarked.
“Lovely,” Josephine agreed, slipping into the chair next to Scarlet.
Don’t think. Just do.
When the first course arrived (a rich red soup, of course), Scarlet went to pick up her spoon, only to find that there were not one, not two, but
three
spoons laid out before her, each a slightly different size. She looked around, wondering if the servants had made a mistake and given her
everyone’s
spoon. But no, every single place had three.
Blimey,
she thought. After studying each one, she picked up the medium-size spoon.
A bony elbow landed in her ribs, and she stole a glance at Josephine, who looked as if Scarlet had unknowingly picked up a snake.
All right, then.
Scarlet dropped the medium-size spoon and moved her hand toward the small one, but Josephine shook her head. That obviously wasn’t right, either. Scarlet pulled back, hand hovering over the large one, and Josephine relaxed.
Scarlet picked up the large spoon, making a mental note to explain to her cousin that in the tropics, spoons usually only came in one size.
“Josephine, my father tells me you attend a finefinishing school back in the Old World,” Cecily spoke up. “And Scarlet, you’re at boarding school here in the tropics?”
Scarlet nodded, then realized that there couldn’t be
that
many schools in the tropics. Cecily might well have gone to one. “Um, yes. Did you?”
Cecily shook her head. “I completed my schooling back in the Old World, then joined my mother and father here once I was finished.”
Scarlet sighed with relief. “Oh. That’s good. I mean… you must have… a good education.” She sunk her spoon in her soup, concentrating hard on not spilling.
Cecily nodded. “Schools in the Old World are far superior. They teach
real
manners.”
Scarlet paused with her spoon halfway to her mouth. Had Cecily just insulted her?
Ben cleared his throat. “Do you have a favorite class, Josephine?” he asked.
“Etiquette,” Josephine replied, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a cloth. “It’s just
so
important.”
Cecily nodded. “I agree. I don’t suppose they teach etiquette at your school, Scarlet?”
Scarlet set her spoon down, bristling on behalf of her nonexistent school.
Why, you lily-livered…
she thought, then replied, too sweetly, “Of course we do. But we also know it’s not the only course that matters.”
“How fascinating it must be,” Josephine cut in, her voice a bit too loud. “To live on a plantation. We were discussing it in the carriage. It just sounds… very interesting,” she finished, giving Scarlet a nervous glance.
“That’s right,” said Scarlet, staring Cecily square in the eye. “We were wondering about your laborers. Maybe you could
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