paper to write on. And when it's all over, he'll go back to his wife and have another baby."
"You're disgusting, " Victoria said to her, and Olivia felt the familiar pain in her stomach she always got when they argued. She hated fighting with her sister, and seldom did it. This was not like their innocent squabbles, or even their more serious ones, about Victoria's childish pranks and adventures. This was a death dance, and Olivia knew it.
"I won't speak to you about this again, but I want you to know that I'm here for you, always, and I love you. And I'm begging you not to see him. I know you'll do what you want, but he's dangerous, Victoria.
And Father would be very upset if he knew you had spent the evening with him. He only invited him to be polite, and you were very foolish sitting yourself next to him. You're lucky Father had his back to you and never noticed. You're playing with a lion, Victoria. You're not big enough or strong enough to win. And eventually, the lion will eat you."
"I'm not worried, " she said confidently, "we're just friends.
That's all. He's married anyway." She was trying to get Olivia off the scent, so she could have some freedom. And she didn't bother to tell her how empty their marriage was. He had even hinted to her that they had been talking about divorcing recently. It would be a terrible scandal, of course, but he said he couldn't bear to go on in a loveless marriage like this for much longer. Victoria felt desperately sorry for him. But Olivia didn't, she hated him and wanted to send him away before he destroyed her sister.
When they went to bed that night, long after three o'clock, all Olivia could think of was the mess her sister was in, and all Victoria could think of was the Astors' ball the next night, when she knew she would see him.
Chapter 4.
Olivia woke the next day to muffled sounds from downstairs, and as she lay in bed and listened to them, she remembered instantly the agonizing argument with her sister. But when she turned on her side to look at her, she saw that the other side of the bed was empty. Olivia got up quietly, combed her hair, and put her dressing gown on to see what the noises were, and then she remembered.
As soon as she got downstairs, she saw men everywhere, there were people in the garden taking down the tent, furniture being put back where it belonged, and flowers from their guests being delivered by the armful.
It was total chaos. And Mrs. Peabody and the butler were standing in the midst of it, directing traffic.
"Did you sleep well? " Bertie smiled at her, and Olivia nodded, apologizing for not having gotten up early enough to help her.
"You did a lovely job last night, my dear. You deserved a little rest this morning. I'm glad you could sleep through all this racket." Though it was difficult to imagine how, as they were making a huge amount of noise taking down the tent in the garden. "Every one says the evening was a great success. I'm sure that all of New York is talking about it today, they must be, judging by the amount of flowers we've received.
I've put most of them in the dining room for the moment." Olivia wandered into the dining room quietly, wondering where Victoria had gone, and almost the first bouquet she saw was a huge vase filled with two dozen long-stemmed red roses, but when Olivia read the card attached to it, it said only "Thank you for the most important evening of my life." It was unsigned, and then she saw that the envelope was addressed to her sister. It was far too easy to figure out who had sent it. The other arrangements all had signed cards, and were a great deal more circumspect, though possibly less pretty.
There was a lovely arrangement though, she noticed, from Charles, addressed to all three of them, thanking them for a delightful evening.
She knew that it was the first time he had gone out formally since his wife had died, and she was glad that he had had a pleasant evening.
She certainly had,
"You're disgusting, " Victoria said to her, and Olivia felt the familiar pain in her stomach she always got when they argued. She hated fighting with her sister, and seldom did it. This was not like their innocent squabbles, or even their more serious ones, about Victoria's childish pranks and adventures. This was a death dance, and Olivia knew it.
"I won't speak to you about this again, but I want you to know that I'm here for you, always, and I love you. And I'm begging you not to see him. I know you'll do what you want, but he's dangerous, Victoria.
And Father would be very upset if he knew you had spent the evening with him. He only invited him to be polite, and you were very foolish sitting yourself next to him. You're lucky Father had his back to you and never noticed. You're playing with a lion, Victoria. You're not big enough or strong enough to win. And eventually, the lion will eat you."
"I'm not worried, " she said confidently, "we're just friends.
That's all. He's married anyway." She was trying to get Olivia off the scent, so she could have some freedom. And she didn't bother to tell her how empty their marriage was. He had even hinted to her that they had been talking about divorcing recently. It would be a terrible scandal, of course, but he said he couldn't bear to go on in a loveless marriage like this for much longer. Victoria felt desperately sorry for him. But Olivia didn't, she hated him and wanted to send him away before he destroyed her sister.
When they went to bed that night, long after three o'clock, all Olivia could think of was the mess her sister was in, and all Victoria could think of was the Astors' ball the next night, when she knew she would see him.
Chapter 4.
Olivia woke the next day to muffled sounds from downstairs, and as she lay in bed and listened to them, she remembered instantly the agonizing argument with her sister. But when she turned on her side to look at her, she saw that the other side of the bed was empty. Olivia got up quietly, combed her hair, and put her dressing gown on to see what the noises were, and then she remembered.
As soon as she got downstairs, she saw men everywhere, there were people in the garden taking down the tent, furniture being put back where it belonged, and flowers from their guests being delivered by the armful.
It was total chaos. And Mrs. Peabody and the butler were standing in the midst of it, directing traffic.
"Did you sleep well? " Bertie smiled at her, and Olivia nodded, apologizing for not having gotten up early enough to help her.
"You did a lovely job last night, my dear. You deserved a little rest this morning. I'm glad you could sleep through all this racket." Though it was difficult to imagine how, as they were making a huge amount of noise taking down the tent in the garden. "Every one says the evening was a great success. I'm sure that all of New York is talking about it today, they must be, judging by the amount of flowers we've received.
I've put most of them in the dining room for the moment." Olivia wandered into the dining room quietly, wondering where Victoria had gone, and almost the first bouquet she saw was a huge vase filled with two dozen long-stemmed red roses, but when Olivia read the card attached to it, it said only "Thank you for the most important evening of my life." It was unsigned, and then she saw that the envelope was addressed to her sister. It was far too easy to figure out who had sent it. The other arrangements all had signed cards, and were a great deal more circumspect, though possibly less pretty.
There was a lovely arrangement though, she noticed, from Charles, addressed to all three of them, thanking them for a delightful evening.
She knew that it was the first time he had gone out formally since his wife had died, and she was glad that he had had a pleasant evening.
She certainly had,
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