maid arrived with tea and served it in china decorated with lavender and pink flowers blooming from sprigs of foliage.
“Her Grace did not accompany you?” Lily asked after the maid left the parlor.
Naomi shook her head. “My maid rode with me. Perhaps I ought not have come. I can see my arrival has distressed you.”
“This is just unexpected,” Isabelle explained. She exchanged looks with Lily.
“I understand,” Naomi said. “However, I came personally because I wanted to issue an invitation for you. It’s rather short notice, but I’m having a supper party on Friday, and I should like nothing more than having the both of you attend.”
Isabelle paused with her teacup halfway to her mouth. “ You are having a supper party?” she asked dubiously. It was a most unlikely suggestion.
“Well, I’m not hostessing, no,” Naomi admitted.
Isabelle carefully set her teacup into her saucer. “I cannot imagine either your mother or your brother have consented to my attendance.”
“Neither of them knows,” Naomi blurted. A shocked silence followed her daring.
Naomi squared her shoulders and plowed on, “It’s to be a small gathering of only thirty guests, both ladies and gentlemen. My Aunt Janine is acting as hostess, as Mama will be busy with the orphanage committee. Marshall has no plans to attend; he is not the least bit interested in the goings on of silly débutantes, as he calls us. The gentlemen will leave after supper. The ladies will spend the night and we’ll have a breakfast. That’s all. I’ve already written to Aunt Janine, and she agrees there is no problem with your attending, should you so choose.” Naomi brushed a strand of hair off her forehead and exhaled audibly.
Isabelle looked at Lily and barely shook her head.
“Your invitation is most gracious, Lady Naomi,” Lily started. “Unfortunately, I cannot conceive how we can possibly accept,”
“Miss Bachman,” Naomi said, drawing herself up again, as though preparing to argue once more. Isabelle had to admire the girl’s pluck. “Would you kindly excuse us for a few moments?”
Lily turned her brown eyes on Isabelle, questioning. Isabelle nodded.
When Lily had gone, Naomi sprang from her seat and began pacing the room, wringing her hands.
“Lady Naomi,” Isabelle said, concerned at the younger woman’s vexation. “is anything the matter?”
“No,” Naomi said. “Rather, yes. Something is the matter.” She stopped in front of Isabelle, who had to crane her neck back to look the girl in the eye. “Something is dreadfully wrong.”
Isabelle’s curiosity was piqued. She stood and took Naomi’s cold hands. “You’re trembling! What’s happened?”
Naomi lifted her chin. “You called me Lady Naomi.”
Isabelle blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“You must not stand on ceremony with me, Isabelle. You are — were — my sister.” Naomi spoke haltingly, a slight frown on her brow.
Isabelle bit her lip, which suddenly wanted to quiver at her former sister-in-law’s kindness. “But I’m not any longer.”
Naomi sank to the couch. Isabelle sat down beside her. “I can’t wrap my mind around the notion,” she said softly. “You became part of our family. How can you no longer be?” Her shoulders stooped slightly and lines creased her brow, as though the question weighed heavily on her mind. “You didn’t do it,” Naomi stated.
“No,” Isabelle said with a shake of her head, “I didn’t.”
Naomi glanced at her hands in her lap. “I knew it. I never believed you’d done what they said you did.”
Isabelle wanted to grab the girl into a hug for her quiet loyalty. Instead, she smiled sadly. “That doesn’t change anything, Naomi. Marshall divorced me. In the eyes of society,” she continued, “I’m an adulteress. It would be improper beyond all recall for you to have me as a guest at Marshall’s home.”
The younger girl’s face drew together in thought. “It’ll be at Bensbury, an hour
“Her Grace did not accompany you?” Lily asked after the maid left the parlor.
Naomi shook her head. “My maid rode with me. Perhaps I ought not have come. I can see my arrival has distressed you.”
“This is just unexpected,” Isabelle explained. She exchanged looks with Lily.
“I understand,” Naomi said. “However, I came personally because I wanted to issue an invitation for you. It’s rather short notice, but I’m having a supper party on Friday, and I should like nothing more than having the both of you attend.”
Isabelle paused with her teacup halfway to her mouth. “ You are having a supper party?” she asked dubiously. It was a most unlikely suggestion.
“Well, I’m not hostessing, no,” Naomi admitted.
Isabelle carefully set her teacup into her saucer. “I cannot imagine either your mother or your brother have consented to my attendance.”
“Neither of them knows,” Naomi blurted. A shocked silence followed her daring.
Naomi squared her shoulders and plowed on, “It’s to be a small gathering of only thirty guests, both ladies and gentlemen. My Aunt Janine is acting as hostess, as Mama will be busy with the orphanage committee. Marshall has no plans to attend; he is not the least bit interested in the goings on of silly débutantes, as he calls us. The gentlemen will leave after supper. The ladies will spend the night and we’ll have a breakfast. That’s all. I’ve already written to Aunt Janine, and she agrees there is no problem with your attending, should you so choose.” Naomi brushed a strand of hair off her forehead and exhaled audibly.
Isabelle looked at Lily and barely shook her head.
“Your invitation is most gracious, Lady Naomi,” Lily started. “Unfortunately, I cannot conceive how we can possibly accept,”
“Miss Bachman,” Naomi said, drawing herself up again, as though preparing to argue once more. Isabelle had to admire the girl’s pluck. “Would you kindly excuse us for a few moments?”
Lily turned her brown eyes on Isabelle, questioning. Isabelle nodded.
When Lily had gone, Naomi sprang from her seat and began pacing the room, wringing her hands.
“Lady Naomi,” Isabelle said, concerned at the younger woman’s vexation. “is anything the matter?”
“No,” Naomi said. “Rather, yes. Something is the matter.” She stopped in front of Isabelle, who had to crane her neck back to look the girl in the eye. “Something is dreadfully wrong.”
Isabelle’s curiosity was piqued. She stood and took Naomi’s cold hands. “You’re trembling! What’s happened?”
Naomi lifted her chin. “You called me Lady Naomi.”
Isabelle blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“You must not stand on ceremony with me, Isabelle. You are — were — my sister.” Naomi spoke haltingly, a slight frown on her brow.
Isabelle bit her lip, which suddenly wanted to quiver at her former sister-in-law’s kindness. “But I’m not any longer.”
Naomi sank to the couch. Isabelle sat down beside her. “I can’t wrap my mind around the notion,” she said softly. “You became part of our family. How can you no longer be?” Her shoulders stooped slightly and lines creased her brow, as though the question weighed heavily on her mind. “You didn’t do it,” Naomi stated.
“No,” Isabelle said with a shake of her head, “I didn’t.”
Naomi glanced at her hands in her lap. “I knew it. I never believed you’d done what they said you did.”
Isabelle wanted to grab the girl into a hug for her quiet loyalty. Instead, she smiled sadly. “That doesn’t change anything, Naomi. Marshall divorced me. In the eyes of society,” she continued, “I’m an adulteress. It would be improper beyond all recall for you to have me as a guest at Marshall’s home.”
The younger girl’s face drew together in thought. “It’ll be at Bensbury, an hour
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