And there was Elenor Sansieri. They saw each other at the same time. Tesara felt a rush of heat in her face. For a long moment they looked at each other and then Elenor smiled a genuine smile and came over, gloved hands outstretched.
“Tesara! It’s so wonderful to see you,” she said. She was as lovely, if not lovelier, than when they were children, her fair hair and white and rose complexion like that of a porcelain doll. They clasped hands and embraced, but lightly, so lightly. Elenor was red too, but she kept her hand in Tesara’s, as if determined that she not cut her. Tesara almost felt sorry for her, she was trying so hard to be kind. “Oh, Elenor,” she said softly, and Elenor bit her lip.
“How are you? And Yvienne? And – your Mama and Papa?”
“They’re well, thank you. Yvienne will be so sorry she missed you.”
Elenor said, almost defiantly, “You both must come to tea this week then, after service. I’ll speak to Mama.” She raised her voice as if to challenge any disagreement.
“How are your Mama and Papa? And Lily and the others? Goodness, Marley must be almost grown.”
Elenor giggled, almost like the old Elenor. “If you can call a spotty twelve year-old almost grown. He thinks so, however.”
A lanky young man joined them. He glanced inquiringly at Tesara and then Elenor.
“Oh,” Elenor said a little breathless. “Jax Charvante, may I present Tesara Mederos. An old friend.”
He bowed, a lock of hair falling into his eyes, but he didn’t mouth any pleasantries. “Elenor, there is someone I would have you meet.”
Tesara couldn’t help it; she raised an eyebrow.
“Jax, you are too abrupt,” Elenor said, and the rebuke tipped Tesara off. They had an understanding. She glanced sidelong at the young man who had captured the belle of Port Saint Frey. He wore a blue uniform coat with three small medals across the left shoulder. So, he was an ensign in the Port Saint Frey navy, and clearly full of himself.
“I’ll let you be,” Tesara said, all amiability. “It was lovely to see you, Elenor.”
As Jax led her away, Elenor said over her shoulder, “This Sunday, Tesara. You and your sister.”
Jax said something to Elenor and Tesara could hear her say back, “Don’t be silly. The girls are old friends, and they’ve done nothing wrong.”
She sipped again at her sparkling wine and wandered away. The room began filling up with couples and she pretended to be absorbed in observing people, keeping a little smile on her face. A stir caught her attention, a rising hum of conversation filled with surprise and shock. Tesara turned around, but could see nothing. Curious, she followed everyone out to the main gallery.
At the entrance, having just greeted Mrs Iderci, was the cause of the attention. A large florid gentleman, resplendent in a uniform that dripped with medals (so would Jax Charvante in twenty years’ time, Tesara thought snidely), stood with the beautiful woman Tesara first saw at the Scarlantis’ gambling salon.
The mysterious creature surveyed the crowd regally, an amused smile curving her painted red lips. As before she wore paint – her eyes were almond-shaped and outlined like a cat’s. Ruby earrings draped down to her collar points.
When that strange gaze fell on Tesara, she felt heat rise from her shoulders to her temple, but she couldn’t look away. The woman recognized her and nodded with an amused smile, then turned away.
Tesara turned to the girl next to her. “Who is that?” she demanded, forgetting that she was still here on sufferance.
“Mrs Fayres,” the girl said. She was so excited to be able to tell someone something new, that she clutched Tesara’s wrist. “She’s the talk of Milias and Ravenne, and has trod the boards at the opera house in Florin. She’s ever so scandalous,” she added. She glanced at the grand couple, who were now being addressed by a crowd of elder guests, although none of the respectable families, Tesara noted. Her informant lowered her voice. “They say she’s Colonel Talios’s mistress.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
The party had grown suddenly livelier. Everyone now had something else to talk about, and in every corner there were whispers and laughter and speculation, with guests falling to a sudden silence whenever Colonel Talios and Mrs Fayres took a turn around the room. Elenor and her beau came up to Tesara, at Elenor’s instigation, she surmised, and requested that she dance with their set, and so she did. She regretted it almost immediately.
“Tesara Mederos,” said a young merchant son. “Well, look at you.”
“Amos Kerrill,” she said, frostily. He had grown tall and had filled out, but Jone was right – he had the same smirking, bullying expression that he had when they were children.
She had rather not dance with him, but just at that moment the music struck up and he took her hand. The set would be a couple short if she stood him up, so with a shudder of disgust she let herself be drawn into the figure, holding herself as far away from his as possible. At least it wasn’t a waltz as she had danced with Jone.
“So, where have you been all these years?” he said, when the dance figures brought them together. As he knew perfectly well, she could only assume that his bullying had matured along with him, which was to say,
