“Of course there’s no need,” he said. “But if we are to be friends, I’d like our first outing to be one we all enjoy.”
Her smile was small, sweet, and quizzical. “And are we...to be friends?”
He bowed. “If you’ll have me.”
She laughed softly and gave a small teasing curtsy in response. “I should be honored.” She straightened. “And grateful, of course, to have a friend when we arrive at a new grand place where we do not belong.”
He couldn’t tell who she was trying to remind. Herself or him. Or maybe she wanted them both to remember.
He dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Until tomorrow then.”
Chapter 4
Rebecca fairly vibrated with excitement beside Sally. Her sister’s eager anticipation only managed to put Sally on edge. She glanced around the seemingly cavernous expanse of the drawing room, with its muffled laughter and hushed voices. Not to mention the elegant ladies and the proud, scowling gentlemen who glanced over in their direction the moment they entered.
Perhaps it wasn’t just Rebecca’s excitement that had her fidgeting with her skirts. This gown was her finest, but it was still modest and serviceable. A far cry from the silk and lace concoctions that adorned the flawless crowd of ladies before them now.
Her chin came up. She was not ashamed of who she was or where she came from, and she’d never in her life cared about the elegance of her gown.
She certainly wasn’t about to start today.
“Ah, there she is.” The earl beckoned to her from where he stood on the other side of the room and after a quick, nervous glance in Rebecca’s direction, they both headed over to where the elderly man waited.
He sized them up with one quick glance and Sally’s stomach lurched when his lips pressed together.
He’d found them lacking.
Her chin was still high as she headed toward him and the handful of men and women who surrounded him. Rather like a king at court.
“I do wish we’d had time to have new gowns made,” Rebecca whispered fretfully beside her.
Sally could only manage a murmur of agreement. Her father was far from poor, but compared to this opulent splendor around them, they might as well have come from the back alleys of London’s worst slums rather than a perfectly respectable port town.
“May I introduce Miss Sally Jones, and her sister, Miss Rebecca.” The earl went on to explain how she was Dr. Roberts’ assistant, on occasion, and how they’d been invited to attend to him while he was ill.
An older matron with a crown of blonde curls looked down her nose at Sally as though inspecting a bug under a microscope. “A gently bred young lady assisting a physician,” she sniffed. “How odd.”
All eyes were on Sally, even Rebecca’s wide eyes, and Sally fought the silly urge to look around her for Sebastian.
She was not some damsel in distress. She didn’t need a knight to come to her rescue. But he did offer friendship, and right now a friend amongst this sea of terrifying noblemen sounded awfully nice.
Her smile felt stilted and awkward beneath all the curious stares. “Our father encouraged us to study any field of interest.”
“He rather insisted on it, actually.” Rebecca’s voice held a teasing tone and more than one gentleman in the group gave a small, indulgent smile in return.
Rebecca had that effect on people. She was only one year younger than Sally but everything about her spoke of youth and innocence and something feminine and delicate that Sally would never possess.
“How curious.” This from the younger blonde woman standing next to the matron. No doubt her daughter.
A moment later, as the introductions were completed, Sally was proven correct. The matron and her daughter were Lady Gertrude and her daughter Miss Juliet Eversaw. Even Sally recognized the names and she was not one for gossip. But as Rebecca paid attention to the comings and goings of the ton, she no doubt would fill Sally in on who they were meeting and every detail of their titles and reputations the moment they were alone.
“Yes, I believe we met her father at the ball, did we not?” One of the gentlemen addressed the earl, but Sally could not miss the looks and whispers exchanged among the others.
“That ball was not...er…” Rebecca shot her a sidelong look filled with panic. “It was out of the norm, as I’m sure you’ll understand.”
A hysterical laugh caught in Sally’s throat. Out of the norm? The evening had ended with a pirate being stabbed and one of the highest ranking officers running off after being declared a smuggler.
Out of the norm was putting it mildly.
“Yes, indeed,” Lady Gertrude said as a neighboring group came to join theirs, no doubt relishing the new gossip. Gossip that came in the form of Sally and Rebecca.
Lady Gertrude sniffed and tipped her head back so she truly was staring down the length of her sizeable nose. “I recall meeting your father. It’s clear he’s a singular gentleman. But to teach you girls such useless skills seems rather cruel to me.”
Sally’s lips parted and Rebecca stiffened, but neither said anything. Defensive anger on her father’s behalf had her tongue-tied and furious. She had no doubt her cheeks were as red as Rebecca’s, though she feared her sister was suffering from mortification rather than outrage.
Even so, Sally kept her mouth shut. It would not do to cause a scene. Her father would not wish for that. And besides, one look at the older woman’s smug expression and the barely concealed delight on her daughter’s face made it clear that her outrage would only fuel their amusement. It was what they were hoping for.
Sally swallowed down a surge of outrage and fixed a placid smile on her features. “It would seem the skills our father insisted we learn have come to
