The Price of Forgetting

Chapter 21

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lily asked skeptically. "You can still escape."

"I'm sure. They can't be that bad." Lily had been such a good friend and so supportive, I wanted to offer some kind of support in return. Maybe my presence wouldn't make much difference, but I knew she wasn't looking forward to this visit, so at least she wouldn't have to do it on her own.

Lily frowned. "Maybe they'll be a little more subdued with a new face."

"You're not scaring Ella off, are you?" Cecily appeared between us as we stood together in the sitting room.

"I'm only being honest. She has no idea what vultures these people can be."

Cecily fought a smile and turned to me. "That may be a tad dramatic, but you don't have to stay for this visit if you don't want to."

I grinned. Cecily was rarely ever anything but complementary and optimistic. It was amusing to see her side, even slightly, with Lily's negative opinion.

"If you don't like them, why were they invited?" I asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Propriety."

"Sometimes there really isn't much choice," Cecily agreed. "Nevertheless, we've hosted all sorts of people before. It may not be pleasant, but it won't last forever." She eyed Lily. "I hope I can trust you to remain civil."

Lily put a hand to her throat and feigned outrage. "Why am I the only one getting the talk? Why not Ella?"

Cecily laughed. "Ella wouldn't know the first thing about being rude."

I felt my face warm a little and Lily smirked. "True. We really should work on that."

"Don't even think about it," Cecily warned. "Now, let's sit and find another topic before we're overheard."

When Mrs. Eliza Hadleigh and her daughters, Agatha and Sylvia arrived, I realized just how serene the house generally was. There wasn't typically a shortage of conversation or other noises, but these women were just so...loud. Everything from their fashion choices to their volume to their personalities, just seemed to scream 'look at me!'.

It was mainly Mrs. Hadleigh who dominated things. From the moment she set her sequined foot in the room, it was one complaint after another and one bit of gossip after another. And of course, even if you could look away from the generously embellished fuscia dress, her tone didn't allow you to tune her out.

I understood Lily's warning now, but rather than dying for an escape, I was finding the ridiculousness of it all to be funny. If nothing else, this visit was pretty entertaining.

"...and you know how difficult it is to find servants who won't advertise your personal business to anyone who will listen," she complained, looking harassed.

Cecily was composed as ever, but I saw the amusement in her eye. No doubt, she had the same thought I did - that Mrs. Hadleigh's grievance was ironic given the amount of time she devoted to gossip herself.

"Ella, dear, where did you get that charming necklace?" Sylvia spoke up, startling me a little.

Automatically, I touched a hand to the silver heart I wore. I noticed Lily cast a skeptical glance at Sylvia and I guessed it had something to do with the fact that my necklace was simple and so much less expensive than the other pieces of jewelry in the room. I appreciated Lily's offence on my behalf, but I didn't care what Sylvia or anyone else thought. I loved my necklace and I thought it was pretty.

"My papa gave it to me," I said proudly. Of course I didn't remember that, but Matthew told me it had been a birthday present a few years ago.

"How very sweet," she said and I chose to ignore the condescending tone.