The Season (Season Series #1)

Chapter 11: Sabotage

The next day, news of the opera outing spread like wildfire not only because it was the first of the debutantes' outings outside the palace, but because the prince flouted the seating arrangement his mother had assigned.

"He insisted that Ella sit on his one side and Mary sit on the other!" Georgina whispered, as we whacked our croquet balls across the soggy rose garden lawn. We were among the few that were braving the wet grass, the other ladies spread out on blankets and carpets brought out for our picnic luncheon.

"No wonder she seemed as happy as the cat that got the cream this morning," I mused, sending my croquet ball sailing through one of the wire arches.

"Emmie is fit to be tied that she was seated in the back row," Georgina said, lifting her sodden skirts to tread over to her ball, "She said all manner of vile things about your cousin and Mary, but that's nowhere near what Ashley was saying this morning at breakfast,"

Sarah Thornbury had asked Ella to sit with her that morning as we took our breakfast with the royals once again. Rosanna and Emily had thought it was simply out of kindness now that Ella seemed to be in the prince's favour. Hearing what Georgina had to say made it now seem, at least to me, to be because Sarah wanted a closer look at the competition that was gaining steam. As a result, Georgina and her debutante Emmie had been seated with Ashley instead.

"Well Ashley certainly has a mouth on her," I said, "I suppose Ella will have to watch her step at the ball tonight in case Ashley's planning some childish prank. It wouldn't surprise me if she tried to spill wine on Ella's dress if only to get her away from the ball!"

Georgina was silent as she smacked her ball, studiously ignoring me.

"Did she tell you she was going to do that?" I asked, incredulous. When Georgina blushed, I crossed my arms.

"Georgina! Don't lie to me, did Ashley say-" I started, my voice rising.

"Shh!" she hissed, casting a wary look around, "You didn't hear it from me, but yes, she mentioned some little joke about reducing the 'competition' at the ball tonight,"

"How?" I prodded. She shrugged.

"She treated it like a joke and laughed afterwards, but I wouldn't put anything past her," she said, shrugging again before chasing after her ball. I leaned on my mallet, throwing a glance back to where Ashley was throwing her head back in a sparkling laugh as she conversed with Sarah. The queen hadn't joined us for the luncheon, which meant that it was only the debutantes and their ladies in waiting. The conversation was effervescent, echoing across the gardens as the ladies gossiped freely, no queen Isabelle around to chide them for being so loud.

"Should I spill something on Ashley as a preventative measure?" I asked, when I'd finally caught up to where Georgina was still studiously smacking her croquet ball through the course of wire loops. She snorted a laugh.

"As much as I would eat my left shoe to see Ashley's face, I think you'd best leave it be," she said, brushing some hair from her eyes, "But I would warn your cousin if I were you."

***

I tried following Georgina's advice, only to be met with a scoff from Emily.

"Well of course they'll try to sabotage her!" the little blonde snorted as she helped Ella out of her luncheon dress when we'd all returned to our rooms to prepare for the ball that night, "She's the prince's favorite!"

I didn't miss the look Ella exchanged with Emily, the two beaming at each other as they savored my cousin's apparent triumph.

"But Libby is right, we must take care now," Rosanna said, untying the dowdy sun hat she'd worn all day for fear of darkening her complexion, "We must ensure she stays in the prince's favour at all costs!"