Living London - By Kristin Vayden Page 0,17
I moved on through the foyer and into a hallway. My jaw slackened at the opulence displayed. Hothouse roses poured over the furniture, set off by millions of candles that seemed to make the roses' scent thicker, more heady. Gilded mirrors hung, shimmering with reflections as I passed, and I could hear the faint song of a string quartet. The whole scene was surreal, beautiful, and distracting enough that I forgot to be nervous.
"Your name, miss?" a liveried footman asked as I entered the ballroom.
I turned his direction for only a second to give him my name, then went back to taking in the glittering display in front of me. I could easily be a wallflower and just find a corner and stare — at the people, the paintings, the decorations, and the grand stature of it all.
The women milled about like walking Grecian statues with their flowing dresses, similar to mine, but all unique. The men mostly wore black suit coats with stiff white collars that looked uncomfortable but really — well, dashing. As my name was announced, the room went still, and the eyes of each person fixed on me.
Never being the one who wanted the spotlight, I tried to hold my head high and pretend it didn't bother me, regardless of how I wanted to run and hide, anywhere. Remembering my crash course with Libby, I pulled up my ears, straightened my back, and smiled, hoping no one noticed how my mouth trembled. Walking over to a group of older women I decided to try and blend in.
"Miss Westin! How shocking to see you here!" a grandmotherly woman remarked. Her eyes squinted as if she couldn't see very clearly. Her face was made unnaturally white by some sort of powder.
"Yes, well, one can never let mishaps get the best of us," I remarked, hoping it was the right thing to say. Mrs. Trimbleton had given me a few pointers as she'd walked me to the carriage earlier.
"Now, lovey, listen carefully. The ton, they can smell fear. If you're uncertain about your position, they'll pounce quickly. When in doubt, act indifferent. You'll appear uninterested rather than confused. If you pretend you are confident, they'll believe it. And finally, this is the most important. Never, ever find yourself alone with any gentleman, even if he is older than Methuselah himself." She had spoken with strict authority.
I did my best to follow her wise advice. My attention was drawn back as the woman studied me. After a thorough perusal, she nodded her head in approval. "Glad to see the spirit in you. We'll see you soon at Almack's, I expect."
Trying to hide my shock at her implication, I decided to smile and pretend confidence. "Of course!"
Nodding, she turned her attention to another woman, dismissing me. Not wanting to appear rude or needy, I walked away toward a group of young women about my age.
"Miss Westin!" A girl walked up to me quickly, reaching out to grasp my gloved hand. "How are you? We heard about the park and were so concerned."
Her eyes were cold and calculating, watching my every expression as if searching for a weakness to exploit. Fantastic. Just the type of person I wanted to converse with tonight. Girls are girls, no matter what era you live in. Nothing new here. "Thank you for your concern. I seem to be doing much better," I replied, keeping my voice cool.
The girl tilted her head, studying me again before turning to her sidekick. "Elaina, are you sure you heard correctly?" she challenged the girl, right in front of me no less.
"Of course, Arynna. My information came from the source." Her eyebrows punctuated her words, and I realized they were playing a game of cat and mouse. I'm not up for this.
Turning toward me again, Arynna and Elaina — oh honestly, they even have rhyming names — crossed their arms and mirrored a pose I'd seen far too many times in high school. "So, do you remember anything?" Arynna asked.
Straight to the point. Fantastic. I was against lying, but I didn't want to give the sharks any blood in the water. Just as I took a breath to give a vague reply, a hand touched my shoulder.
"Jocelyn! I've been looking everywhere for you! There's someone you must meet. Please excuse us." Not waiting for a reply, the woman pulled me away from the sharks. "I got here just in time, I see. What were you thinking, talking with them? You must