boat onto the dock with happy exclamations. Even Mama appeared flush with excitement, with tiny beads of perspiration dotting her forehead as they faced the wonder of Vauxhall Gardens, a place she had never deigned to visit before, but at Jacob’s suggestion she’d declared the notion providential.
“This way,” Jacob directed.
When he had announced that he wanted to take them all to the pleasure gardens to celebrate Prim’s birthday, Prim had looked to Mama, ready for her objections. Prim should have known better.
Of course Mama would have forgotten her reservations about visiting Vauxhall. Or maybe it was simply that she agreed to anything the Duke of Hampstead proposed as long as he continued to court her daughter.
Jacob could have suggested that they visit a Seven Dials bordello to mark the occasion of Prim’s birthday and Mama would have likely agreed.
They all trekked up the hill to the grand stone arch entrance, their large party spilling into the Gardens, to where Prim had absconded to celebrate her birthday a year ago.
Jacob had vowed there would be no skipping Prim’s birthday this year. According to him, they would celebrate it in grand fashion this year and every year.
At his invitation, everyone had joined them. Mama and Papa. Olympia. Violet and Redding. Begonia with her family. Aster. They could not wait to see what the young duke had in store for them all.
Prim could hardly wait herself. She glanced at the faces of her family, wondering who was most excited. It was difficult to discern. Everyone looked so very pleased as they descended on the revelry of Vauxhall with the young duke for escort.
Mama had never been so agreeable. She was kind to all, reveling in the coup of her family’s connection to the Duke of Hampstead. She had even let go of her obsession to see Aster wed.
Aster appeared quite satisfied with the transformation that had come over Mama. She was perfectly content with her unattached status. She glowed as she walked closely beside Olympia this evening. The two of them had become inseparable this past year, a deep friendship blooming between them.
Olympia accidently dropped her reticule as they walked and Aster quickly retrieved it for her, returning it to her with a tender smile. Olympia blushed, her cheeks pinkening charmingly.
“Here we are,” Jacob declared as they arrived to a covered courtyard that overlooked the river.
An orchestra was set up, already playing on a dais. Several jugglers and clowns and fire-eating acrobats wove through an arrangement of linen-draped tables. A man with a large, brightly feathered bird stood at the edge, prompting the lovely creature to spout Lord Byron’s “She Walks in Beauty.”
“A parrot reciting poetry,” Papa marveled.
Mama fanned herself, her eyes agog as she no doubt quickly calculated the cost of such extravagance.
Prim’s nieces squealed in delight and rushed from Begonia’s side.
Liveried servers stood at the ready, holding trays of drink and standing beside the ornate silver service keeping their lunch warm. The aroma of enticing foods laced the air, mingling with all the many rich smells of Vauxhall.
Her brothers-in-law quickly made their way to the champagne.
“You did this for me?” she breathed, her chest swelling with what was now becoming familiar joy. Her life this last year had been fraught with one delight after another. She was free from her stifling box and never going back.
Jacob leaned close, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke. “Happy birthday, Prim.”
Lesson #1
Parties are the Perfect Hunting Ground.
x Hayden x
Hayden was having serious doubts about this party.
It was a big gathering, spilling out onto the front yard and into the cul-de-sac. The number of people on the lawn wouldn’t even fit crammed inside her small house. Big parties likes this usually got shut down because someone called the police. It would be a shame if that happened. Her hair and makeup were on point tonight. If she went home early, it was a lot of effort for nothing.
Hayden stood on the sidewalk contemplating whether it was worth going inside, watching as girls stood shivering in their skirts and strappy tops. It was January and forty-five degrees, but hypothermia clearly didn’t worry them.
High school parties (and parties in general) weren’t usually her thing, but Dorian had begged her to come.
Dorian was a guy in her health class. Coach Alvarez teamed up students for a lot of the assignments and Dorian had appointed himself her partner in all things.
They’d made out a couple times in the east stairwell. He was cute and linebacker big, even though he played