“Their uncle does so much work with the War Office that it would be impolitic not to,” Serena said. “Miss Harper still keeps house for him, you know. He is here somewhere … I must remind Lord Walter to speak with him before the night is over.”
“Their uncle is General Harper,” Lily added, seeing Jack’s confused expression. “Of whom I am sure you have heard.”
“General Alfred Harper?” Jack looked impressed. “Of course I’ve heard of him. The man’s a dashed hero.”
“Well, the uncle may be heroic, but I have never particularly cared for the company of his niece or nephew,” Lily said, fatigue making her words come out more sharply than she intended. She had almost forgotten how exhausting it was to be surrounded by so many strangers.
“Oh, Mr. Harper is harmless, for all his high opinion of himself,” Serena said. “I will grant that Isobel spent too much time bragging about her dowry when we were in school, but she always was embarrassed that her mother’s family was in trade, even if her father was a gentleman. In any case, you’ll find her much improved ever since her …” Serena dropped her voice. “Misfortunes. Jilted,” she added in a whisper to Jack. “Terrible scandal. Only a month before the wedding.”
“And her family did not sue for breach of contract?” Jack asked.
“It turned out that she did not have any dowry at all,” Lily said. “Suing would have reflected badly on them.”
“Now, now, Mrs. Adler, you mustn’t become one of those London gossips,” Jack said.
“I was answering your question!” Lily frowned indignantly before she realized he was teasing. “Oh, go be useful and dance with one of Lady Walter’s guests. Irritating man.”
“As you command. Perhaps I shall even manage to dance with two guests. I have a strong sense of duty toward my hostess, you know.” Jack grinned as he bowed to Serena, who sighed happily as Jack disappeared into the crush.
“How gallant navy men are,” Serena observed. “Well, as Mrs. Meredith has disappeared, whom shall I introduce to you?” Lily, overheated and tired, did not want to make conversation with strangers. She was about to tell Serena so when her friend continued blithely on. “Oh, but I think this set is about to end, which means I can finally catch a moment of Miss Oswald’s time. If you do not mind waiting while I spend a few minutes being political?”
Lily followed the direction of Serena’s lifted chin and saw a young woman in the middle of the dance floor. In the sea of mostly pale English faces, her dark skin and curly brown hair stood out. It was not unheard of, of course, for children of mixed heritage to make their way into the upper classes, but most of them were unable to enter London society unless they were like Jack, who looked as much like his English father as he did his Indian mother. “Who is she?”
“Miss Ofelia Oswald.” Lady Walter dropped her voice confidentially. “No one knows much about her, except that she has no mother to speak of, and her father was a Devonshire Oswald. He went into trade in the West Indies—” She paused. “Where young Miss Oswald is obviously from.”
“Do you know her well?” Lily watched Miss Oswald weave through the dance.
“Goodness, no. One can only imagine her to be quite vulgar. But Walter knows her father a little. She is staying the season with that dragon Mrs. Haverweight, who is some sort of aunt.” Serena eyed the dancing couples with a hostess’s critical eye. “Do you see the boy she is dancing with? That is Sir Edward Carroway, the new baronet. Who would expect to see a girl like that, whom no one in London ever heard of before three months ago, dancing with a baronet? But it seems she is fabulously wealthy. She goes absolutely everywhere, and of course no one wants to snub an Oswald. Which,” Serena added, “is why Walter charged me to be sure to speak with her this evening. You never know when a connection might prove fruitful, and she has an uncle who is quite political.”
As soon as the dance ended, Serena detached Miss Oswald from her bevy of admirers. The girl looked gratified to have been singled out by her hostess as Serena led her away from the dance floor, asking pleasantly about her evening and the interesting political uncle until they returned to where Lily was waiting. “Lily, this is Miss Oswald, who has taken London by storm. Miss Oswald, let me make you known to my dearest friend, Mrs. Adler.”
“How do you do, Mrs. Adler?” Miss Oswald’s curtsy was as elegant as her dancing. Lily thought her quite beautiful. Her brown hair, which needed no help to achieve the tight curls of current fashion, framed a face with a pert chin and wide mouth.
“Miss Oswald.” Lily inclined her head politely. She was not so many years older than the girl, and those hopeful eyes had the look of someone on the hunt for a friend. “Lady Walter tells me you are new to London. I am recently arrived myself, though a journey from Hertfordshire is not nearly as exciting as one from the West Indies.”
The girl smiled wryly. “The journey was quite an undertaking, to be sure, but the city itself does not feel so new as you might imagine. I have tried to convince Londoners that the West Indies are perfectly civilized, but they don’t seem to believe me.”
“You’ll not find me in need of convincing,” Lily said as Serena laughed. “In fact, you must tell me all about the Indies sometime, Miss Oswald. If it would not make you too homesick, of course. I imagine you must miss your family dreadfully.”
“I do miss my father. But it is hard to be homesick in such an interesting place, and everyone has been so welcoming.” Her smile took in Serena and the entire ballroom, but it looked a little forced. Lily could imagine that London, while welcoming her beautiful face and her fortune, had not treated her with absolute kindness. “I was delighted, Lady Walter, to receive your invitation for tonight.”
After a few more pleasantries—and the sought-after confirmation that yes, her political uncle would be arriving in London soon—Miss Oswald excused herself, leaving behind her aunt’s direction and a polite promise to talk about life in the West Indies with Lily “whenever Mrs. Adler might wish.” When the girl was out of sight, Serena turned raised brows on her friend. “What did you think of her?”
“I thought her charming. Really, Serena, I cannot see why you would call her vulgar.”
Serena shrugged, unabashed. “Well, one hears things. And I do think her manner is a little too eager for real style. But what can one expect of a girl raised in tropical latitudes?”
Lily raised her brows. “Were we any better when we were young?”
Lady Walter smiled as she laced her arm through her friend’s. “You were. Lord, how I envied those icy nerves of yours when we were—oh, Lady Chartres! A moment, if you will. Excuse me, Lily, I shall be back as soon as I can but might not escape for some time. Try to mingle at least a little while I am gone?” Patting Lily’s hand, Serena unlooped her arm and went to join a formidably gowned matron with a bevy of daughters in tow.
Lily hovered around the edge of the dance floor for a few minutes, uncomfortably aware of the curious glances directed her way. None of her school friends were in sight, and Jack was leading a pretty girl to the dance floor. Besides which, her feet hurt, her head was pounding from the noise and the late hour, and the air was stifling in the ballroom. Lily sighed and, giving up on following Serena’s instructions, found a door and slipped outside.