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delighted to see her.
    “Were you telling Julia about the Drummonds’ reception? Oh, I do hope I have not missed too much. Do go on.”
    Hester tossed aside her pelisse and sat down, eager to be regaled. Antonia glanced at Julia, whose expression conveyed that she should do as she was told, leaving the announcement of Carey’s latest betrothal to her. Antonia guessed that Julia wished to tell Hester that news in private and to instruct her not to spread it all over town, as she had cheerfully done with Carey’s previous entanglements, not always to Carey’s benefit. Hester could become mulish if Julia told her what to do in front of anyone else, family or no, and agreed that it was better to leave this discussion to the two ladies to conduct in private.
    “Only if you tell me about Lady Jersey’s ridotto,” Antonia said. “I daresay you chose the more entertaining event to grace with your presence, for indeed, the talk at the Drummonds’ was boringly political, and Lord Elgin did not even deign to appear.”
    She gave the ladies a catalogue of the persons who had attended the reception, as well as a description of the ladies’ gowns, the decoration of the house, and the drawings of the marbles on display in the upper gallery.
    At this point, as Antonia had guessed, Hester lost interest in the reception and plunged into a lively description of the ridotto, particularly of all the handsome young gentlemen and charming young ladies who had been present. Hester had a knack of knowing even before the persons involved did themselves which lady would make a match with which gentleman, and while she rarely took an active part in bringing about a match herself, she delighted in watching love’s progress across the London social scene.
    She waited until Hester came to a breathless pause in her narrative before rising and saying she must be off.
    “May I drive you somewhere, Aunt Hester? I have no other urgent business.”
    Julia accepted this assessment of her niece’s visit at face value, and Antonia knew then that Elena would find an ally in her. She smiled thankfully at Julia.
    “Oh, thank you, dear,” Hester gushed. “I should like to go first to Hatchard’s to reserve Miss Austen’s new book. It is called Emma , and I am told that I will quite sympathize with the heroine, but it is quite impossible to obtain a copy from the lending library, so I will have to pay my guinea if I am to read it before it is quite out of fashion….”
    Chattering happily in this fashion, Miss Coverley allowed Lady Kedrington to take her up in her carriage and deposit her in Piccadilly, although she could not persuade dear Antonia to accompany her into Hatchard’s and waved good-bye with regret.
    * * * *
    “I hope she will forgive me for keeping the news about Carey and Elena from her,” Antonia said to her husband that night, after he had come into her room and slipped between the covers with her. “I had no earthly excuse for doing so, except that Julia seemed to wish it.”
    “Hester never holds a grudge,” Duncan said, blowing out the candle beside the bed. He had listened patiently, as he did every night, to Antonia’s recounting of her day’s activities, but she knew his signal when he had had enough. And in truth, she was fatigued as well, having spent the time since parting from Hester in ordering provisions for the dinner party for Elena and Carey and in being fitted for a new gown to wear at it.
    She persisted a little longer nonetheless. “Have you given any further thought to Elena’s odd reaction to that drawing last night?” she asked.
    “I expect the mystery will clear itself up one day—if we put our minds to other matters in the meanwhile.”
    “Excellent advice. I shall put my mind to planning our dinner party to announce Carey’s engagement.”
    “Is this the event which was formerly a soirée?”
    “Oh, what does it matter what it is called. It will take place in the evening and there will be food.