Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"How do I look?" Diana asked, smoothing the front of her dress.

For her cousin's birthday, Diana had picked out a lilac and lace dress that her mother had bought her years ago. To her merriment, it still fit. She didn't often have a reason to get that dressed up. Anna came over and tucked a stray strand of hair back in place.

"You look ready," Anna said. "What about me?"

Diana looked her up and down with a close eye. "Just about perfect," she answered.

It had taken them well over an hour to get ready for the event. Diana was just eager to have it over with. There had been countless arguments over the details of it all, and the stress overwhelmed Diana.

"This entire party is outrageous," Diana complained. "The cost alone is something to be embarrassed about. I don't think I've ever seen a birthday be quite so expensive."

"Never mind the guest list," Anna added. "I caught a glimpse of it. It seems almost never-ending. How many people are expected exactly?"

Diana did her best not to roll her eyes. "I don't know," she answered. "I asked so many times for the details but could never get a clear answer from anybody. I eventually just got tired of it all."

"My parents are pleased with the invitation," Anna said. "It's good for them to get out of the house every once in a while. Hopefully, it will take their attention off me for a short while."

Diana checked her appearance in the mirror one last time. She liked the woman she saw there. The lilac brightened her. Gold earrings in the shape of stars flickered as she moved. It wasn't often that she saw herself that way.

She didn't dare look too long, though. That would only make her self-conscious.

"I suppose we can't delay it forever," Diana said. "We better join the party. If I miss Jane's big entrance, I will never be forgiven."

Anna checked her reflection one last time and nodded. "After you," she said with a laugh.

They could hear the party from down the hall as they approached the ballroom. It was no longer the peaceful home that Diana was used to.

"So many people," Anna whispered as if to read her mind. "I've never seen this many people at your house before."

"That's because it has never happened before," Diana responded. "My parents would never have had such a great party."

"They sure did know how to host a dinner, though," Anna said with a chuckle. "My parents still talk about it. They miss those days."

Diana smiled as she recalled the laughter and joy of the dinner parties. The house was so different then. She pushed the thought from her mind, though, as not to sour her mood entirely.

"This is quite the party, I must admit," Anna teased. "It's a little extravagant, don't you agree?"

"I've been saying that all along," Diana teased back. "But I eventually got tired of the arguing."

The two women made it just in time for the party. Inside the ballroom was a large crowd, all waiting eagerly for the dancing to start. The chatter was loud and constant as Diana and Anna made their way to a far corner and helped themselves to some refreshments.

Just then, the music signalled Jane's arrival, and the crowd turned to face the door in full attention.

"Here comes the big entrance," Diana said with an amused smile.

Jane swept into the ballroom wearing a gold dress with rubies hanging on her ears. Her necklace was also laced with rubies, and there were jewels in her hair. Those were expenses that Diana hadn't known she'd paid for.

The crowd murmured about her beauty and her age as she entered the room gracefully. Jane smiled brightly as if she was precisely where she belonged. Diana's aunt and uncle followed closely behind with practiced smiles.

Once the entrance was made and the crowd had welcomed their hosts, the music changed, and the dancing could begin. Diana looked around at the people in the room.

"I don't know any of these people," she said quietly. "I don't think I've ever seen any of them in my life."

"I know a few of them, but not personally," Anna answered. "Had I known these were the people on the guest list, I might have bought a new dress for the occasion."

"What do you mean by that?" Diana pressed.

"These are all members of the ton," Anna said quietly.

That explained why Diana didn't know any of them. She had never been a member of the peerage, and so they were never in the same circles. Not that Diana had ever made an effort to. Those kinds of things didn't bother her all that much.

Diana never had a season. Her parents weren't big socialites. They kept to themselves, and the most important thing to them was that Diana felt prepared for the world and life. She tried to imagine what her father might have said if he had seen such a party being held in his house.

He would have thought it was feeble and pointless. Her father had always told her that a person's value did not come from the weight of their pockets but rather from the kind of person they were.

Some of the richest men in the world had also been some of the cruellest. He had pushed that reminder onto her. She appreciated him for that and knew he was right. It made her an outlier in society, though.

Most of the women she knew were worried about the wealth of those in their circles or where they were within the societal hierarchy. Diana didn't care about any of that. But that was easy to do when she didn't surround herself with many people.

Diana had always suspected that it bothered her aunt. Jane and Emily were more concerned with their place in society than they were with anything else in the world. It made it difficult for Diana to relate to them. It's why they didn't always get along.

Now that she understood who the people at the ball were, she knew why her aunt had spent so much money. And why she had kept some of the details hidden from Diana. She must have known that Diana would have disagreed with a lot of the decisions.

Still, Diana didn't blame her aunt for the attempt. She understood then that her aunt was trying to provide her daughter with a better life through marriage. There were many eligible men at the party, all of which would have been a good match for Jane.

If she were lucky, Jane would meet a handsome and wealthy man, and her family would go live in his large manor and spend his fortune. Diana sipped her drink and watched as the crowds gathered in small circles to catch up. The room was warm and cheerful. Diana had to admit that her aunt knew how to throw a good party.

"This is kind of nice, don't you think?" Anna asked. "Everybody seems to be having a good time."

"I suppose so," Diana answered. "As long as Jane is happy and having a good time. It's her birthday, after all."

"Yes," Anna agreed. "And we'll enjoy it alongside her, won't we? Please promise me that you'll at least try to enjoy yourself."

"Of course," Diana promised. "I paid for it. I might as well."

The women burst into a small fit of giggles as Diana wondered where she should begin in the party. There were drinks and food, and the servants hurried around trying to keep everything organized and together.

An older woman was at one of the tables. She had a pin in her hair that looked like a flower, with small crystals serving as water droplets on the petals. It was easily one of the most beautiful hairpins that Diana had ever seen.

She was fixated on it as the woman helped herself to something to drink. Just then, another group of young women passed the old woman, not seeing her. They bumped her, and she stumbled into the table. They were the kind of women that Diana preferred to avoid. The kind who gossiped and liked to put other women down. She could tell by the way they looked down on everybody they passed.

The glasses on the table rattled as the older woman mumbled a few apologies to those who were startled by it. If it hadn't been for the table, the woman might have fallen over. It was clear that the woman who had been bumped was the most embarrassed by it when she had no reason to be. It hadn't been her fault.

A few people had stopped to turn, but none of them had seen what had happened, and so weren't too bothered about it. Something about it bothered Diana greatly, though.

Diana waited for the young women to stop and apologize. She expected them to turn around and all but beg for the woman's forgiveness. One woman turned. She had dark hair and a stern look on her face.

"You need to watch where you're going," she reprimanded the older woman. "This is an expensive dress, and I don't appreciate it being scuffed."

For a moment, Diana thought she'd heard wrong or imagined it. The older woman looked up at them with an appalled look in her eyes. It looked for a moment as if she might apologize to the young woman.

There was no way Diana would let that happen. She stepped forward between the young crowd and the older woman. She offered the woman her hand to help her and offered her a drink.

Then, she turned to the young woman.

"You should be ashamed," she said. "It is you that needs to watch where you're going. You might dress well, but you have no manners. If you ask me, that makes you and this dress entirely worthless."

It had come out harsher than Diana had intended, and the woman's face turned into a shocked scowl.

"You have no idea who you're talking to," the woman retorted.

"You're right," Diana said. "I don't. But that doesn't matter. It does not change the fact that you lack any kind of common decency."

Diana did not care that she was being ruder than necessary. It was her house. The woman was simply lucky that she had not kicked her out of the party entirely. But that would only have angered her aunt and cousins and led to a larger fight.

With that, the group of young women left with their eyebrows arched and their lips pouted. Diana turned to the older woman.

"I am so sorry about them," she said.

"Don't be," the woman said with a laugh. "You put them in their place."

She looked around the room as if she was searching for something specific.

"I've lost my sister and nephew here somewhere," she said. "I got too carried away looking at the art. Have you seen it all? It's magnificent."

"Most of it was done by my parents," Diana said with a smile. "There's more if you'd like a tour."

The woman smiled brightly. "That would be lovely, thank you."

Diana was happy to step out of the busy hall for a moment to give the woman a tour of the art.

"What is your name?" Diana asked.

"I am Mrs Ashburne," she said, introducing herself with a warm smile.

She showed her all her favourite pieces. It was a pleasant walk and an interesting conversation. Anna added in the details that Diana forgot. She'd been around long enough to know it all.

"Your parents did all of this?" Mrs Ashburne eventually asked.

"Yes," Diana answered. "I created some of it. But not nearly as much as I'd like."

"Talent like this should never be wasted," Mrs Ashburne said. "There can never be too much art in the world."

Diana nodded quietly. She knew they would have to return to the ball eventually, but for the time being, she liked the company she had.

"You know something," Mrs Ashburne said. "You'd be perfect for my nephew. He has a child, but I don't think that would scare you away."

Diana chuckled. "That is a compliment," she said kindly.