Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

M r. Galpin's invitation rattled around in Eva's brain. It would have been easy to simply brush off her curiosity and eagerness to go as merely a means of being defiant if it weren't for the fact that Eva was captivated by the idea, with or without her mother's permission. The trouble was, even if she did work up the nerve to go, she was not sure how to make it happen in practical terms.

As was the wont of young ladies since the beginning of time, Eva decided that the only real way to get what she wanted was to enlist the help of her very dear friend. So it was that Eva summoned Kitty Johnson again, who was always ready to pay a call on her. She arrived in short order, and Eva was cheered considerably by the sight of Kitty's adorable face.

"Miss Johnson, what a pleasure to see you again," Lady Stanton said as Eva was rushing down the stairs to greet Kitty. "I did not know that we were expecting you to?—"

"So sorry, Mother," Eva interrupted, hopping down the last couple stairs and earning a frown from her mother. "It must have completely slipped my mind. Kitty has offered to help me practise my French; you know what a clever thing she is with languages."

Without missing a beat, Kitty nodded, smiling indulgently at Eva as she helped her out of her capelet and bonnet. "Oh, you really are too kind. It's nice to know my natty old governess did some good."

"How are your par—" Lady Stanton asked, but Eva cut her off again.

"Not a moment to lose, Mother!" she cried, seizing Kitty by the wrist and tugging her up the stairs.

They reached her room in short order, with Eva nearly flinging Kitty through the doorway. She hurriedly closed the door, turning around and pressing her back against it. Kitty was standing in the middle of Eva's room, her eyes wide and her face expectant.

"Well now I'm certain that you've some delicious news," Kitty said, folding her arms over her chest.

"You've no idea," Eva said. "It might be too much for even your ears."

Eva clearly said this only to tantalise Kitty further, for there was nothing that Kitty Johnson loved more than a delectable bit of intrigue or gossip. She said nothing, merely continued to stare expectantly at Eva.

"I have been taking lessons with Mr. Galpin, as you know," Eva began, and already Kitty was hooked.

"Oh yes," Kitty said, unfolding her arms. "Is he as handsome as everyone says?"

Unable to help herself, Eva grinned and flattened herself against the door. " Handsomer ," she said, making a great show of fanning herself with one hand.

Kitty let out a quiet little squeal, and plonked herself onto her customary perch at the foot of Eva's bed. "Tell me everything at once," she demanded.

Eva obliged, coming to sit next to her on the bed, one foot barely skimming the floor. "I've only had two lessons, but I think he believes me to be quite talented. Here—look at these plates he sent me," Eva said, leaning over to retrieve the stack from her dressing table. "They're from his own collection, and he sent them right over for me to study."

"Oh…oh these are…" Kitty accepted the stack of papers and began leafing through them. "Oh my, look at the legs on this one! Have you ever seen such shapely calves?" Kitty demanded, shoving one of the sheets under Eva's nose.

"No—well, yes, but…"

"No, don't tell me," Kitty gasped, pressing the plates to her bosom. "The celebrated Mr. Galpin?"

Eva gave a noncommittal shrug, but could not hide a grin. Kitty gave something between a giggle and a snort, which only made Eva laugh too.

"But in complete seriousness," Eva said, trying to pull her face back into a thoughtful expression. "The point of them isn't that they're just pretty ."

"Really? Because some of these are?—"

"Yes, really , Kitty," Eva said, rolling her eyes a little. "There is more to life than handsome men."

Kitty curled her lip up in such a manner that indicated she clearly thought Eva was very, very mistaken. She sighed, then passed the stack of papers back over to Eva. "Well, what is it then?"

"They're not just dancing," Eva began, unsure of how to explain it all to Kitty. "Well, I mean, they are , but it's more than that; they're an art all their own. The dancers, I mean." Kitty said nothing, merely tilting her head and drawing her brows together. "Dancing can be more than a social activity one does to pass the time at a ball," Eva Kitty stared at Eva for a moment. "I do not understand it particularly well myself, but you clearly feel strongly about this." A sly look came over her face then. "Is this all down to Mr. Galpin and his fine calves?"

"In a manner of speaking, I suppose it is," Eva acknowledged. "But you'll see what I mean on Wednesday," Eva said.

"I will? Why Wednesday?" Kitty asked.

"Well," Eva said, drawing the word out, hedging a little. She put on her coyest face, drawing her left shoulder up to her cheek as she leaned on that arm. "I may have been invited to observe a rehearsal of Mr. Galpin's troupe."

"And?" Kitty said, twirling her wrist in an encouraging motion.

"And it may be taking place at the theatre."

"Oh. Oh!" Kitty said, sitting up abruptly as realisation dawned. She leaned forward conspiratorially, lowering her voice. "At the theatre ? Oh, I mean really Eva, it is one thing to attend a performance with a chaperone, but to go there during the day? With all of those—those actors and other theatre-folk just milling about?"

"Exactly," Eva agreed. "But Mr. Galpin made it a point to invite me, specifically. I am sure that he would be pleased to see me there, and I would like to see real dancers up close."

Kitty absorbed all of this, tapping her mouth with one finger. "That is quite the conundrum."

"I'm sure that there will be female dancers there too, which would really help me to see what I could do," Eva continued, throwing herself backward on her bed, her arms over her head.

"You aren't planning on running off and becoming a dancer, are you?" Kitty asked, only half in jest. "I don't think I could bear London if you left me here all alone."

"You'll be the first to know if I do," Eva reassured her.

"Lady dancers indeed," Kitty muttered. "I think that might be the most horrifying aspect to your mother."

"Undoubtedly," Eva agreed, pushing herself up on her elbows. "They will no doubt corrupt me irredeemably."

Kitty snorted, but her face grew thoughtful. "I imagine that I am to help you in this scheme, no? That is why you invited me over, isn't it?"

"Couldn't it be simply because I want a friend to commiserate with?" Eva asked, attempting a version of Kitty's infamously innocent expression.

"Doubtful," Kitty said. "You only summon me these days when there's something afoot."

"Two things can be true at once," Eva protested. "I can miss you and need your help."

Kitty sighed, then likewise flopped backward on the bed, her head quite near Eva's. "Well, I suppose it's jolly good for you that I've a keen interest in seeing this Mr. Galpin for myself," she said, exhaling loudly through her mouth. Her head lolled over in Eva's direction. "And I'm positively bored to tears."

A grin that had every flavour of mischief in it began to spread on Eva's face, though she fought against it as hard as she might. An answering grin as wide and full of playfulness was also at work on Kitty's face. Laying together on Eva's bed, they concocted a plan. At one point, Eva was overwhelmed with gratitude for her friend; as long as she could remember, Eva was getting them into some sort of scrape, and Kitty was right by her side, adorably insisting on their innocence.

"Fooling your mother is one thing," Kitty said as evening began to close in, darkening Eva's room. "But good heavens Eva, what are you going to wear ? This is the real dilemma." Kitty spoke with such gravity and seriousness that one would have thought that she was reading a death notice aloud.

Eva immediately burst into another round of giggles. She hadn't had much to laugh about lately, and as ever, Kitty was a tonic. "That's it, the entire plot must be called off." More laughter, and then the unmistakable sounds of drawers and cabinets being gone through floated through the house for the rest of the evening.