Princess of Glass - Jessica Day George [33]
“I don’t know her,” she hissed. “But someone here must! She’s wearing more jewels than the queen, and Society is not that large.”
“She claims that she and I did meet,” Christian said. “But we weren’t properly introduced.” He blinked eyes a few times. His vision was filled with scarlet roses on white, swirling beneath the glittering lights. Lady Ella’s shoes flashed like rubies.
“Very odd,” Marianne agreed. “But why did she have to ruin Poppy’s dress by copying it? What is her game?”
“Game?” Christian felt incredibly thick. Couldn’t they just stand and watch the girl in the scarlet shoes twirling around and around? Why did Marianne have to talk so viciously about poor Lady Ella?
“Yes, what’s going on?” said a voice behind them. “Someone told me I absolutely had to come in and view the dancing.”
Christian turned to find Poppy standing there looking puzzled. Unconsciously he reached for the silk watch fob that Poppy had knitted for him, hoping she would notice that he was wearing it. The muzziness in his head cleared, and he could see that her dress was different from Ella’s. The red was more subdued, and the flowers on the skirt were poppies, naturally, not roses. She also had a long red shawl draped around her arms, and her hair was thicker, her eyes larger. He couldn’t believe that he’d mistaken anyone else for her.
“Look over there. Dancing with Roger Thwaite!” Marianne grabbed Poppy by the shoulders and turned her.
Still looking puzzled, Poppy looked out into the dancers for a moment, and tilted her head to one side. “Who is … I can’t quite see …”
“What do you mean? She’s right there!” Marianned pointed again.
Christian gave her an irritated look. She was disturbing his reverie. The red roses on white silk whirled by again.
Poppy muttered something, and then gasped in shock. “It can’t be her!”
“You recognize her?” Marianne stared. “Where did you meet her? She introduced herself to Christian as Lady Ella, no last name.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Interesting,” Poppy said slowly. “I guess she did find a patron, but did she have to upstage my gown?” Poppy made a face.
Christian fought down a sudden urge to shake Poppy. Wouldn’t someone tell him more about the fascinating Lady Ella? He brought himself up short with that thought, and took a drink of his lemonade. He felt very strange.
“Not just that,” Marianne said, and Christian realized that the two girls had more or less forgotten his presence. “But she’s dripping with jewels! Why do I not know who she is?”
This brought Poppy’s attention fully away from Lady Ella and onto Marianne. “You don’t recognize her at all?”
“No! Who is she?” Marianne shifted uneasily. “And why is everyone staring at us?”
“Why wouldn’t they stare?” Poppy said. “They want to know what I think of that gown!”
Christian threw up his hands. “Will someone please at least tell me why this girl shouldn’t have a gown and jewels?”
Poppy patted his shoulder but her eyes were still on Lady Ella, as were the eyes of everyone there. “Sorry. It’s just that … this girl … has no money. So how did she come by the gown and jewels? It’s troubling.” Poppy was running the edges of her stole through her fingers, staring at Lady Ella.
Christian didn’t care who Lady Ella’s patron was. He only knew that she was beautiful, and danced like a fairy creature. He wondered if Roger would mind Christian cutting in, even though the dance wasn’t finished.
“Now, now, Your Highness!” A voice behind them boomed and someone clapped Christian on the back so hard that he nearly fell on his face. “No stealing all the young ladies!”
A large, florid man—Duke Something-or-other—was looking over both Poppy and Marianne with a roguish eye. “You’re supposed to be looking for a nice Bretoner wife,” he announced, blasting whiskey-scented breath at Christian. “So I’ll take this one off your hands!”
Without waiting to see if Christian protested or if Poppy agreed, the duke took hold of Poppy and spun her out onto the dance floor.
“Poppy doesn’t dance, everyone knows that,” Marianne said, bristling