| She would be
leaving less than a weekShe didn't want to go-Luke would be there,
how could she face him? With her head held high, it was the - way
Her people expected it of her
Scarlett's second Season in Dublin was an even greater triumph than
her
firstInvitations awaited her at the Shelbourne for all the Castle
events, plus five small dances and two late-night suppers in the
Viceregal private apartmentsShe also found in a sealed envelope the
most coveted invitation of all: her carriage would be admitted through
the special entrance behind the CastleThere'd be no more waiting in
line for hours on Dame Street while carriages were allowed into the
Castle yard four at a time to put down guestsThere were also cards
requesting her presence at parties and dinners in private houses
These were reputed to be much more entertaining than the Castle
events
with their men's rolex watches hundreds of people
Scarlett laughed, deep in her throatAn orangutan in fine clothes,
was she? No, she was not, and the pile of invitations proved it
She was The O'hara of Ballyhara, Irish and proud of itShe was an
original! It made no difference that Luke was in DublinLet him
sneer all he likedShe could look him in the eye without fear or
shame, and be damned to himShe sorted through the pile, picking
and
choosing, and a tiny bubble of excitement rose in her heartIt was
nice to be wanted, nice to wear pretty gowns and dance in pretty
rooms
So what if the social world of Dublin was Anglo? She knew enough
now
to recognize that Society's smiles and frowns, rules and
transgressions, honors and ostracisms, triumphs and losses, were all
part of a gameNone of it was important, none of it mattered to the
world of reality outside the gilded ballrooms
But games were made louis vuitton cherry blossoms to be played, and she was a good playerShe
was
glad, after all, that she'd come to Dublin
Scarlett learned immediately that the Earl of Fenton's presence in
Dublin had set off a frenzy of excitement and speculation"My dear,"
said May Taplow, "even in London people can talk of nothing else
Everyone knows Fenton considers Dublin a thirdrate provincial
outpost
His house hasn't been opened for decadesWhy in the world is he
here?"
"I can't imagine," Scarlett replied, relishing the thought of May's
reaction if she told herFenton seemed to turn up every place she
wentScarlett - him with cool good manners and ignored the
expression
of tuous confidence in his eyesAfter the first encounter she didn't
fill with anger when she chanced to meet his gazehe had no to hurt
her any moreBut she was pierced by pain again and
when she glimpsed the back of a tall dark-haired man chanel classic bags clad in - or
brocade, and it turned out to be FentonFor Scarlett looked Rhett in
every crowdNe'd been at the Castle the year before, w? not this year
this room? But it was always FentonEverywhere
she looked, in the of everyone around her, in the columns of every
newspaper she - She could at least be thankful that he paid no special
attention her; then the gossips would have pursued her as wellBut
she wished to heaven that his name was not on every tongue every
day
Rumors gradually coalesced into two theories: he had - 1- his
neglected
house for a surreptitious, unofficial visit from the of Wales; or he
had fallen under the spell of Lady Sophia I who had been the talk of
London's Season in May and was repe her success now in DublinIt
was
the oldest story in the worldman sows his wild oats and resists the
snares of women for and years until bang!-when he's cartier roadster chrono forty, he loses
his head and heart to beauty and innocenceLady Sophia Dudley was
seventeenShe had hair the gold ripe hay and eyes as blue as the
summer sky and a pink-and-? complexion that put porcelain to
shame
At least so said the that were written about her and sold on all the
street corners f( pennyShe was, in fact, a beautiful, shy girl who
was very much I-her ambitious mother's control and who blushed
often and lively because of all the attention and gallantries paid
her
saw quite a bit of her
Sophia's private drawing room was next Scarlett'sIt was second best
in terms of furnishings and the Saint Stephen's Green, but first in
terms of people vying for sionNot that Scarlett's was by any means
unattended; a rich well-received widow with fascinating green eyes
would always demandWhy should I be surprised, thought Scarlett
I'm
twice her and I had my turn last kelly bag hermes yea |