Toast of the Season

❀ Chapter 23 ❀

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I am ignoring the knocking on my door. Hopefully they go away and leave me to sleep. 

They do not. Bea and the Miss Elliotts come in with hushed voices and giggles. Bea isn't as reverent though when she pulls back my covers and squeals, "Beth!! Why did you run out?!"

I shield my eyes from the lantern, "How long was I sleeping?"

Bea plops down on the bed next to me, "You've been gone for about a half hour. Why did you leave so quickly? You didn't even wait for your applause!"

I frown and sit up in bed, "There was applause?" I know my voice sounds hopeful. 

The three girls laugh and the Miss Elliotts come around to sit on the other side of my bed. One of them says, "Of course we applauded! It was an amazing performance!"

The other one chimes in, "It was like watching the most dramatic play, acted out right before us! Everyone is talking of it!"

I chuckle a little at their exaggeration and shake my head a bit. Bea grabs my arm, "You don't believe us? It was the best performance of the night, everyone thinks so!" I am giving Bea a look that shows I still have my doubts.

One of the Miss Elliots adds, "Well, everyone but Miss Dubois, that is. Regina was SO mad that everyone was praising you!"

The other Miss Elliott continues, "She was complaining and whining to Lord Westworth that no one was talking of their duets and his response was so marvelous!" She lowers her voice to imitate him, "That is because Miss Cavendish was better than us." She laughs, "It is so nice when someone doesn't coddle her!"

The Miss Elliotts laugh. "I agree! It was SO fun to see her set down for once."

Bea doesn't look as amused, "Well, I felt a little bad for Regina, she did do well and she seemed fairly sad that Beth did so much better than her."

The Miss Elliotts scoff, "She is horrible to everyone unless she is trying to get something for herself. You shouldn't support her when she is always saying such mean things about your cousin."

Bea looks startled, she pets my hand as if to comfort me, "Regina doesn't like Beth?!"

The Miss Elliotts give a look of surprise, "Where have you been? She says the cruelest things about Beth, she is just horrible." One of them turns to me. "Oh, I am sorry if you weren't aware of it."

I shake my head, "Do not trouble yourself. She says the same horrible things to my face, I know what she thinks of me." I realize it is time to learn the Miss Elliott's names. "I am sorry to say that I have difficulty distinguishing you two apart. Is there a way to tell who is who?"

They smile, "No one can tell us apart, unless they know the trick." One of them turns their head. "I'm Mary and I have a mole on my earlobe." Oh, I had never noticed, it is a dark noticeable mole now that I see it. She points to the other one. "And Leah does not." Mary mole. Leah not. Got it.

I smile at them, "Thank you for telling me your trick. I shan't get you mixed up again. And thank you for not listening to Regina's criticism of me."

Mary hugs me, "You have always been so nice, Beth. No one deserves an enemy like her, especially you. But honestly she wants Lord Westworth so badly and all he ever does is look at you. It is no wonder she hates you." The twins giggle at that.

My eyes go wide, "What?! I am sure you are mistaken." 

Bea looks startled also. "Lord Westworth? And Beth? No. He is just helping her find a husband. He doesn't think of her that way." Leah and Mary look unconvinced.