Lady in Red by Karen Hawkins

we’d be wealthy.”
    “We don’t need wealth,” Honoria said. “Although I must admit I would not complain if such a thing came to pass.”
    “We will be just fine once Honoria gets the marquis to come about,” Portia said stoutly. “And then Cassandra can land a wealthy, well-connected husband and sponsor the rest of us and we can all find wealthy husbands.”
    “Portia, I will not marry simply for money,” Cassandra said in gentle reproof.
    “Of course you won’t,” Honoria said. “But if you are to fall in love, it might be just as easy to love a wealthy man as a poor one.”
    “That is a very good way of looking at things,” Olivia said thoughtfully. “All one really needs is the opportunity.”
    “Exactly,” Honoria said. “Well? Am I ready? Aunt Caroline said she’d send the carriage for me at eight and it is a quarter ‘til now.”
    “You look wonderful,” Cassandra said in her gentle voice. “But… you wear brighter colors so much better than I do. You really should get a gown of red, although I daresay that would not be proper.”
    Honoria smiled. “One day, I shall wear red. See if don’t, and to Hades to all the nay-sayers!”
    Olivia sighed enviously. “I wish I could wear a ball gown and go to a real ball.”
    “You are all mad,” George said, shaking his head. “Nothing could be more insipid than standing around a room, trussed in gewgaws and finery.”
    Honoria smiled down at her brother. “You’ll change your tune in a few years, my dear.”
    “I will not.” George pulled Achilles out of his pocket and placed the frog on the tip of his knee. “Achilles and I have no need for such silliness.”
    “Yes well, I’m just glad Aunt Caroline was so accommodating,” Cassandra said.
    Honoria preferred not to think about how difficult it had been to wrestle the invitation from Aunt Caroline. They’d exchanged several volleys of notes before the old bat had agreed to allow Honoria to attend the ball. Her aunt was suspicious of Honoria’s sudden interest in society and was positively determined to keep Cassandra from bursting upon the social scene and stealing the thunder from her own daughter.
    Not that Cousin Jane would really suffer… Cassandra’s rare beauty would draw earls and dukes and marquises, not a one of which would ever pay Aunt Caroline’s poor daughter the slightest heed. Honoria had been forced to swear to her aunt that the invitation was for her only. To further throw her aunt off the scent, Honoria had concocted a story about Trey-mount admiring a certain object d’art and her hopes to gain his interest in it. Which was, now that she thought about it, not so very far from the truth.
    “It’s a wonder Aunt Caroline helped at all,” Portia said, twisting her face into a moue of distaste.
    Olivia sniffed. “Especially after she quite dashed poor Cassandra’s hopes.”
    “She didn’t dash my hopes at all,” Cassandra said. “But I am glad she furnished Honoria with the invitation, although… Honoria, are you certain this is necessary?“
    Honoria faced herself in the mirror, turning first this way and then that. “It is important to keep the ring in front of the not-so-merry marquis or he’ll decide to merely wait us out. If I can whet his appetite, he might just go ahead and purchase the blasted ring outright. Then all we’d need is an invitation or two. It would not take much at all, for Cassandra is so very pretty.”
    Cassandra flushed. “I am no prettier than you. But I must question the wisdom of teasing the marquis so. Flashing the ring before him is certain to garner his ire. And Mrs. Kemble said he was quite a stern, unsmiling man.”
    “Oh pother! Let him be irked unto death.” Honoria adjusted her paste tiara so it twinkled a bit more from between the curls piled on her head. “Facing a worthy adversary will do him a world of good. And I intend on being very, very good at opposing him. At least until he agrees to do as I have