“But I had promised Perry—”
“Miss MacKenzie hardly knows me, Caroline. She will be more comfortable with Perry.”
Silence. After a moment Caroline spoke again, her voice taking on a faintly wheedling tone. “Will you let me drive the carriage today? Perry said it’s not difficult, and I’ve been thinking I should like to try—”
“Out of the question. You don’t have the slightest idea how to handle a team.”
“I could learn.”
“It’s far too dangerous—not to mention fast.”
“But other ladies—”
“You aren’t other ladies.” He paused. “How go the arrangements for the ball?”
Only a touch of sullenness lingered in Caroline’s voice. “Perfectly. It will be the grandest event of the year. Everyone will envy me. And I shall save the very best dances for you and Perry.”
Liam cleared his throat. “Perry may not be able to attend.”
“What?”
“He has other commitments.”
“I cannot believe that. He has given his word, and Perry is a true gentleman. He would never disappoint a lady.”
“Perhaps you don’t know Mr. Sinclair as well as you think you do.”
“I know he is a good friend,” she retorted. “I thought he was yours.”
“Your judgment—” He stopped himself. “Caroline, look at me. Everything I do is for your own good. You must trust me. I know more of the world than you ever can.”
Then Mac didn’t hear anything but the ticking of Caroline’s clock. Driven by the need to know what was happening, she cracked the door open and peered into the hall.
Caroline was standing very close to Liam, leaning toward him, her breathing deep and her gaze locked on his.
“What I don’t know,” Caroline murmured, “I can learn.”
Liam averted his eyes and stepped back. “You’ve learned everything a young lady requires,” he said. “Kindly finish your preparations. I’ll be waiting downstairs with the surrey.” He turned and walked quickly away.
Mac closed the door and regained the bed just before Caroline charged into the room. Liam’s ward touched her own cheek as if to check for a flush and paused to examine herself in front of a large mirror. “I must ask a favor of you, Rose.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. Liam will expect me to ride with him, but I would much prefer your cousin’s company.”
Mac slid off the bed, her skirts bunching up around her hips. “How can I help you?”
“By playing a little game.” Caroline turned, her mouth quirked in a sly smile. “When we go down, you shall wear my fur cloak and I shall wear my secondhand, the one I would have given you. And I will give you my favorite carriage bonnet. If we both wear veils, Liam won’t realize what we’ve done until it’s too late.”
“I don’t think we can pass for each other,” Mac cautioned. “Our heights—”
“Never mind that. It need only be for a few moments.”
“Mr. O’Shea will be angry.”
“Let him,” Caroline said, tossing her head. “I’m not afraid.” She sized Mac up with a provocative glance. “But perhaps Liam frightens you.”
Mac suppressed a reckless laugh. “I’ll help you. You and Perry do seem to get along so well.”
Caroline studied her a moment longer and shrugged.
“Good.” She frowned, walking a slow circle around Mac. “Yes. I do think you look quite presentable enough for your first appearance on the town. Just one more little adjustment…”
She poked a straight pin into the heavy fabric at Mac’s waist.
Mac rolled her eyes heavenward. So why didn’t you just set me an easier task, Homer—like preventing the sinking of the Titanic?
But there was no answer, and no going back.
* * *
Mac was almost ready to face Liam again when he arrived with the surrey.
It was “the shiny little surrey with the fringe on top,” as the old song went, with two sets of long, roomy seats. Mac studied it as she stood with Caroline in the shadow of the front entryway, each of them wrapped in their respective coverings from top to toe.
Mac’s bonnet was smothering, heavy and dripping with plumes. The veil enabled her to watch Liam jump down from his seat behind the horses and stop to exchange a few words with Perry, who waited at the curb with a much lighter, two-passenger carriage that Caroline had called a “gig.”