Chapter 238: Revelations II
Vivienne set the glass down.
"The balcony was only the beginning."
Amelia leaned forward immediately.
"What happened next?"
Vivienne sighed.
She had known they would eventually ask.
And now that she had started explaining, there was no point pretending she hadn’t enjoyed herself.
"Well..."
She glanced between them.
"Yesterday started innocently enough."
Claire raised an eyebrow.
"That doesn’t sound promising."
"It wasn’t."
Vivienne smiled.
"We were all sitting around the same table. Anthony was across from me, Damian was beside me, and Evelyn was there too."
"We remember."
"Everything was fine at first."
She paused.
"Then I started having fun."
Amelia grinned.
"That usually means trouble."
Vivienne ignored her.
"Damian had been helping me throughout the afternoon. He brought me food. Helped me with my towel."
Claire’s eyebrows rose.
"And then?"
"I asked him to feed me."
Claire nearly choked.
"You actually did that?"
"Yes."
"With Anthony sitting across from you?"
"Yes."
Amelia stared at her.
"You really wanted a reaction."
Vivienne smiled.
"A little."
"A little?"
"Fine. A lot."
She wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
She’d wanted Anthony to see that she wasn’t waiting around for him.
And he had.
Eventually, she decided to speak to him directly.
"I asked how he’d been."
"And?"
"He said he was doing well."
Vivienne shrugged.
"So I told him I was doing well too."
Claire smiled.
"Very well, I assume?"
"Obviously."
Amelia laughed.
"And then you mentioned Damian."
Vivienne nodded.
"I told him Damian had been especially helpful."
"What did Anthony say?"
Vivienne lowered her voice.
"’That’s good. Though you seem to be getting rather comfortable with him.’"
Claire’s eyebrows rose.
"And you?"
"’I answered, Perhaps.’"
Amelia slapped a hand lightly against the table.
"Idol."
Vivienne burst out laughing.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Amelia grinned.
"Continue."
Claire was laughing too.
"She’s right. That was very you."
Vivienne shook her head.
"What else was I supposed to say?"
"Something less provocative."
"I wasn’t feeling particularly charitable."
Claire lifted her glass.
"Fair."
Then Vivienne’s expression changed.
"That was when Evelyn spoke."
The laughter faded.
"She called me Lady Beaumont."
Amelia immediately grimaced.
"Ugh."
"That’s never good."
"No."
Vivienne continued.
"She said I seemed to have gotten very comfortable with Lord Blackwood."
Claire frowned.
"And?"
"She said perhaps I was getting too comfortable."
Amelia’s expression hardened.
"Seriously?"
"Mhm."
"She told me I might be forgetting where I was."
Vivienne’s voice became drier.
"A public gathering."
Claire gave a disbelieving laugh.
"She really went there?"
"She did."
Amelia shook her head.
"That woman has nerve."
"It gets better."
Vivienne smiled.
"She said some things were better kept private."
The table went quiet.
Amelia slowly lowered her fork.
"After what you just told us?"
"Yes."
Claire stared at her.
"She actually lectured you about propriety?"
"Exactly."
Vivienne leaned back.
"And that’s when I remembered the balcony."
Amelia’s eyes widened.
"Oh."
"You didn’t."
"I did."
Claire covered her mouth, already laughing.
"What did you say?"
Vivienne smiled.
"I asked her if she meant private..."
She paused deliberately.
"Like a balcony, perhaps."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Amelia’s eyes widened.
"Oh, you are terrible."
Claire burst out laughing.
"Vivienne!"
"What?"
"You actually brought that up?"
"She brought up propriety."
"You could have ignored her!"
"I could have."
Vivienne smiled.
"But I didn’t."
Amelia gave her two thumbs up.
"I love it."
Vivienne laughed.
"You’re encouraging me."
"Absolutely."
Claire nodded.
"That was vicious."
"Thank you."
"That wasn’t a compliment."
"I’ll take it as one."
Eleanor shook her head, though there was a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.
"And what happened?"
"Evelyn went quiet."
"Completely?"
"For a moment."
Vivienne remembered the tiny change in Evelyn’s expression.
The way her composure had faltered.
The way Anthony’s attention had shifted toward them.
She had known immediately that the remark had landed.
"She knew exactly what I meant."
Claire nodded.
"Of course she did."
Amelia leaned closer.
"And Anthony?"
"He was there."
"Of course he was."
Vivienne laughed softly.
"He looked at me."
"And I could tell he didn’t like where the conversation was going."
Claire’s amusement faded slightly.
"Did Evelyn deny it?"
"Not exactly."
Vivienne shook her head.
"She didn’t have much to say."
Amelia grinned.
"Good."
Eleanor gave her a look.
"Amelia."
"What?"
"You sound far too pleased."
"I am."
She took another bite of her dinner.
"She started it."
Claire nodded.
"Exactly."
Eleanor sighed quietly.
Vivienne couldn’t help smiling.
"So what did you say next?"
Vivienne’s smile became sharper.
"I told her I supposed everyone had different ideas about propriety."
Claire let out a quiet laugh.
"That is savage."
"I was annoyed."
"You were enjoying it."
"Both can be true."
Amelia nodded solemnly.
"Very true."
Vivienne continued.
"Then she made another comment about people knowing the difference between having fun and making a spectacle of themselves."
Claire’s eyes widened.
"Oh, she really was lecturing you."
"Yes."
Amelia shook her head.
"She was asking for it."
Eleanor gave her another look.
"That doesn’t mean Vivienne had to give it to her."
Vivienne glanced at Eleanor.
"I know."
Then she smiled.
"But I did."
"Then I reminded her that it was a pool party."
She lifted one shoulder.
"People were supposed to be having fun."
Amelia grinned.
"Beautiful."
Claire laughed.
"You’re impossible."
"She was being annoying."
"That is not a legal defense."
"It should be."
Eleanor sighed.
"It really shouldn’t."
Vivienne laughed.
"Fine."
She took a sip of water.
"Maybe not."
Amelia waved her hand dismissively.
"Continue."
Vivienne shook her head.
"You two are enjoying this far too much."
"Of course we are."
Claire smiled.
"This is the most interesting thing that I heard all day."
Vivienne rolled her eyes.
"Anyway..."
She continued.
"She looked at Damian."
Vivienne’s expression became thoughtful.
"And that was when I realized she wasn’t really talking about me."
Claire frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"She was watching Anthony."
The table quieted again.
"Everything she said was about propriety."
"But she kept looking at him."
"And that irritated me even more."
Amelia nodded slowly.
"Because she was still thinking about him."
"Exactly."
Vivienne looked down at her plate.
"She knew he was sitting there."
"She knew he could see me with Damian."
"And she cared."
Claire gave her a knowing look.
"So you pushed harder."
Vivienne looked up.
"Maybe."
Amelia laughed.
"Definitely."
Vivienne smiled.
"I told her I didn’t think Damian minded."
Claire groaned.
"Vivienne."
"What?"
"You were trying to make her angry."
"I was trying to make a point."
"You were making her angry."
Vivienne couldn’t argue with that.
"Fine."
She took another sip of water.
"Maybe I was."
Amelia grinned.
"Definitely."
"And then?"
"Anthony finally stopped me."
"What did he say?"
Vivienne’s expression became slightly flatter.
"’Perhaps that’s enough.’"
Claire nodded.
"Reasonable."
Vivienne gave her a look.
"I know."
"You’re not going to defend that one?"
"No."
She sighed.
"He was right."
Amelia blinked.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Vivienne frowned.
"I’d pushed it far enough."
She had known it at the time.
She simply hadn’t cared.
She had been too pleased with herself.
"And then Anthony left?"
"Mhm."
"He said he was going to get some air."
Vivienne’s lips curved faintly.
"He was tired of the entire thing."
Claire considered that.
"I don’t blame him."
Vivienne looked at her.
"You’re really going to side with Anthony?"
"No."
Claire smiled.
"I’m saying you probably exhausted him."
Amelia laughed.
"That’s different."
Vivienne snorted.
"And Evelyn?"
"She stayed."
Vivienne shrugged.
"But she looked..."
She searched for the word.
"Angry."
Amelia’s smile returned.
"I can’t say I blame her."
Vivienne raised an eyebrow.
"Whose side are you on?"
"Yours."
Amelia answered immediately.
"Obviously."
She pointed at Vivienne with her fork.
"You are my friend."
Then she pointed vaguely toward where Evelyn might have been.
"That woman is not."
Claire nodded.
"Same."
Vivienne smiled.
"Thank you."
Eleanor calmly picked up her glass.
"I’m on your side too."
Vivienne looked at her.
Eleanor continued.
"That does not mean everything you did was wise."
Vivienne sighed.
"There it is."
Claire laughed.
"She has to be Eleanor."
Amelia nodded.
"Every group needs one."
Eleanor raised an eyebrow.
"One what?"
"The person who reminds us that consequences exist."
Vivienne laughed.
"She’s very good at it."
Eleanor took a sip of water.
"Someone has to be."
Vivienne shook her head.
"I know I was being provocative."
"Good."
Eleanor nodded.
"But that doesn’t mean Evelyn gets to lecture me."
"No."
Eleanor’s answer came easily.
"You were both being unpleasant."
Vivienne stared at her.
"Both?"
Eleanor gave her a calm look.
"Yes."
Vivienne opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Claire immediately burst out laughing.
Amelia pointed at Eleanor.
"See? This is why I like her."
Vivienne groaned.
"Wonderful. I’m being outnumbered at my own table."
"No."
Claire smiled.
"We’re still on your side."
Amelia nodded.
"Completely."
"Even if you think I was wrong?"
"Especially then."
Vivienne narrowed her eyes.
"That doesn’t make sense."
"It doesn’t have to."
Amelia grinned.
"We’re your friends."
Claire raised her glass.
"Emotionally supportive."
Eleanor quietly added,
"With occasional corrections."
Vivienne sighed.
"Fine."
She leaned back in her chair.
"But honestly..."
She glanced between her friends.
"I don’t regret it."
Amelia grinned.
"I knew you wouldn’t."
Vivienne laughed.
"I probably should."
"Probably."
"But I don’t."
The four girls fell quiet for a moment.
Around them, the dining hall continued its usual evening rhythm.
Students came and went.
Someone at a nearby table burst into laughter.
From across the room came another enthusiastic discussion about the upcoming polo tournament.
Everything felt ordinary.
And yet, at their table, the story had finally been laid out.
Claire looked at Vivienne.
"So that’s why you two hate each other."
Vivienne considered it.
"That’s part of it."
"Part?"
"Mhm."
She smiled faintly.
"She already disliked me."
"And I definitely dislike her now."
Amelia nodded solemnly.
"Understandable."
Eleanor glanced toward Vivienne.
"But you know something?"
"What?"
"You seem rather pleased about having finally put her in her place."
Vivienne’s smile widened.
"Maybe I am."
Claire laughed.
"You’re riding a dangerous wave of confidence."
Vivienne picked up her fork again.
"Perhaps."
She looked entirely unrepentant.
"And I’m enjoying it."
Amelia laughed.
"Just don’t drown."
Vivienne rolled her eyes.
"I won’t."
She returned to her dinner.
At least, that was what she told herself.
For tonight, she had no intention of thinking too deeply about what had happened.
She had won the argument with Evelyn.
She had gotten a reaction from Anthony.
And, somehow, the entire ridiculous afternoon had become a story she could now laugh about with her friends.
For the moment, that was enough.u