Chapter 198

• My smile deepened, my manicured fingers brushing the edge of my champagne flute as I diffused the tension hanging in the air. The atmosphere had turned heavy sharp with judgment, thick with whispered gossip but my calm, graceful poise didn’t waver.
• “It’s curious, Lady Jessica,” I said smoothly, my voice laced with effortless confidence, “how quick you are to raise your voice when I speak the truth, yet when it comes to spreading slander or twisting facts, you seem perfectly at ease. I suppose double standards are still fashionable in certain circles.”
• I glanced around with a subtle flick of my lashes, then locked eyes with Hazel. “I assume the grand hostess has invited Nathaniel today. Should we bring him into the conversation? After all, he’s the only one who can clear up this... misunderstanding with complete objectivity.”