Rebecca sniffed and wiped at her eyes. Selena had not seen the tears fall in the dim light. “I really did like Sir Lucius best of all, ever since I saw him in Brighton, walking with his mother on the Steyne. All the ladies there wanted to speak with him, and he was polite, but he never favored one woman over another. I thought Sir Lucius might favor me. Do you think he would show an interest in me if I were to behave more properly?”

Selena’s heart beat painfully at the thought. She did not want to answer, but she had a responsibility to see Rebecca creditably married off. “I do not know, but I do not think it impossible. If you truly change, Rebecca—truly change on a heart level—anything can happen.”

Even without her having been stretched to the point of exhaustion, not much more would be needed to seal the end to one of Selena’s most depressing days ever. And then there was the threat that lurked. Matthew Downing. Surely, he could not be here. And even if it was him—the small amount she had eaten for dinner sat like lead in Selena’s stomach—there was still hope their paths would not cross. She was, for the moment, well hidden behind the curtain of an alcove.

Selena wondered how she could convince Lady Harrowden and Rebecca to leave straight away. Her mind turned the possibilities over and found none that would work without telling Lady Harrowden all. But surely there were enough people to prevent their paths from crossing? And George said Matthew would not leave the card room…Selena came to a decision. She should be sitting in the corner beside the countess. That would be safe enough.

“Shall we—”

Her words were interrupted by a loud shriek and a movement beside her that was so frantic that Selena could not imagine what had come over Rebecca. Scream after scream pealed out, and Selena tried to make out what was happening in the dimness. Suddenly her vision was flooded with light. Rebecca had ripped open the curtain and stumbled through, clutching her dress and lifting it, shrieking and screaming in panic.

Selena snapped to attention. “Calm yourself,” she urged as quietly as possible. The music had stopped, and the entire ballroom stood transfixed as Rebecca continued to scream. “Sh!” Selena said. “Stop it. What is happening?”

“Ooooh. There is something clawing at me. Something bit me. Look. I have a scratch. There is a demon.”

A movement caught the corner of Selena’s eye, and she watched as a mouse scurried from the alcove along the wall. Rebecca must not know of this and be thrown into a greater panic if Selena hoped to avoid even more of a scene.

“Rebecca, enough! You must calm yourself,” she adjured.

When Lucius had put some distance between Philippa and Lord Harrowden, he began his scold. “Is this not precisely what I warned you about?”