“Oh my god! If you want to stay, great. If you want to go write your stupid paper, then go do that.” Anna stood. “Because I’m going back to the party.” She really needed to leave because she had no idea what she might say or do if she didn’t. It was like the barn doors had been thrown open and all the horses were running free, trying to escape a terrible fire.

“The fellow you were dancing with?” Alexander asked and Anna stopped. “Is he the guy I met at the train station?”

Anna couldn’t turn around to face her boyfriend, so instead she talked to the hedges in front of her. “Vronsky. He’s Bea’s cousin.”

“I trust you implicitly,” Alexander began. “But I couldn’t help noticing that people seem to be talking about you two in a way that is … disheartening.”

“Are you accusing me of something?” Anna asked, whipping around in the dark to face him. “People gossip, Alexander. This is Bea’s crowd, it’s like a sport for them. I’ve done nothing wrong. We were dancing, so what? I’ve been dancing with lots of different people all night.” She looked Alexander straight in the eyes for the first time since he arrived.

“You’re beautiful,” Alexander said in a soft voice. “So beautiful that when you walk into a room, every boy can’t help but notice. Clearly, Vronsky is taken with you, and I don’t blame him. I’m not saying you’re purposefully leading him on, but what I am saying is if you do so, even by accident, it would be untoward. To him, and to me. You should be careful not to let him misinterpret your overtures of friendship as anything more. I don’t like to be the subject of gossip.”

Anna closed the gap between them in four steps, now inches away from his face. “Then you should have worn a costume,” she said. “I’m going back to the tent, or we could go skinny-dipping together. C’mon, I’ll even strip first.” She knew her challenge would be met with silence, which it was. “Figured as much.” Anna turned and headed back toward the house. Alexander’s exasperated sigh made a cloud in the chilly air and then he followed her.

When they were halfway up the grassy lawn, a figure approached them in the dark. “Alexander? Annie?” Eleanor’s voice cut shrilly through the darkness. “Where have you been? Aren’t you cold, Anna? I’m freezing. I should have worn my long coat like Mommy told me to. Some weirdo dressed like the Cookie Monster spilled his wine on my dress and now three of my polka dots are burgundy!”

“I’m going back to the party,” Anna said as she passed Eleanor in the dark.