“Then I think you’d better put him straight,” Fenella stated. “For both your sakes.” She got off the bed. “I have to go.” She bent to kiss Petra’s cheek. “You aren’t an impressionable schoolgirl any longer, Petra darling.”

Petra shook her head with a tiny laugh of agreement. “I know, but he makes me forget that I’m not sometimes. He doesn’t seem to leave any room for me to assert myself.”

“Well, that won’t help the plan to ensnare his lordship in your toils.” Diana pointed out.

“No, I still appear to be snared in his.” Petra shook her head, defeated. But only for a moment, with renewed vigor she declared, “But I can still play the game. In fact, if he thinks I’m still as malleable and yielding as I was ten years ago, it might be even more of an unpleasant surprise for him when he sees who I really am. I’ll shatter his preconceived notions like crystal on concrete. That’ll teach him to make assumptions.”

“Bravo.” Diana laughed. “That’s more like you. I could almost imagine playing such a game with his lofty lordship myself, if I didn’t have enough masculine attitude in my life already. Talking of which, or do I mean whose, Rupert is expecting me to organize the invitations and details for our Kimberley Diamond lunch party at Royal Ascot. Should we invite Guy, Petra?”

“Absolutely,” she said, without hesitation. “It’s time for me to initiate things. Maybe I’ll casually let slip that I asked you to invite him, what do you think?”

“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Diana said. “I’ll send out the invitations this afternoon. Guy will get his this evening and you can work your mischief any time after that.” She gathered up her scattered belongings. “Are you going my way, Fenella?”

“As far as Oxford Street.”

Petra leaned back against the pillows in the sudden quiet of her bedroom as the door closed on her friends. Despite her aches and pains she was restless. Staying in bed had never appealed. She kicked off the covers and stood up, stretching.

“Your bath’s all ready, Miss Petra.” Dottie came in from the bathroom, a cloud of steam in her wake. “You’ll not be going out, of course.”

“On the contrary, Dottie. I am definitely going out. I have something to do. I’ll have lunch and go out afterward, just for an hour or so.” She walked into the steam, saying over her shoulder, “The gray suit, I think, with the red shirt.”