Katy swallowed.

Sometimes she couldn’t believe it either.

But it was the right thing to do.

‘I mean, look at him now! Why isn’t he trying to drag you into the bushes for a grope?’ Libby studied him curiously, her head on one side. ‘He’s too busy networking to even notice that you’re here. You could be naked and covered in whipped cream and he’d still be mingling with the movers and shakers.’

Everything her sister said was true and Katy wondered why she didn’t mind more. She chewed her lip. The truth was that she didn’t mind because she didn’t want Freddie to take her into the bushes for a grope. She was quite happy for him to be talking to his business colleagues, leaving her alone to make her own amusement.

Freddie was safe.

At that moment their mother glanced towards them and a horrified expression crossed her face. Visibly agitated, she cast a terrified look towards her husband who was still deep in conversation and hadn’t yet noticed his daughters.

Libby sucked in a breath and grinned. ‘We have lift-off. Ten, nine, eight…’

The girls waited as their mother hurried towards them, Katy tense and on edge, Libby amused and defiant.

Katy glanced at her sister with a mixture of exasperation and envy. How could she be so completely unafraid of their father?

Instead of avoiding confrontation, she relished it.

As if to prove a point, Libby tugged her dress down to expose a little more of her already exposed cleavage.

‘Elizabeth.’ Lady Caroline Westerling stopped in front of her daughters and her eyes darted nervously towards her husband. Fortunately he still had his back to them. ‘Your hair is a disgrace, and what do you think you’re wearing?’

‘A party dress.’ Libby smiled happily at her mother. ‘For my birthday party.’

Katy winced at her less than subtle reminder that this annual event had originated as a celebration of their birthday. Her mother seemed oblivious to the dig.

‘It’s indecent and common.’ She ran her eyes over Libby’s long bare legs and winced. ‘Your father will…He’ll throw a fit.’

Libby’s eyes gleamed. ‘Oh, I do hope so,’ she said softly, and their mother gave her a helpless look.

‘Why, Elizabeth? Why do you have to do this?’ Her eyes flickered around the lawn. ‘There are any number of suitable men that you might have been introduced to this evening, but not dressed like that.’

Libby’s smile widened. ‘I’m only interested in unsuitable men.’

Her mother’s eyes closed and sweat broke out on her brow. ‘You look like a prostitute. Go upstairs and ask Sally to find you something more conservative before he sees you.’

‘I like this dress and I don’t care what he thinks. And neither should you.’ Libby’s eyes gleamed. ‘You shouldn’t let him bully you, Mum.’

Katy let out a breath. ‘Not here, Lib, please.’

Libby was staring at their mother. ‘You should stand up to him.’

Caroline Westerling ignored her comment and looked away, her breathing suddenly rapid. ‘Your father has some very important guests here today.’ She turned to Katy and gave a bright smile that fooled no one. ‘Freddie is doing so well. He has something to say to everyone. Your father thinks he’s heading straight for the top.’