Chapter 43
Victoria’s fantasies of a restful afternoon getting ready for Rob’s visit evaporated as soon as she opened the front door. A wave of chattering voices from the formal parlor, just out of sight to her left, hit her exhausted body like a wave.
All velvet and silk and delicate chairs and china, the room was empty except for the most formal and important occasions.
As far as she knew, none had been scheduled today.
She couldn’t make it upstairs to her bedroom and workroom or even out to the garden without walking past whatever was going on in there. Even walking around through the side of the yard not blocked by a fence would be tricky, since the sprawling room had windows on all three sides.
Much as she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to tolerate socializing, Victoria couldn’t
