Allegra had half expected Vladislav to storm into her room and carry her downstairs when her message reached him. She was relieved when it was not Vladislav, but the maid with a trolley that showed up instead. Her heart absolutely did not clench in disappointment. She impatiently waited for Cilla to come back from dinner, but noticed it was taking her much longer than it should. She sincerely hoped they were not actually enjoying themselves without her and had to stop herself from just going downstairs a couple of times.
The Duchess was irritably picking at her dinner when Cilla finally tore herself from what must have been a scintillating conversation. It had to be if it took her so long to finally check on her best friend. The sheer petulance she was exhibiting shocked her beyond words.
