I was still blushing when we arrived at our destination. Spot couldn't stop laughing the whole way there, it only made it worse when he wiggled his eyebrows at me in front of his father. Or that he used any chance he got to use suggestive language.
"Remember Violet, when people ask about you. Let Finn answer, that would the proper thing to do"
"Yeah, Violet you have to keep quiet" Spot snickered behind me, as I got out of the carriage.
"Oh and don't go too far away from us, I don't want the gossips to tear you up"
"Don't spread out" Spot agreed, landing beside me. His mother had covered his black eye with makeup powder.
"When we go in-"
Spot burst with laughter.
"I'm sorry—I- "
"That's enough Finn" Mr. Conlon said shutting his son up.
Mrs. Conlon gave us all an odd look.
"As I was saying, when we go in a footman will take us to our seats. The season just started and everyone will be flirting with Finn. You don't need to worry, Violet, Finn only has eyes for you "
This would have been a perfect time for Spot to refute his parents. But he stayed quiet and I didn't feel like it was my place to say anything.
It was hard to walk up the stairs in the long light pink dress. I didn't like pink very much but I had to be honest this had to be the best dress I had ever worn.
If I thought the Conlon house was impressive the Wentworth house was going to shock me stupid.
Everything was so bright and shiny and big.
I felt Spot hook his arm with mine.
"For show" Was all he said.
I glared at him.
Just like Mrs. Conlon had said, a footman directed us toward our seats. I felt so small under the eyes of all these strangers. It was as if they knew I didn't belong here.
"Violet, my father carries a gun on him. I'll get it and we shoot other, death is better than being stuck in this bore-fest" Spot whispered against my ear.
I was still mad at him but I cracked a smile at the dark humor.
It wasn't long before Mrs. Conlon next warning came true. Spot was ripped away from me by an aging woman ranting about how he just had to meet her daughter. I didn't mind it that much it wasn't like we were a thing.
I was hoping to be left alone the rest of the night. Being ignored was my forte.
Boston was famed for being the most liberal out of all the big cities so it was no surprise when a reformer approached me.
She was suffragette, I rather liked suffragettes. They said whatever every other woman was too afraid to say. I was a minor suffragette myself, I just wasn't an official member, the one with that little cloth, the orange, green, and white one.
Eliza was her name, she might of have come on little strong at first with her political questions but I came to find her enjoyable. She kept you on your toes.
"Did he do that to you?" She suddenly asked. Her eyes were boring themselves onto my cheek.
"I wish he had" I answered, touching it. The makeup Mrs. Connor had put on the scratches hadn't helped much the red still showed through.
"What happened?" She asked, squinting at the wound.
"Word of advice don't ever drink a strangers tea"
She looked at me confused "What do you mean?"
"People are not what they seem. Take me for example, I don't belong here"
"Neither do I" She replied. Eliza didn't get it.
"I really don't belong here, three weeks ago I would have been carrying ash out of an oven" I told her. It felt good to tell someone besides Spot about how things used to be before that stupid night when I had to clean out the pantry, if Mrs. Frinsger wasn't such an annoying boss none of this would have happened.
"Was it like Cinderella?"
I laughed at the comment.
"More like an adaptation on Jack the ripper's victims" I said. Still chuckling to myself.
"That bad?" Eliza questioned.
"That bad" I answered
"Hey there's going to be a meeting later this week. A bunch of suffragettes are going to get together at a theater" She looked around the room before taking a flier from the bottom inside of her dress. "It's kind of low key"
"Are only girls allowed?" I asked looking at the small yellow flier.
"No bring your boyfriend. It'll be safer for you that way"
"Safer?" I questioned.
"If the police come in and break the meeting he can make sure to bargain your way out"
"What?"
"Look at him, he's the spitting image of his father and everyone's buzzing about the Conlon's long lost son" Eliza said.
"Sp- Finn has only been with his parents two days" I replied.
"Word travels fast. Now, I hear his some big shot back in New York is that true?"
I looked away from Eliza and behind my shoulder where I had last seen Spot. He was sipping out of shot glass. He was facing my table. His eyes meet mine, he held his shot out to me and winked.
My cheeks fired up again. Eliza giggled, I didn't think someone so liberal could giggle but she did.
"Yeah he is some sort of big shot"
"Why do you always have to be so bold?" I asked Spot once we had returned home and his parents turned in for the night.
"You love it" Spot said, unbuttoning his vest.
"You winked at me in front of all those people!" I hissed.
"I wanted to let them know I wasn't interested in their daughters" He said, turning around to look at me
"A no would have sufficed!" My stage whisper made my voice high pitched.
"Why are you whispering?" He asked, taking his shirt off.
"You parents are sleeping!" I said raising my voice a little bit.
"On the other side of the house" Spot retorted and walked away from me.
I frowned "I'm mad at you"
He spun on his heel "What did I do?!"
"You're leading your parents on! You know were not a couple"
"You've been doing it to!" He said, crossing the space he had created in three long steps.
"You always initiate the situations!" I backfired, digging a finger into his bare chest.
"It's not like you stop them" He retorted.
"I do too" I said before he walked away.
"Please! You love it when I give you attention"
"I do not!" I backfired.
"Really?! Then what am I doing here? Why am I in your room?"
"Don't go there, Spot" I warned, narrowing my eyes.
"Admit it Violet, you can't sleep alone "He said. I wanted to slap him.
"Whose fault is that?!" I asked. My voice level rising with my anger.
"You were already in a hole by the time you met me!" Spot shouted, matching my tone.
"I could have gotten out of it without being kidnapped for two weeks!" I snapped back.
"She was your friend!" He countered.
"I barely even knew her!" I shouted. My blood boiling with anger.
We stood in the room huffing, our chests falling up and down as the anger and rage we felt pumped through our veins.
"I'll make you a deal If by the end of this week you still want me to tell my parents we're not dating I'll do it, I'll tell them, and I'll admit that you were right and I was wrong"
"And if not?" I asked.
"You'll find out when the time comes" Spot said, stretching. The stress from the previous conversation forgotten.
"It better not be something supper stupid" I said.
"Trust me, you won't regret it"
I had a feeling I would.