Theresa laughed in response. It was a charming, pretty sound, one that had been perfected over the course of a lifetime and she executed it brilliantly. "Well, now of course I'd never. I grew up. But back then I was a child and I couldn't help but feel like an outsider looking in. Not so much anymore, though."

Her eyes met his and her mouth stretched into a smile. "Listen to me, just talking about myself. I haven't asked about you. Will you be participating in tomorrow's hunt, Prince Edward? I would assume that you are a fine hunter?"

Ella took Avril's hand and gripped it. She felt a childlike excitement, a mischievous and forbidden feeling she'd not felt in years. How long had it been since she'd conspired with Avril? Plotted to steal some extra sweets from the kitchen or explore a room that was off limits? She had forgotten how fun it was. Bending the rules a little. Of course they had never conspired to do something so big and so against the rules before.

"If we're careful and clever about it, I think we could do it." Ella paused for a moment, thinking it over. "I'm sure if we both asked your mother would allow you to visit me in my father's home. For tea or lunch or anything. Everyone will be at the hunt anyway, so why not? And then we could just...slip out through the back garden. Just for an hour, at least. And we don't have to go that far from my home. You can wear a disguise of some kind, like a hood to cover your face. And I could show you some of my favorite shops and it would be so nice to get a change of scenery..."

She stopped and looked at Avril. "We don't have to try if you don't want to. I just...thought it might be exciting."