Penelope looked over and saw that Mrs. Stapleton had arrived. She moved through the crowd like a queen, surrounded by an entourage, her chin held high with an air of regal disdain. But when Penelope saw that she was also wearing a black evening gown, one strikingly similar to the one she had originally planned to wear, her brow furrowed.
It couldn’t be a coincidence.
Sure enough, Yvonne was right by Mrs. Stapleton’s side, sharing the spotlight as they accepted the fawning attention of the other guests. For all intents and purposes, Yvonne looked like the true young mistress of the Stapleton family.
“It seems Mrs. Stapleton isn’t very fond of Penelope,” one woman whispered nearby. “Otherwise, why would she arrive with the Bishop girl instead of her own daughter-in-law?”
“Well, the Bishop family has status. What does this Penelope have? If I were Mrs. Stapleton, I’d want Yvonne as my daughter-in-law too. It’s a shame her son had other ideas.”
“That Penelope girl is pretty, I’ll give her that, but looks alone won’t get you far in high society. This is a public slap in the face from her mother-in-law.”
The women hadn’t noticed Penelope standing in the shadows.
“Thank you for the compliment,” Penelope said, her voice cool and clear. “I am quite pretty. I also have enough decency not to gossip about people behind their backs.”
The women turned, mortified to see her there, and quickly scurried away.
Natalie frowned. “Yvonne must have known what you were planning to wear tonight and convinced Mrs. Stapleton to wear something almost identical.”
Penelope arched a brow. “You know about her thing for Theodore?”

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