The Rose Petal Tea Shop was one of the most fashionable establishments in the city, a place where noblewomen went to display their new hats, exchange the latest gossip, and be seen by the right people.
The air was a cloying mixture of strong tea, sweet pastries, and a dozen different expensive perfumes. The low hum of polite conversation and the delicate clinking of porcelain cups filled the crowded room.
Evelin Pembroke, sitting at a small table near the window, raised her hand, waving it back and forth so that Anne could see her through the sea of elaborate hats and fluttering fans.
Anne saw her hand and smiled, a cool, confident expression on her face as she navigated the crowded room and sat across from Evelin.
"Wow, Anne," Evelin said, her own face beaming with a nervous excitement. "You look like you are in a very good mood today."
