"She was lovely," Rue said after Selina left to rejoin her mother.
"She thinks she is smart. I wouldn't trust her, Rue. She is jealous that you got to dance with Elijah," Penelope said, well aware of what hid behind Selina's smile.
Penelope continued to explain, "I've been watching how the ladies act around my brother for years. I know when they are being kind to me to get closer to him. It is a smart tactic, but I don't want to grow close to someone who pretends."
"Will she plot against me?" Rue said, prepared for whatever Selina might do.
"She is the kind of lady to get the other ladies to attack you while she plays innocent. I'm sure chatter about your dance with Elijah will pass for others, but Selina might hold onto it. You may ignore what I say and judge her solely on what she says to you," Penelope suggested.
Penelope had her reasons for not being close to some of the ladies and did not want to be the reason Rue didn't make new friends.
