Page 18 of One Perfect Dance
“Miss Kingsley?” It was her father’s valet, returning into the room.
“Yes, Medhurst?”
“I am sorry, Miss. Your mother is downstairs with Mr. Deffew, and he has a traveling coach outside.”
For a moment, Regina froze, torn between disbelief and anger.She wouldn’t. Would she? How could she!
“Medhurst, could you get a message to Mr. Paddimore? He might still be at his home, or he might have gone to his club, Westruthers.”
Medhurst nodded. “I will take it myself, Miss. What am I to tell him? Or will you write a note?”
She thought for a moment. “What you told me about Mr. Deffew and the coach. And please ask him to come quickly.”
She was just in time. The door opened and her mother swept into the room. “Ah. Here you are, Regina. You have a journey to make, child. Come along. You shall need to change into a carriage dress.”
“Why, Mama? What is happening? Can I not sit with Papa?” She did not have to feign tears. They rose unbidden.
“I know. You are upset, of course. But this is more important. I will not let you be ruined, Regina. Mr. Deffew is willing to marry you and save your reputation.”
“I cannot marry Mr. Deffew, Mama,” Regina explained. “Mr. Paddimore said he is my guardian now, and he will not give his consent. I will not be of age for another four years, Mama.”
Mama ignored what she did not want to hear. “Hurry and get dressed, child. I have told your maid to pack for you, so you need only to get yourself ready. Medhurst? Bother the man. Where has he gone?”
She bustled away, certain her commands would be followed.
Regina gave her father’s cold cheek a kiss. She hated leaving him alone, but she had a better chance of delaying her mother if she pretended to comply.
Her maid expressed her sympathies but otherwise said very little. She was packing a large trunk. How long did Mama expect the trip to be? They were headed to Scotland, Regina supposed.
She saw gowns of every color going into the trunk. They gave her a possible way to delay being forced to leave with Deffew.
“I cannot wear those, Annie. I am in mourning. Find me a black carriage dress, please, then unpack everything colored from the trunk and repack it.”
As her maid repacked the trunk, Regina took her time, changing everything from the skin out, and calling her maid from the packing every few minutes to help with a tape or a button. Then, when she was fully dressed, she waited a few moments, turning this way and that in the mirror before saying, “I have changed my mind. This one does not feel at all comfortable, and I cannot imagine what it will be like after hours in a carriage. I’ll have the dark grey one with the black ribbon trim.”
“But, Miss,” her maid protested. “That was the first one I packed.” Poor Annie. Regina felt bad for using her this way, but it had to be done to stop her mother’s plans from succeeding. So Regina insisted, and the whole trunk had to be unpacked. Her maid was part way through the repacking and Regina was all but dressed again when her mother came to see what was taking so long, spoiling Regina’s plan to insist on a third gown, one that she knew was now nearly at the bottom of the trunk.
“Why are you still dressing? You and Mr. Deffew must be away from here quickly. Already, I have told them to move the traveling carriage around to the mews, so the neighbors don’t know what is going on. Hurry, Regina, hurry. Here. Let me.”
She batted Regina’s hands away from the buttons on the redingote she was studiously misbuttoning, and quickly set them to rights.
“Have you not finished packing that trunk yet, girl?”
“It is my fault, Mama,” Regina volunteered, guilt washing over her again. She hadn’t wanted to get the girl into trouble. “I wanted something she had already packed, so she had to start again. I will finish, Annie. You had better go and pack a bag for yourself.”
“No need for that,” Mama said. “Annie will not be going with you, Regina.”
“But I cannot travel with Mr. Deffew alone, in a closed carriage, Mama. Even with my maid, it is improper.”
“You are already compromised beyond repair, silly child. And he will be your husband within days. Any impropriety will be forgiven once you have his ring on your finger.”
Regina searched her mind for any other way to delay, but Mama grabbed her arm and began hauling her towards the door. “Hurry,” she said again.
Mr. Deffew was pacing in the parlor. He looked harried. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” He said to Mama, as they entered.
Regina looked at him and something her father had told her surfaced in her mind. She heard his words so clearly it was as if he was in the room with her and as if his voice was not only in her memory.You don’t have to worry about a fortune hunter, princess. Just tell them I’ve tied your dowry and your wealth up so tightly they’ll never get their hands on it.
“Mr. Deffew, a word, if you please.”
