Page 28 of The Duke's Last Dance
“Nicolas, Miss Alexia, I believe you ought to take a walk. ‘Tis a beautiful day, and then you can have a more relaxed conversation.” His mother was not helpful.
“What a wonderful idea!” Miss Alexia beamed. “Don’t you think it a wonderful idea as well, Lord Lockhart.”
She gave him no time to answer as she got up from her seat. Nicolas followed, and he managed to keep himself from glaring at his mother. This was not the way he had imagined his first meeting with Miss Alexia to go.
She placed her hand on his elbow without expecting him to offer his elbow, and then they were being walked through the door by the lady’s maid.
Once they were in the gardens, Nicolas adjusted so that her hand was more squarely in position. She readjusted and let her hand drop a few centimeters closer to his wrist. It took everything in him not to tell her to put it back or to make it happen himself. He had to be polite, he reminded himself.
“These are beautiful gardens. I wonder how long they took to plant, though I know nothing about gardens myself, you see. The only garden I’ve ever seen so splendidly planted before has been Vauxhall Garden, and I’m sure you have seen such splendid gardens, too,” Miss Alexia continued. “Such trees and flowers together, I never would have thought! ‘Tis a beautiful thing, yes. A beautiful thing.”
Nicolas opened his mouth to say something, but she continued to talk, this time talking about how much she hoped to have a garden one day in her own home. She would hire someone to plant and take care of it, of course, but she would have to make sure they could do quality work.
Someone from his father’s estate, perhaps, would do.
Nicolas looked over at the lady’s maid. She had a rehearsed face on, he was sure. He could only imagine what it was like to walk with her through whatever gardens her heart desired and listen to her ramble on and on at length about whatever her heart thought about. It was excruciating for two hours; he could only imagine what it would be like to do this every day.
That lady’s maid deserved more than she was being paid, whatever it was. He pitied her, having to endure this every day.
“Of course, I suppose if I were to spend that much on a garden, my father would never forgive me. You see, he has entailed my estate away to a distant cousin, and I must content myself with marrying happily to a man of great wealth.” Miss Alexia continued to talk, oblivious to Nicolas’s inner turmoil.
Chapter Twelve
Catherine fidgeted with the bodice of her dress, trying to get it to sit straight. Miss Amelia ended up having to redo the laces on the back to get it to sit flat, and she appreciated that her lady’s maid would take the time to do that without needing to be asked.
“Miss Amelia, you may have the day off. My mother and Miss Juliet will be accompanying me into town today.” Catherine turned around to face her lady’s maid. “You work too hard. Take the day off.”
“Thank you, my Lady. I have other business to attend to, and this is the best chance I shall have to do so,” Miss Amelia said, a large smile on her face.
“Of course, Miss Amelia. Take care today.” Catherine turned back to the mirror.
Her bodice was finally sitting flat.
“You too, Lady Catherine.” With that, Miss Amelia excused herself and left the bedroom.
Catherine finished getting dressed for the day by adorning her done-up hair with a hat, and then, she walked downstairs. She found her mother and Miss Juliet waiting for her in the main entryway.
“We saw Miss Amelia come down a few minutes ago; where have you been, Lady Catherine?” Her mother gave her a soft but stern stare.
“I was finishing my hat up.” Catherine smiled a little. “I could not go out without a hat, could I?”
“I suppose not.” Her mother shook her head. “Shall we be off to Bruton Street? We have a myriad of fittings to get done today.”
“Yes, yes, we should be going.” Catherine started to walk towards the door. She had her fan, her reticule, her hat… there was nothing missing from her outfit.
“You look beautiful today, Lady Catherine.” Miss Juliet smiled at her. “That dress is beautiful on you. Is it one of your favorites to wear on the town?”
“It is. I believe it is becoming too small, though, as we had trouble getting the bodice to lay flat today.” Catherine laughed. “I have had this dress for so long that perhaps ‘tis time to retire it.”
“Perhaps so, Catherine.” Her mother interrupted the conversation. “But even so, there are plenty of other dress you could wear around the town.”
“Yes, there are, Mother,” Catherine said.
They got into the carriage, with Miss Juliet and Lady Catherine on one bench and her mother on the other. There was little conversation on the way to Town, and Catherine was all right with that. She enjoyed the time she could spend watching the town pass them by through the window she sat beside.
Miss Juliet spoke to her mother about what they were doing. The modiste had written to say that her wedding dress was ready to be fitted, and everyone was excited for that. Not only was Miss Juliet’s wedding dress ready, if it fit as Miss Juliet intended, they could finish payments and have it stored for further fittings, since the wedding would not be until spring.
They arrived at the modiste, and they all got out of the carriage. Catherine could hardly believe the wedding dress was ready now. It seemed like only last week that they had had the measurements taken, but indeed, it had been months. Miss Juliet had come to Town earlier than Lady Catherine and her family had, and the wedding dress was the main reason.
