“If you are, then so are we,” she said. “Come, Cousin. Let us get you accessorised.”
Isabel laughed with delight as they browsed the jewelry selections. It was enough to make Martha’s head spin, and she wasn’t even shopping for a thing for herself. But Isabel appeared to be in heaven as she requested to see and try various pieces. In the end, she decided on one of the delicate hair diamond strings, diamond embroidered while gloves, and a string of large pearls. Then, they left the shop to see if there was a hat maker so that she could find a bonnet to match her wedding dress.
While Isabel was busy fretting over bonnets, Martha was able to catch her mother’s eye. She had an idea, but she wanted it to be a surprise. She stood behind Isabel, well out of her peripheral vision, and put a finger to her lips before pointing back toward the door of the shop. The viscountess seemed to understand immediately, giving her daughter a knowing smile and an almost imperceptible nod. Then, she spoke directly to Isabel, leading her further down the display of hats and bonnets they were currently perusing, allowing Martha to slip away the opposite direction and sneak out the door of the store.
There were many stores for various kinds of accessorizing. Martha thought that her cousin could easily find complete accessory sets for her wedding dress at each shop, and that she would love each one more than the last. She hid a smile as she found another jewelry store. If Isabel figured out what Martha just had, she would miss her own wedding trying to select just the right accessories.
Like the other jewelry store, there were all manner of jewelry pieces with every single gemstone in the world. Unlike the other one, however, each of these pieces seemed more intricate and elaborate, as though each one was meant to mimic that of the Royal family’s jewelry. As though it was made only for the Royal family, Martha thought. She already had an idea of the perfect gift in mind, and she headed straight for a grand display of diamond and sapphire earrings.
Three pairs caught her attention almost immediately, but it didn’t take her long to choose the one she thought was perfect. They were intricate silver teardrop shaped earrings, with small sapphires and even smaller diamonds trickling down the bends and winds of the metal. Martha could already see the tears of joy that her cousin would be crying as she married her fiancé. And Martha thought the earrings she had selected were the manmade embodiment of those joyous tears.
She made her purchase and then sneaked back into the shop where Isabel was proudly holding up the bonnet she had apparently chosen. Martha tucked the box with her gift into her dress pocket and slipped back in beside her mother, pretending as though she had been browsing on the other side of the store. When the viscountess raised a hidden eyebrow at her daughter, Martha winked at her mother. The viscountess smiled proudly at her daughter, standing beside her while the hat maker boxed up Isabel’s bonnet. Then, the older woman led her daughter and niece outside the shop, linking her arms through theirs.
“I’m positively famished,” she said. “How would the two of you like to have tea at Gunter’s?”
Isabel and Martha both nodded in agreement. She wasn’t one for social events, and she could do with much shorter shopping trips, when she was only shopping for herself. But Gunter’s was one place she had always loved going, and she was thrilled to get to do so again.
During tea, Isabel gushed about all the accessories she just purchased. Martha’s thoughts drifted as she looked around the prominent tea-house. She was imagining how much fun it would be to paint a ladies’ luncheon taking place in Gunter’s. She made a mental note to start on that the next time she was able to set aside a whole day to paint.
The women returned home after tea, and all of them were giddy from their lovely morning in town. Isabel took Martha’s hand and beamed at her.
“Will you come try on my new things with me?” she asked. “It isn’t as much fun without my beloved cousin with me.”
Martha smiled fondly at her cousin. She was about to answer in the affirmative, when the butler intercepted the women on their way toward the staircase. He bowed quickly, giving them an apologetic smile.
“Pardon me,” he said, turning to Martha. “Miss Martha, Lord Elwood wishes to see you. He’s waiting in his study for you.”
Martha’s heart skipped, anxiety welling within her. She could count on one hand how many times her father had summoned her to his study, and each time had been to discuss something very serious. She looked to her mother, hoping that she might have some idea as to why the viscount wanted to speak with her. But the viscountess looked puzzled, as well.
Martha realized that the butler was awaiting her response. She gave him a tight smile and nodded.
“Thank you,” she said. “I shall come see him straightaway.”
The butler bowed.
“I will let him know you are on your way,” he said.
Martha took a deep breath and gave Isabel a sheepish look.
“I better go see what Father needs,” she said. “I can come to your chambers when we’ve finished talking, if you like.”
Isabel grinned and nodded.
“I’ll be ready with some champagne,” she said with a giggle.
Martha smiled again. That did sound lovely. And, depending on what her father wished to discuss, she might be craving a spot of champagne. She excused herself, heading back the way they had just come, turning down another hallway and toward her father’s study.
Her father smiled at her as soon as she reached the doorway.
“Come, darling,” he said, rising and walking over to her to take her hand. “I have something important I wanted to discuss with you.”
Martha swallowed hard, but she tried to smile. If her father was smiling, surely, it couldn’t be bad news, right? So, why was her stomach twisting itself into a million knots?
Her father guided her to one of the chairs opposite his large, cushioned chair on the other side of the desk. But to her surprise, he didn’t go reclaim his own seat. Instead, he sat beside her in the other chair on that side of the pine desk.
“I’ve been thinking a great deal about your spinster state lately,” he said. “I must admit it’s been a source of great concern for me.”
Martha shook her head, smiling at her father.
