Page 6 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady
“I told you yesterday that my first cousins on my mother’s side are coming from Ireland, the set of twins?”
Helena remembered that Lady Lavinia had mentioned visiting cousins the day before.
“I remember now. You said they used to visit a lot when you were still children.”
“Yes, they did. Mother tells me the guy is coming with a friend, an Irish prince,” Lady Lavinia said.
“Really, the young man must be really fond of travelling, for him to leave his family just to visit with his friend,” Helena said.
“My thoughts exactly,” Lady Lavinia said.
Both of them kept quiet for a few seconds before Helena broke the silence.
“That means we get to go to the Somerset ball with a full company. Three of us along with your cousins and their friend, that’s a lot of people,” Helena said.
“The more, the merrier,” Lady Lavinia replied.
Helena smiled at her friend’s comment. She had not picked something to wear to the Somerset ball. That was the first ball of the season; she had to make an impression. She doubted Lady Lavinia had bought anything she intended to wear either. The Somerset ball was white themed, and her friend had not bought any white dress.
“We still have to go shopping,” Helena said.
“Of course. I don’t think I have any white dress still in fashion. The ball is coming up at the end of next week. We have to buy our dresses before then,” Lady Lavinia replied.
“It’s good we haven’t bought what we intend to buy. We can all go together, your cousins and their friend inclusive,” Helena said.
Lady Lavinia lay back on the bed and placed her legs on it. She used her feet to ease her shoes off, allowing them to drop on the wooden floor. Helena looked outside. The sinking sun was changing from a bright yellow to a radiant orange. It was low now, sending its rays directly into her room and heating her face.
Helena loved the soft sting of the weak rays on her cheeks. It heated her up and made her appreciate the cool that evening brought. She looked at her mirror, but the rays reflected heavily on it. She couldn’t see anything on it.
She thought about her sister and her father. She had wondered when her mother had asked for the physician to be summoned early that morning.
Yes, Jacqueline is ill, but it wasn’t so bad. We’ve all been as ill as that without necessarily getting the physician to come over. We just buy laudanum for the fever, and she gets over it in a few days.
She needed to check on her father. The man had never fallen seriously ill since she had known him. The issue worried her.
“I need to check my sister, Lavinia,” Helena said.
Lady Lavinia did not respond. Helena turned to look at her friend. Lady Lavinia’s chest rose and fell in a gentle vacillating motion. Helena could hear her breathe, steady streams of air that eased out of her mouth and nostrils. Her friend was asleep. Helena walked to her window and closed it a bit. She didn’t want the sun pouring its rays directly on her friend.
“I need to check on my father,” she said.
Chapter 2
To Check on Family
Helena stopped at Miss Jacqueline’s door first. She pushed it open and saw her sister sitting upright on her bed. The Baroness was sitting opposite and talking to her.
“You look much better,” Helena said.
Miss Jacqueline nodded.
“I feel better,” she replied.
“There it is,” Helena said.
“There is what?” their mother asked.
“Her voice is still very weak, cracking. That’s the sign she is still recovering,” Helena replied.
