Page 57 of A Governess' Unbridled Passion
“Why can I not dance tonight?” Lady Beatrice asked, folding her arms as she took a huff. “I want to see my Uncle Phillip. He will let me dance.”
“I am afraid that a ball goes on very, very late. Far too late for tired little eyes,” Alice persisted. “Children cannot possibly stay up so late.”
“I am a lady too,” Lady Beatrice tried. “And I have lots of pretty dresses.”
“You are a lady, and you do have many nice dresses, but you are still a child,” Alice said. Though she felt a little sorry for the children, they had been pushed out of all family events of late. “We will make up for it. I will ask if we can take a trip outdoors when the sunshine is out.”
“I enjoy a picnic,” Lady Beatrice said, delight now obvious on her face.
“Excellent. Then we shall have an outdoor picnic. What is more, we will not invite any lords or ladies,” Alice said, hoping this would cheer up the little lady.
“My Uncle Phillip may come, but not Aunt Davina. I do not like her,” Lady Beatrice said, ever honest as a child could be. “And I will take Flossy, and Jacob can choose a teddy too.”
“That is a very good plan, Lady Beatrice,” Alice agreed. “I will request that Cook give us any leftovers from the ball so that our picnic can be a feast of delights.”
“Do they eat when they are dancing?” Lady Beatrice asked, again looking worried. “They will get food all over the place if they do.”
“Let us not worry over the lords and ladies,” Alice said excitedly. “We will only think about our own picnic, where we can sing and dance by the lake,”
“Oh yes, please, Miss Alice, I like to sing too,” Lady Beatrice said, laughing with excitement.
“It be time to get you ready for your beds,” Nanny announced, sharing a smile with Alice. “I am sure that Miss Alice has lots to keep her busy, so I be reading the story to you both tonight.”
Alice picked up the pride in Betsy’s voice. Now that she could read the simpler books, she’d started to take over their bedtime stories on the odd occasion.
“So long as you show me all the pictures in the book, Nanny,” Lady Beatrice insisted as Betsy led the children towards their bedchamber.
Alice cleared away in the nursery to get along to her room and ready herself for the big event. She wasn’t making an entrance until all the guests arrived, and she would only be in the ballroom briefly. Still, it was enough to make her stomach do summersaults, though the feeling was a good one.
As she left the nursery and neared her room, she saw the door open. Stepping inside, she spotted Clara and various maids filling a hot tub for her.
“What is this about?” Alice asked, looking on in confusion.
“I told you that you would be the Belle of the ball and everyone wants to know they played their part,” Clara said enthusiastically. “Come, Miss Alice, and be treated as a lady who is readying for her ball.”
While she bathed, the maids busied themselves preparing her gown and jewellery. After her bath, they did wonderful things with her blonde locks. Then they placed some fine jewels upon her, just as they all would for any lady of the house. Soon, Alice was looking back at herself in a mirror, and she was bedazzled.
“I can hardly recognise myself,” she said, shocked at how much she looked like a fine lady. “You have all done a wonderful job of dressing me for the occasion,” she added as Clara put the mask on her face.
It concealed most of her face, but her lips were visible. They’d chosen a full mask, similar to what many ladies would wear.
“Goodness … I could fool myself,” she declared to rapturous laughter in the room.
“Well, on behalf of the servants of Haroth Hall, I declare you ready to fool the French woman,” Clara called out, and the maids applauded. “Shhh, we’d better keep the noise down. Now off you all go before you’re missed. The night is not yet done.”
Chapter 29
“I look and feel amazing, thank you, all of you,” Alice declared as the servants moved out and headed back to their work.
“You can thank them later when it’s all over and we all feel we’ve fooled that woman, good and proper,” Clara said, starting to move Alice through the door. “Come along; the next stage is set, getting you into the ball.”
“Clara, I am not sure this is a good idea,” Alice professed, suddenly having second thoughts about the whole idea. “It is too risky.”
“Nonsense, look at you, Miss Alice. You are beautiful, and it would be a shame not to go down there and dance with a gentleman. You should look for the duke. The servants would be ever so pleased if you could manage that.” She chuckled, encouraging Alice into the upstairs corridor.
Alice didn’t let on that she had intended to dance with the duke all along. The thought of raising any suspicion made her feel quite ill, as did the thought of mingling among the gentry.
“Can I change my mind?” she asked as her hands trembled. “I am not …”
