Page 15 of Duke of Silver
“You’re going to hurt Titan’s feelings, Lizzy,” Anna chided playfully, covering the pug’s ears as though he might understand the slight.
Elizabeth laughed. “She speaks the truth, Anna. That little thing on your lap needs some serious etiquette lessons from Plato,” Peggy chimed in, eager to support her sister in their ongoing rivalry with Titan.
“Perhaps I can teach him a lesson or two,” Aunt Petunia suggested, her tone light but firm.
Peggy let out a snort, trying to suppress her laughter.
“What is that supposed to mean, child?” Aunt Petunia’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as she turned her sharp gaze on Peggy.
“Nothing, Aunt Petunia,” Peggy replied with exaggerated innocence, shaking her head in an attempt to look serious.
“You’re lucky. I would have asked you to stay behind from today’s shopping trip,” Petunia said with a satisfied nod, clearly enjoying her small victory.
“Shopping?” The room echoed with three voices at once, though Peggy’s rang the loudest, nearly bursting with excitement.
“What shopping, Auntie?” Elizabeth asked, her curiosity piqued but tempered with caution.
“Why, for your trousseau, of course. What else?” Aunt Petunia replied, as though the matter was already settled.
Elizabeth’s heart sank slightly. “I hardly think that necessary, Auntie. It’s an unnecessary expense and will only strain our finances.” She could already feel the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders.
Petunia, however, would have none of it. “Your uncle has already given me some funds. I split it in two and returned half to him. The rest I’ve supplemented with my own savings. It won’t be too much of a strain on him,” she said with a gentle but decisive tone.
“Oh, Auntie, I couldn’t possibly—” Elizabeth began again, her words filled with protest.
“I will hear none of it,” Petunia cut her off sharply, her voice firm but kind. “I have only three nieces in this world that I adore, and I am not about to marry any of them off without a proper trousseau.”
The depth of her aunt’s thoughtfulness brought a sudden swell of emotion to Elizabeth’s throat, and she felt her eyes prickle with unshed tears. Despite her earlier reluctance, she was deeply touched by the gesture.
“Thank you, Auntie,” she whispered, reaching out to squeeze her aunt’s hand in gratitude.
“Now, eat up, all of you,” Petunia urged. “We have a day of shopping ahead, and I’ll not have you fainting from hunger before we even begin.”
Peggy, ever the excitable one, gave a delighted squeal, her earlier irritation over Titan’s antics entirely forgotten.
Despite the uneasy circumstances surrounding her impending nuptials, Elizabeth found the shopping excursion a welcome distraction. It wasn’t often that they indulged in new clothes, and she couldn’t deny the small flicker of joy that came with selecting fine fabrics and elegant designs.
Their aunt had even insisted that Anna and Peggy choose dresses for the wedding, a task they took up with great enthusiasm.
“Now, Lizzy, for your morning dresses—would you prefer pastel pinks, greens, or blues?” Aunt Petunia asked, her hands resting on an album of swatches the modiste had handed her.
Before Elizabeth could respond, a voice emerged from a nearby chamber. “The pinks would look lovelier on the younger ladies, don’t you think?”
Elizabeth turned to see a striking blonde woman with piercing green eyes enter the room, moving with a kind of graceful elegance that commanded attention. An attendant trailed behind her, clearly having just finished taking her measurements.
“Your order will be ready in two days, my lady,” the modiste said, bowing slightly as the woman approached with an air of quiet pride.
But then the woman smiled, and the cool formality that had surrounded her seemed to soften, revealing a pleasant, cordial demeanor. “The pink would complement your brightcomplexion perfectly,” she said, her voice warm as she regarded Elizabeth.
“Why, she could simply go for all colors,” the modiste suggested brightly, flipping through the fabric swatches with a flourish. “After all, Lady Elizabeth won’t be needing just one morning dress. Why limit yourself to monotony when variety is at your disposal?”
“My thoughts exactly,” Elizabeth agreed, feeling a surge of relief at the suggestion. She wasn’t fond of restricting herself to one particular shade, and the idea of variety appealed to her. Still, she turned to the Countess with a gracious nod. “Thank you for your suggestion nonetheless.”
“I must confess,” Lady Winston said with a sheepish smile, “I have a particular fondness for delicate pinks and lavender. I can be quite monotonous in my choices, I’m afraid.”
“There’s no monotony if it’s what you love, my lady,” Elizabeth replied kindly, though there was a flicker of something in the Countess’s eyes—something brief, almost inscrutable—that left Elizabeth feeling a touch unsettled.
But when the Countess smiled again, warm and seemingly genuine, Elizabeth chided herself for her unease.It’s just nerves,she thought.Bride’s nerves,as Aunt Petunia would call them. After all, her impending marriage had her on edge.
