Page 1 of Courting the Earl
Chapter 1
February 1818
Eleanor Pearson stepped into a pale yellow muslin gown and turned so her aunt’s maid could fasten the short row of buttons.
It was not yet noon, too early to be preparing to receive callers, but this morning’s guest was special. The Earl of Hargrove would soon arrive to meet with her uncle. Of course Aunt Helen wouldn’t allow this opportunity to pass. The earl was formally betrothed to her daughter Lydia, but the two had yet to meet.
In truth, none of them had met the new earl. Eleanor couldn’t deny she was very curious about the man who would be marrying her cousin.
“Your hair, Miss Pearson?”
Eleanor turned to face the maid. They both knew the woman should be concentrating on Lydia. “I can manage. You should see to my cousin.”
With a quick curtsy, the woman left the room.
Eleanor sat at the dressing table and frowned at her appearance. Yellow was not a good color on her as it gave her fair skin a sallow appearance. She’d chosen to wear this dress today for precisely that reason.
She pinned her brown hair up in a practical chignon, careful to scrape it back tightly. Today was all about Lydia, and Eleanor had been admonished by her aunt not to do anything to overshadow her younger cousin.
As though that were possible. No one would notice Eleanor while Lydia was in the room.
Her movements were quick and efficient since she knew what was coming. She’d just set down her hairbrush when a piercing shriek rang out through the house. Eleanor rose from the dressing table and waited for the inevitable summons.
“Ellie!”
With a sigh, she smoothed her hands over her dress and made her way down the hall to her cousin’s chamber. The scene that greeted her was less chaotic than she’d feared.
Lydia sat on the edge of her bed, three gowns cast aside behind her. A fourth dress was draped over the maid’s arm. No doubt the woman had deemed it safer to hold on to it rather than risk Lydia tossing that one aside as well.
Eleanor crossed the room to stand before Lydia, who reached for her hands and clutched them.
“What am I going to do? All these dresses were made last year. The new ones we ordered from the modiste haven’t arrived yet.”
Eleanor squeezed Lydia’s hands. “Let me see if I can find something special.”
She turned to Lydia’s wardrobe and began to look through the many dresses hanging there. Her cousin already possessed a number of beautiful gowns made with rich fabrics, but it was true that she didn’t have many day dresses.
Finally she settled on a white morning dress with blue lace trim around the bodice and sleeves.
She turned to Lydia, holding the dress out. “I’ve always loved this one on you. The blue trim matches your eyes and makes them look larger.”
A crease formed between Lydia’s brows. “But it isn’t new.”
“No, but Lord Hargrove has never seen you in it. Besides, he is a man. Such things don’t matter to him. He’ll just see a beautiful young woman and will become besotted at once.”
A dimple formed in Lydia’s cheek, because of course her cousin also had dimples. Eleanor wasn’t similarly blessed.
“What would I do without you, Ellie?”
Eleanor lowered herself onto the bed beside her cousin. Lydia was spoiled, yes, but she wasn’t mean-spirited. It wasn’t Lydia’s fault that her parents had always indulged her every whim.
“You’ll never have to find out. Now let’s get you ready to meet your betrothed.”
They made their way downstairs half an hour later, after Lydia was satisfied with the way her fair hair framed her heart-shaped face. Aunt Helen was already sitting in the drawing room, reading what Eleanor suspected was a scandal sheet. They’d only been in London two days, but her aunt always loved staying abreast of the latest scandals and on-dit.
Eleanor greeted her aunt with a kiss to her cheek and moved to the settee, watching as Lydia did the same before coming to sit next to her.
Lady Appleby tsked. “The early hour is most inconvenient. I had to cancel an appointment with the modiste.”
