Page 24 of The Rake's Daughter
Clarissa wrinkled her nose. “People always say that when you’re as plain as a stick. I’d much rather be pretty.”
“Nonsense, youarepretty,” Izzy insisted. “Your eyes are a lovely subtle color and you have perfect skin, and your hair—”
“Oh, stop it,” Clarissa said, half laughing. “You’re my sister. You’re biased.”
“I know, but you will find a man who will look at you the way Lord Tarrant looks at his wife, I promise.”
“She’s nice, isn’t she? And so elegant.”
“Oh,” Izzy said, “I meant to tell you. I asked her whether she could recommend a dressmaker, and she told me she gets all her dresses from a Miss Chance at the House of Chance, off Piccadilly. She said Miss Chance is young,unconventional, and immensely talented. That she makes the best of each of her clients and is rapidly making a name for herself with society ladies.”
Clarissa raised her brows. “How intriguing. Shall we call on her tomorr— Oh. I forgot. We can’t buy anything new until we know what is happening with the servants. I wonder how long it will take for my letter to reach Papa’s cousin.”
“And whether he will even respond to it. Perhaps we can just walk past and look inside Miss Chance’s shop,” Izzy suggested. “We don’t have to buy anything yet. I’m dying to explore London a little.”
“But ought we go out at all tomorrow?” Clarissa said. “Didn’t Lord Salcott say he’d call on us?”
“Pooh,” Izzy said. “I’m not going to wait on his pleasure. If he doesn’t have the decency to let us know when he’s coming, he can hardly expect us to wait around indefinitely.”
But when they returned to Lady Scattergood’s, they found a curt note had been delivered informing them that Lord Salcott would call the following day at two o’clock and that the young ladies were to make themselves available.
Izzy glowered at the note. “He didn’t even ask if it was convenient. Just issued an order. What if we had another engagement?”
“But we haven’t,” Clarissa said.
“We might have,” Izzy insisted. “He’s too high-handed for words.”
***
I have spoken with the lawyer handling your father’s affairs,” Leo told Miss Studley. He and the young ladies were gathered in the front sitting room. Leo’s aunt was, apparently, taking a nap. Leo waved away the butler’s offer of tea. He wanted to get down to business and be gone.
Miss Burton was wearing a mulberry-colored dress that flattered her face and somehow drew his attention to her plum-satin lips. Not that he was looking.
“What about?” Miss Studley asked.
“About the servants?” Isobel Burton asked at the same time.
“Yes.” He addressed Miss Studley. Much as he hated to acknowledge it, Race was right: when he looked at Miss Isobel Burton, all coherent thought vanished.
“But I thought you said it was none of your concern,” Isobel Burton said.
Leo shrugged. True, it wasn’t officially his area of responsibility, but he’d been disgusted by Sir Bartleby’s lack of provision for Miss Burton, and for the servants who had served him and his family for most of their lives. A gentleman didn’t behave in such a scaly way toward his dependents. But Leo had no intention of explaining himself.
He explained to Miss Studley, “Your father’s cousin intends to keep most of the servants on. Of course, he may replace some of them if their work is not satisfactory—”
“It won’t be,” Isobel Burton interjected.
“But as the man is only recently married and there is no sign of children at this point, he will have no need of a nanny. In any case, I gather your former nanny is elderly, so even if his wife does conceive, he will no doubt want someone younger and more—”
“But what will happen to Nanny?” Miss Studley asked.
“There is no need to concern yourselves. She will be provided for.” And that was all that Leo would say on the matter. They didn’t need to know what he planned.
The two girls exchanged glances. “Does that mean we can go shopping?” Miss Studley asked.
Leo frowned. “Of course. Did I not tell you to have your bills sent to me?”
Miss Studley nodded. “Yes, but we thought we mighthave to use my allowance to help Nanny and the other servants if they were dismissed.”
