Page 48 of The Ones Left Behind
If only she did not love him so much and had had the strength to walk away. But he was her weakness and she would stay as long as she could. If this situation continued, it would not be for long.
There was a knock on the door. Kitty frowned. No one ever knocked on her door. She stood up and walked over to open it, only to find one of the parlour maids standing there, her arms full of gowns wrapped in tissue.
“Do you need help, Millie? Are these some of the ladies’ gowns?”
Kitty had to step aside as Millie came into the room and placed her burden on the bed. “No, ma’am. I was told that these are for you. They were sent from London. I am also to act as your maid, if it pleases you.”
Kitty was speechless while she attempted to assimilate what the girl had said.
The maid was already setting aside the layers of protective fabric and hanging the gowns from every available position. “There is not much time before dinner. I hope there is one which will not need pressing.”
Kitty blinked a few times as she watched in astonishment. She had never owned anything so fine even when she was in the Earl’s good graces. She had scarcely been out of the schoolroom when she was cast out as a traitor. Despite her protestations, she could not help but walk over and lovingly finger the luxurious material.
“Cor, Mrs. Gordon,” Millie said. “Were you really brought up here as a lady?”
Kitty found her voice. “I was, but that was a long, long time ago.”
Millie smiled somewhat adoringly. “My sister said so, but I did not believe her.” The dinner gong sounded below. “We should hurry, ma’am.”
“I should not accept these,” Kitty said, knowing Matthias had plotted against her. It would be no more proper to accept these than it was to be living in his home as an unmarried lady. Everything was so wrong and convoluted that she no longer knew what was right and proper.
“Millie, please return these to his lordship.” It would serve him right, she thought waspishly, if she arrived in her housekeeper’s dress.
Millie looked uncomfortable and was nervously stepping from side to side.
“His lordship told me you would argue and that I was not to take no for an answer.” Her lips began to tremble.
“I would never have thought he would stoop to using the parlour maid against me.” She closed her eyes. “How can I go back to my duties after this?”
“But you won’t, ma’am. You are to become the Countess.”
Kitty wanted to argue, but she had promised Matthias, and this young girl would feel a failure.
“Very well, Millie. Which one do you think?”
The girl’s face broke out in a smile. “Oh, this one, ma’am. It matches your eyes perfectly.” She was pointing to a copper-coloured silk in the latest fashion, with a high waist and capped sleeves trimmed in gold braid.
As the silk touched her skin, Kitty could have cried. It had been years since anything so soft and delicate had been against her skin.
The maid laced her up from behind and turned Kitty around to look in the glass. “You look like a princess! May I place a few curls in your hair? I’ve been practising on my sister.”
In for a penny, in for a pound, Kitty sighed to herself. “I daresay we have time for a few.”
Half an hour later, she was ready and could no longer delay going down to dinner. As hostess, she should be there to greet the guests when they arrived downstairs.
She was surprised to find she was the first one down. The drawing room held the stamp of Lady Thackeray more than any other room in the house, save her chambers, and Kitty had sneaked into this room many times after her death to sit on her favourite chair and snuggle up for a weep.
It was as if she could still feel her presence in this room, and she was comforted by that fact as, without conscious thought, she stood next to her ladyship’s chair, fingering the floral designs in the damask.
“I still miss her too,” a deep voice said from across the room.
“Your lordship! I did not see you there.” She spun about to see him attired in evening dress, freshly shaven and more handsome than any man had a right to be, with his tawny hair and skin bronzed like a kiss of sun.
“I should have said something, but I did not wish to disturb your memories. And I was also admiring you. You look beautiful, Kitty. Thank you for wearing the gown. If I am honest, I thought you would refuse it.”
“I wanted to, but you used little Millie against me.”
“I learned how to strategize from the best,” he answered with a charming grin.
