Page 50 of An Earl Like You
“He told me there were tenants the last few years, when your family didn’t come to London.” Eliza kept her voice calm and sympathetic. The last thing she wanted to do was offend the dowager. “I expect the house suffered some wear in that time.”
“Oh yes,” said Henrietta. “Mama was just speaking of replacing the carpet in the drawing room. It looks like someone spilled hot ash on it!”
“Hastings has not given his approval for new carpets,” said her mother with a warning look at her daughter.
Eliza was ready for this. She already knew his answer; she had asked Hugh again last night if she could buy new carpets and draperies.Whatever you like, he’d said. “Perhaps if we appeal to him together?” she suggested with a hopeful smile.
The countess’s smile was brief. “Perhaps.”
She spread jam on her toast. “I confess, decorating was one of my favorite things at home. I changed every room of the house except my father’s study, where I was forbidden to interfere.”
“Oh?” For the first time Lady Hastings showed some curiosity. “Then you planned the color scheme in the drawing room where you wed?”
“I chose everything in that room, ma’am.”
“Everything?” Henrietta echoed in amazement. “It’s a beautiful room!”
“Thank you. My mother died when I was three,” Eliza explained. “Whenever I wanted to decorate a room, my father allowed me free rein.”
“And the dining room?” Lady Hastings leaned forward.
“I did that, as well.”
The older woman sat back, contemplating her for a minute. “What did you think for our drawing room, dear?”
Eliza’s heart soared. “It’s not a very bright room, so I thought pale green, or perhaps yellow. But I saw the most beautiful purple brocade in Percival’s warehouse, and it would make magnificent draperies. They would look very striking with celery-green walls.”
The countess’s expression sharpened into intense interest. “Violet or lavender?”
“Neither. Amethyst.” Eliza sipped her tea, trying not to look too eager. “I made some sketches in my notebook. Perhaps I could show you?”
Lady Hastings hesitated only a moment. “Yes, dear. I would like to see them.”
That was a second victory.
The third came later. Lady Hastings had gone out to a dress fitting, and Edith had disappeared. Eliza tapped on Henrietta’s door, holding her breath.
“Henrietta, I desperately need your help,” she said when the girl opened the door. “May I come in?”
Slowly Henrietta let her into the room, her eyes flitting down the hall as if afraid someone would see her speaking to Eliza. She had a bad feeling the girl was checking for Edith. “What is it?”
“I feel dreadful about this.” Eliza showed her Edith’s reticule, the one Willy had stolen the previous day. She’d sewn the fringe back on, but his teeth had torn a small hole that could only be patched, marring the brocade. “I would like to get Edith a gift to replace it, but I don’t know her taste. Would you come with me to Bond Street in search of something?”
Henrietta perked right up. “Today?”
“Yes.” Eliza smiled in encouragement. “I would like to give it to her at dinner tonight.”
“Well—yes. For Edith,” she added quickly, lest Eliza think it was her own desire to go shopping in Bond Street.
They set out a short time later, with Mary trailing behind. Henrietta became quite talkative once they were away from the house. She confided that they had not visited the shops as much as she would have liked. “Edith needs a trousseau, of course, but otherwise Mama has been hesitant. I suspect Hugh scolded her about spending too much money.”
Eliza knew her father had provided an enormous dowry, which Hugh would have by now. Still, she didn’t want to make a point of that. “Oh goodness, I don’t think Hugh should pay for this. It is my gift to Edith, to atone for my naughty dog. I shall spend my pin money on it.” She hardly ever spent all that Papa gave her, and still had plenty.
They went into several shops, looking at gloves, bonnets, handkerchiefs, reticules, even parasols without finding anything that suited Eliza’s critical eye. She wanted something not simply lovely, as Henrietta called several bonnets and one parasol, but something special. And finally, in a tiny shop at the end of the street, she found an exquisite fan, with sticks of carved ivory covered by lace and the palest pink silk. Tiny sequins sparkled along the sticks, and it snapped shut with an engraved silver clasp.
Henrietta inhaled in longing. “It’s beautiful!”
“And perfect for Edith, who is so fair.” Eliza opened it to study how delicate it was. “Do you think she would like it?”
