Page 52 of Loving Mister Stratford
Odette leaned back in the pink-striped upholstered chair and examined the swatches to which Lily was gesturing. There was a rather lovely emerald shade of satin with three swatches of blues in colors varying from cerulean to sky. To be honest, any one of those colors would look stunning with Meredith’s indigo eyes and bright red hair, and Odette said as much.
“Of course they do, but that does little to help us narrow down our choices,” Lily replied, feigning crossness.
“Both of you are of no help whatsoever,” Meredith sighed good-naturedly.“At least tell me you’ve found some silhouette options in those fashion plates, Odette.”
Her heart jumped when she remembered she’d been charged with flipping through the stack of plates to narrow down those choices. She frantically flipped through them until she found one that was pretty enough to be believable that she’d sought it out.“Here is one,” she said, passing it along to Meredith.
Lily peered over and examined it as well.
“This is lovely,” Meredith said with a smile.“I quite like the square neckline.
“I like it as well,” added Lily.“But Mother will insist upon something far more extravagant for the ball.” She flashed an apologetic glance at Odette, who then quickly turned back to the plates lying across her lap. She did her best to find another that would suit both the countess’s demands and compliment Meredith’s willowy frame. The second-to-last option was immediately stilled her fingers. It was a gown draped with Grecian folds and a wide band set beneath the empire waist that would accentuate Meredith’s slim build. The short, fitted sleeves were cut such that they would mirror her elegant collarbone. A short gossamer train spilled in pleats from the band beneath the bust to trail behind the wearer. It was perfect.
“How about this one?” Odette passed it along for Meredith’s approval.
Lily gasped.“It’s perfect!”
Meredith’s eyes glittered in excitement and gratitude.“I agree. Well done, Odette!”
“Now we just have the impossible task of choosing a color and trimmings.” Lily resumed shuffling through the fabric swatches.“I fear we may need some lighter material to better display this gown,” she added thoughtfully.
“What about ivory?” Odette chimed in, catching sight of another swatch peeking out from beneath a discarded plate.
“Oh, ivory could be lovely!” Meredith grinned.
“With gold trim!” Lily clapped her hands together excitedly.“Georgie will lose his mind; he’s already utterly besotted as it is. To see you presented as such will drive him mad.”
Odette didn’t miss the way Meredith lowered her eyes and gave a small (but genuine) smile, a faint blush fading the gentle freckles on the bridge of her nose.
“Here,” Odette began as she leaned forward and reached for the swatch she’d spotted. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was a crepe which would suit the gown and the wearer quite nicely. Just as she stood to pass it along to Meredith and Lily, however, the room tilted sharply. In a split second, a cold sweat broke out on Odette’s flesh and a nearly crippling nausea overcame her. She barely had time to hear Meredith ask if she was unwell—she’d gone quite pale in an instant. Odette’s head seemed to float above her body and then everything went black.
Chapter Twenty-One
Odette awoke with no sense of time or place. She experienced a wash of panic and disorientation before her eyes landed upon both her sisters-in-law at her bedside, their eyes wide with worry. A glance told her she’d been brought back to her home on St. James’s Square and she’d been tucked into her comfortable new bed.
There was movement in the corner of the dim room and Odette’s heart skipped a beat at the dark clothing and masculine form…until she realized the man was too broad and not quite tall enough to be her husband. He approached the bed, a reassuring smile on his angular face.
“Mrs. Stratford,” he greeted her, the barest hint of an accent playing with his consonants. His chestnut hair was tied back neatly and he wore a uniform of dark clothing.
Odette tried to sit up, but Meredith stilled her with a pale hand on her arm.
“You fainted, dear. Lily and I thought it prudent to call for a physician.” She tilted her chin at the man on the other side of the bed.“This is my friend, Dr. Ian McCullom.”
Odette looked back at the man. His kind eyes were framed with gentle lines and he appeared to be of an age with George and Jeremy. Despite his size, there was something calming and reassuring about the way he moved and spoke.
“How are you feeling?” he inquired.“Are you nauseous at all? Does your head bother you?”
She shook her head, but then a wave of nausea did strike her. Lily read the change in her pallor and was quick to haul over a clean chamberpot. The illness passed after she pressed her knuckles to her mouth and swallowed several slow gulps of air.
“Bad meat,” she groaned, well past the point of being mortified about being sick with an audience.
“I beg pardon?”
“I think the meat at supper last night was questionable.”
“Were you ill earlier this morning as well?”
Odette could only nod in response to the doctor’s question. She gratefully accepted the cool cloth Lily offered.
