“Do not worry at all, Mary,” Deborah said, “I trust you completely with my fitting.”
Mary smiled back at her. Mary had been Deborah’s lady’s maid since she had been a little girl, and Deborah knew that she could trust her with her eyes closed.
“I am trying my hardest.” Mary smiled. “But a natural beauty like yourself does not need too many embellishments.”
Deborah was getting some last-minute adjustments on her dress for the ball tonight. Usually, balls were never her cup of tea. But tonight, she had a plan in mind, and looking her best was the first step in making her plan successful.
Never one to care too much for appearances, Deborah had broken her own rule tonight and had pinched her cheeks to the point they were red and done up her hair into tight curls. As she admired her reflection in the mirror, she could scarcely make out who was staring back at her.
“You look beautiful, My Lady,” Mary complimented, beaming at Deborah from the side. “The dress suits you very well, and I have no doubt that you will capture the attention of many tonight.”
“Thank you, but I just need the attention of one,” Deborah muttered under her breath, giving her reflection one last look.
“What was that, My Lady?”
“Oh, nothing,” Deborah said quickly. “We should really get going to the ball now. It will begin soon.”
Usually, balls were held at far away mansions, and the process of carrying a dressing gown in a carriage was always something Deborah did not look forward to. But Hopestyn Estate was large enough to host the ball within its premises. All Deborah had to do was go down the stairs, and into the ballroom.
“Who are you?” a voice called out from behind her.
Knowing full well who it belonged to, Deborah turned around with a wicked smile on the corner of her lips.
“And what have you done to my sister?”
She did a slight twirl as Nicholas stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. “The least you can do is say something nice.”
Nicholas shook his head, smiling now that the initial shock had worn off. “I am sorry, I am not used to seeing you dressed up this way. I have to say, you look good.”
“Thank you.” She smiled to herself. All she wanted now was for the Duke to think the same about her, and her objective would be accomplished. “I decided to take your advice.”
“Oh, did you?” Nicholas looked at his sister pointedly.
“I am going to dance with Lord Macaulay,” she said. “I have already told Peter that I am willing to give him a fair chance.”
“And is Lord Macaulay the reason you are so dressed up this evening?” Nicholas eyed her suspiciously. “Or are you trying to make His Grace envious?”
Deborah hated how smart her brother was in figuring things out. He always read her like an open book.
“Don’t be absurd,” she chided, nervously looking around to see if anyone had heard him. “And it is best if you do not say things like that in public. After all, someone might hear you and get the wrong idea.”
“You can only run from the truth for so long,” Nicholas replied. “You look quite different from Lady Joanna tonight, that I can say with certainty.”
“Different?”
“Yes. Her dress, just like her tastes, is more old-fashioned,” Nicholas remarked. “Though, I will say that the both of you look equally lovely.”
Deborah raised a curious eyebrow at her brother. “It seems that you have been paying an awful lot of attention to what Lady Joanna is wearing.”
Nicholas stumbled over his words, seemingly having been caught in an activity that he should not have been engaging in in the first place.
“I am merely looking out for you,” he argued quickly, but Deborah could not help but notice the blush that colored his cheeks as he said the words. “I am sure that you could use some allies in your pursuit of love.”
“There is no pursuing anything—”
Deborah’s words were cut short by the sound of footsteps approaching the two of them. She turned around to find a stout gentleman smiling back at her. She recognized him instantly as Lord Macaulay.
“It is time for you to put on your best performance,” Nicholas whispered to her, smiling mischievously. “I wish you the best of luck. May the Duke simmer in jealousy as he sees you on the arm of another man.”
