“If you continue to be insolent, I shall have you sent back to Druidstone where you can freeze as penance until the spring!” Discreetly, he cupped his hand over his mouth and breathed into it, sniffing. He pulled a face. “I do hope you behaved yourself at the dinner party last night. I could not get a word out of Mrs. Sharples other than, “It was a pleasant evening.” What use is that? That tells me nothing.”
Mrs. Sharples was the neighboring widow, from the apartments above, who had always chaperoned Leah during the London season whenever her mother did not wish to attend a gathering. Mrs. Sharples was the perfect chaperone, in truth, for she knew half of the society ladies and had a tendency to wander off and leave Leah to her own devices while she gossiped with old friends. All of the Spinsters’ Club were similarly acquainted with somewhat negligent chaperones, for it served the five women to not be observed too closely.
“She told you the truth,” Leah said with a shrug. “It was a pleasant evening.”
Her father pursed his lips. “That is all you are going to say on the matter?”
“There is nothing moretosay, unless you would like to hear of Phoebe’s stomachache after the fish course?” Leah had already heard from her dear friend that morning, a note arriving with the post. It simply said:Feel terrible. Apologies. Will see you soon. Fondest regards from my sickbed, Phoebe.
Ezra pulled a face. “Not while I am eating my breakfast.”
“Those coddled eggsarerather reminiscent,” Leah teased, erupting into laughter as her father paled and pushed the plate away. “I am only jesting with you, Father. Eat your eggs.”
“I cannot now. You have ruined my breakfastandmy rest,” he grumbled.
The parlor room door opened, and Leah’s mother entered, carrying a rather large box. “I do hope that was not the two of you I heard arguing,” she said, setting the box down on the small table they used for their breakfasting. “Indeed, I shall be quite content to believe that Mrs. Sharples was arguing with herself, for I will not tolerate quarreling before nine o’clock at least—not if we are to survive the winter together.”
“Did you hear me “stomping” last night?” Leah cast her father a challenging stare.
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “No, my darling. I heard you enter, heard the close of your bedchamber door, and then I fell asleep. You were very quiet and very prompt; I was exceptionally pleased. Why, I was going to ambush you to hear everything about your evening, but I thought you might need your rest first.”
“Oh, you both slept like logs while I tossed and turned from dusk until dawn!” Ezra complained dramatically. “And now, I cannot eat my eggs.”
Sarah raised her eyebrow a notch higher. “Why is that? Are they too hot? Too cold? Too runny? Too firm? Goodness—you and your eggs, darling. I doubt there is a cook alive who can make them the way you want them.”
Leah squashed her lips together so a laugh would not slip out. Her father already seemed to be sprinting toward a tantrum, and she did not wish to quicken the detonation.
“What have you been purchasing?” Leah asked, coming around to the head of the table to see what was written upon the box.
Sarah shrugged. “It is not for me, dearest. It is for you. It arrived just now while I was passing the front door.” She looked at her husband, pre-empting the rebuke she was about to receive. “I would have allowed the housekeeper to answer the bell, but I was already there, and it seemed foolish to just stand there when I have two perfectly good hands of my own.”
“For me?” Leah saw her name there, written upon the top of the box in elegant handwriting. Unfamiliar handwriting.
Sarah nudged her lightly in the arm. “Perhaps, it is from that dashing Duke of yours. Howwasyour evening? Tell me everything.”
“It was lovely, and it was awful. I still cannot decide which had the majority,” Leah admitted, explaining the events of the night in as much detail as possible. “But His Grace could not have been kinder or more encouraging. He understands, I think, in a way that not many gentlemen would.”
Sarah clasped her hands together. “Do you hear that, Ezra?”
“Yes, I did,” he sulked. “So, you can say more than “it was a pleasant evening.” You just will not say so to your father.”
Sarah nudged Leah again. “Ignore him, darling. My goodness, we must have the Duke to dine with us. I must learn more about this wonderful gentleman. Truly, I am overjoyed that he was in attendance last night and that he was so sweet to you in the presence of those two scoundrels. After seeing them at that ball, I have been so worried that they might appear again.”
“Not scoundrels,” Ezra chimed in. “Our daughter was the one who ruined things, and she will undoubtedly ruin this too if you do not take charge of her and this courtship.”
Leah drew in a breath to cool her ire. “I suppose, I should open this,” she said, choosing to heed her mother’s words by ignoring her father entirely.
“It has been so long since I have received a gift,” Sarah sighed, casting her husband a pointed look. “Oh, I do hope it is from His Grace.”
“Do not raise your hopes too high,” Leah warned softly and not merely in regard to the mysterious box. When things between Leah and Nathaniel came to their natural conclusion at the season’s end, she knew it would hit her mother harder than anyone else.
I hope you will forgive me,Leah prayed, opening the box.
“Oh my goodness,” her mother gasped.
“Indeed,” Leah whispered, her eyes widening.
Inside, wrapped in a protective layer of gauzy fabric, was the most exquisite gown that Leah had ever seen. And as Leah removed it from its box, it only became more breathtaking. The Empire line gown was fashioned from the finest, smoothest lavender silk with capped sleeves that puffed slightly. A half bodice overlaid the bust in a muted gold lace, interwoven with golden-colored seed pearls that perfectly complemented the lavender hue. Further gold lace and seed pearls ran down the center of the gown in two columns then circled around the gown in an embroidered hem. The sleeves, too, were finished with that same delicate lace while matching, muted-gold gloves had been placed in the box to accompany the gown.
