She eyed him shrewdly. “Is that it? Have you fallen in love with this gel?”
“No,” he said shortly. “But it is a matter of honor.” And besides, he liked her. And desired her. But he wasn’t going to justify his feelings to his aunt. She could accept his decision—and Maddy—or she could take herself off.
“Honor!” She snorted. “Foolish male notion. You’ve let a doe-eyed schemer—”
“Aunt,” he said in a warning voice.
She gave him a long look, then shrugged. “Very well, if that’s how you want it . . .”
“I do.”
“What do we do about the ball? Everyone has been invited—la crème de la crèm—and everyone has accepted, even your Russian grand duchess.”
Nash smiled with confidence he did not feel. “It goes ahead, of course. Only it will be a wedding ball.”
“Then you’d better get her a dress. A whole wardrobe, in fact. The dress she’s wearing now I wouldn’t give a housemaid to dust with.”
“I have that in hand.”
She gave him a skeptical glance. “What arrangements have you made? The season starts in a few weeks and every dressmaker of note will be working around the clock as it is. It will hardly add to her consequence if she’s dressed by some provincial dressmaker.”
“I have obtained the services of the finest mantua maker in London.”
“The finest mantua maker in London is a Frenchwoman and very exclusive—my own mantua maker, Giselle.”
Nash bowed. “Precisely.”
Aunt Maude gaped. “You’ve got Giselle to agree to leave London on the eve of the season? I don’t believe it!”
“Not quite. Giselle has Miss Woodford’s measurements and coloring and is making up several dresses, including a wedding dress. Any day now I expect her assistant to arrive for final fittings before the wedding and to finish off the garments. Then she will return to London, and when we arrive, Giselle will be ready with the rest.”
His aunt regarded him with something akin to awe. “How on earth did you manage that? Giselle is notoriously difficult.”
Nash merely smiled and said, “I have my ways, Aunt.” His ways including a hefty wad of cash and a lot of fast talking from one of his most skilled and charming colleagues in the diplomatic service. He now owed a lot of favors, but it was worth it, if only for the look on his aunt’s face.
She stared at him a long time, then shook her head. “It will be a criminal waste if you molder on Jasper’s estate instead of putting those skills to use in the service of your country, but if that’s what you want . . .” She waved a dismissive hand. “Now take yourself off and tell Nell I’ll be down for a cup of tea in ten minutes.”
“Yes, Aunt.”
“And I’ll be polite to that young woman but I won’t promise to like her.” She held out her hand in clear dismissal.
Nash kissed it. “You will once you get to know her, I’m sure. Thank you for all your help, dear Aunt Maude, and for arranging the ball. I know you are troubled about this wedding, but I assure you it will all work out.”
As he closed the door behind him, his aunt’s voice followed. “I just hope the chit can dance.”
Of course she can dance,Nash thought. All girls learned to dance, didn’t they? All the girls he knew did. They all played the pianoforte, too, and painted insipid watercolors. But she might need to polish her skills. It would be wise to check. He hastened to find Maddy.
He found her supervising a fitting of clothes for the girls. The three little girls and Lizzie stood on chairs, standing like slowly rotating statues while the village dressmaker and her assistants pinned up the hems of their new dresses.
Lucy squirmed, trying to see herself in the looking glass.
“Hold still, Lucy, unless you want to be pricked by pins,” Maddy told her.
The little girl saw Nash standing in the doorway. “I’m wearing a new dress. Don’t I look beautiful, Mr. Rider?”
“You do indeed, Lucy,” he assured her. “A very fetching picture you all make. Susan, I like that pink dress, and Jane, that blue matches your eyes perfectly.” He winked at Lizzie who was wearing checks. “Very smart, Lizzie.”
“But Maddy hasn’t got any new dresses,” Susan told him worriedly. “Only us. She should look pretty, too.”
