Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Your companion has a very commanding presence, Mademoiselle,” Jeanette murmured as she quickly began to measure Beatrice’s bare chest.
Beatrice let out a bitter laugh as she kept her arms out and her head tilted upward.
“You have no idea,” she said dryly. “He has a penchant for controlling everything.”
“He did not tell me what he was to you,” the modiste mused as she took more measurements. “Perhaps you could?”
Beatrice’s mind raced for an explanation.
“I suppose he is a sort of, um, a host for the time being,” Beatrice answered. “Our time together is quite temporary until I am married. To his brother in fact.”
“Ah,” was all the modiste said as she finished jotting down the last measurement.
Beatrice drew her eyes toward the pretty woman’s face and saw a look of relief. She raised a curious brow. Algernon was handsome. Even she could not deny that—but did that mean he was a rake? Would he accept the modiste’s flatteries if she were to give them to him? She was curious for the answers.
“You may dress now, my lady. I am finished.”
Beatrice hurriedly drew her shift and corset back on then her dress, thankful that her moment of nudity was over.
It was one thing to be in her room bare but quite another to have another person, even a woman, there to see her.
She’d never put much thought into her body.
Not until Algernon had kissed her and made her acutely aware of every expanse of flesh and nerve ending she had.
His lips had caused both to stir into a frenzy, even though she would never tell him so.
After all what would be the point? The kiss was for educational purposes. Nothing more.
“How impressive,” the modiste noted as she watched her. “Most ladies I know need an extra hand or two in getting dressed.”
Beatrice blushed as the modiste’s words drew her from her private thoughts.
If this was a taste of what being in society was going to be like, she was not at all sure she was going to like it.
She had not particularly enjoyed being forced to stay inside her father’s house, but she was not enjoying the constant questions either.
After all this was just one person. What was it going to be like at her first actual party?
“Well, I have always been a bit on the independent side,” Beatrice said, laughing a little in hopes that the modiste would take it as a joke of sorts.
The woman did not laugh, but she did at least smile as she put her fabric samples and notebook into her bag.
“Well, I am sure your husband will be most pleased with the dresses. I promise you that they will look perfect on you when I am done with them,” Jeanette assured.
“That will be wonderful, thank you,” Beatrice answered, wanting nothing more than to be done with the conversation.
“Tell me, is your soon-to-be brother-in-law married?” Jeanette asked as she walked toward the door.
Though she did not understand why, Beatrice blushed deeply at the question.
“No, he is not,” she answered, looking Jeanette up and down.
“Hmmm,” Jeanette purred, a slow, sultry smile forming on her lips. “How interesting.”
Beatrice was about to ask her what was so interesting about that when the door opened, and Algernon appeared, holding up his pocket watch.
“Ah, good, you are finished,” he stated, tucking his watch back into his pocket. “Now for her corsets, I want them made out of comfortable fabrics. However, they should be stylish. No beiges or browns. They should be enticing.”
Beatrice’s blush deepened, but the modiste stood up straighter and jutted her ample chest out.
“Oh, I will be sure to make them enticing, Your Grace,” Jeanette promised, her voice dripping with flirtatious tones.
“What would you have done if we were not finished?” Beatrice asked, wanting the conversation about corsets to end.
“Well then I suppose I would have gotten an eyeful, wouldn’t I have?” Algernon replied.
Beatrice glowered at him as Jeanette let out a flirtatious laugh.
“So very wicked, Your Grace,” she said in a breathy tone.
Beatrice bristled as the modiste so very boldly laid her palm upon the lapel of Algernon’s jacket.
“I enjoy wickedness from time to time,” Jeanette went on, looking up into Algernon’s eyes with a seductive smile.
Anger shot through Beatrice’s veins at the scene, confusing and alarming her greatly. She should not care! She was marrying Henry! Or… well… hopefully…
“How very interesting for you,” Algernon said, his tone dismissive as he removed Jeanette’s hand from his jacket. “We shall need her dresses within the week. I know the price of fabrics and what your time is worth, madame, so I trust you will give me a fair price.”
Beatrice couldn’t help but feel satisfied at the way Jeanette blushed deeply and stepped back from Algernon’s snub.
“Of course, Your Grace,” she replied, giving him a low curtsey. “I shall deliver them myself.”
“Very good. Now please, if you could go? The lady and I have important business to discuss. One of the maids—”
“Mira,” Beatrice could not help but interject. “Her name is Mira, Your Grace.”
She expected him to throw her a scolding look, but to her surprise, he simply gave her a single nod of acceptance.
“Mira,” he specified, “is out in the hall. She will show you to the door.”
Beatrice watched as the modiste hurried from the room, the poor woman’s face growing redder by the second.
“That was quite the chore,” Elara sighed as she and Algernon were left alone. “I am starting to understand why ladies of the ton have little time to clean their own homes.”
Algernon chortled.
“From what I understand, ladies can spend the better part of a day at the Modiste,” he answered. “No doubt being tricked into buying pretty accessories they do not need.”
“So that is the true reason you had her come here,” Beatrice said with a grin. “To save your coin.”
“That is as good a reason as any,” Algernon countered.
“Another is that Henry has always had a good eye for fashion, both for men and women alike. As you might have seen the other night, he was impeccably dressed and is always as such. We need you wearing something that is both in fashion and will allow you to stand out in order to catch his eye.”
The weight of such a responsibility felt heavy on Beatrice’s shoulders. She’d never tried to catch a man’s eye. Never wanted to for that matter.
“Something is wrong,” Algernon stated, studying her face. “Speak.”
Beatrice’s eyes snapped up to his, and she glowered at him.
“I am not a dog,” she retorted, crossing her arms, “You cannot just bark orders and expect me to follow them.”
Algernon’s nostrils flares as his left eye twitched. He gritted his teeth then clucked his tongue as he shoved his hands into his pockets, as if he was trying to fight his temper.
“You are right,” he admitted, appearing disgruntled by the fact.
He cleared his throat and forced himself into a casual stance.
“Beatrice, would you please be so kind as to tell me what is on your mind?” he asked with an obviously forced calm.
Beatrice relaxed and even smiled at his politeness.
“Thank you for asking properly, Your Grace,” she replied kindly and almost giggled when Algernon rolled his eyes.
“To answer your question, I am feeling quite nervous about our plan,” she confessed.
“I have never been on such display before, and even with your lessons, I fear I will somehow make a fool of myself. Your brother, from what you told me, has a keen eye for ladies, and I am worried that I might not be up to his standards.”
She waited, expecting Algernon to roll into one of his speeches about how he had everything in order and as long as she followed his commands, she would be just fine. Instead, she was surprised to see a bit of compassion bloom in his dark green eyes, and he relaxed in his stance.
“You and I do not know one another very well. Can we agree on that?” he asked.
“Of course,” she replied quickly. “It was barely a week ago that you purchased me at auction.”
Algernon winced at her words.
“I hate how you put that, but I suppose there is no other way to describe how we met,” he murmured. He let out a sigh, shook his head, then lifted his gaze to hers again.
“I asked because even though we barely know one another, I am already aware that you are a unique person,” he went on.
“My brother needs unique. It is good to have you look and play the part of a lady, and I will help you do so, but I promise you that it is your spirit, not your manners or your dress, that will capture my brother’s heart the most.”
Beatrice found herself surprisingly comforted by his words.
“Did you know I was… ‘unique’ when you bought me?” she asked.
Again, Algernon appeared pained by the mention of her purchase.
“Even seeing you on that stage, with that bright yellow dress that contrasted all of the dark in that terrible room, I knew you were a woman apart,” he replied.
While the tone of his voice was honest, it was the earnest look in his dark green eyes that told Beatrice that Algernon was being truthful.
“Thank you, Algernon,” she said quietly, lacing her fingers together before her.
He gave her a single nod then cleared his throat, the sound ending the short, sweet moment.
“Now that you know this, perhaps you can use such knowledge to fuel your confidence,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Your life, from what little I know of it, was difficult. I can sympathize. However, Beatrice, you must understand, that part is over.”
This time, she gave a single, punctuated nod.
“Quite right,” she agreed. “I am anew.”
“I am glad we agree,” he replied.
“We do.”
“Now kiss me.”
Beatrice blanched. “I beg your pardon?” she asked, looking him up and down.