Chapter 30 Shopping At Kimpton #2
Elizabeth thought for a moment. “Even if it did, my pin money is my own, and I have a right to spend it where I please. I have no wish for gowns that are ill-made or unflattering.”
Ellis smiled. “No, ma’am. Then I recommend Madame Cecil. I can walk back now to choose fabrics and patterns. “I know what will suit you and Miss Mary best. You share similar coloring, and your figures are much alike.”
“Excellent,” Elizabeth said. “Peter, please escort Miss Ellis to Madame Cecil’s.”
She noticed Ellis smile at Peter and saw him flush. Elizabeth was pleased. Her maid was far from home and could use a friendly face. So long as Peter behaved properly, she would not interfere.
The sisters finished their shopping and were pleased with the fine silk stockings, elegant gloves, embroidered handkerchiefs, and a large selection of ribbons they had purchased.
By the time they arrived, Ellis had already laid out fabrics for three morning and two afternoon dresses, a riding habit, and two evening gowns.
“Mrs. Darcy,” Ellis said, “I also chose fabrics for a carriage dress and a matching pelisse.”
Elizabeth said, “I leave myself completely in your hands, Ellis. I care only that I look well for my husband.”
Ellis nodded, a small smile lighting her face.
“You are the sort of woman I most enjoy dressing, Mrs. Darcy. You have a fine figure, and you trust my judgment. Before we turn to Miss Mary’s gowns, I must say that both of you dress very modestly.
Mrs. Darcy, since you are a married woman, the fashion is to wear bodices cut rather lower, about here.
” She ran a hand across her own bosom to indicate the proper depth of the neckline.
Then she turned to Mary. “And you, miss, dress like a child, not a young woman of almost twenty. Your bodice should be cut at least to here.” Again, she demonstrated.
Mary’s face flamed. She turned to Elizabeth, who said gently, “Mary, Ellis is correct. You must dress like the woman you are, and I shall dress as a newly married woman ought.” She winked at her sister. “After all, I must keep the jaded man’s attention, must I not?”
Mary laughed softly and relaxed. “Very well, Lizzy, I agree to dress like the woman I am.”
Elizabeth turned to Ellis and whispered, “Ensure my gowns are riveting, so that my husband cannot take his eyes off me.”
Ellis grinned at her mistress, then turned to Mary. “Miss Mary, do you have any preferences?”
Mary shook her head. “No, Miss Ellis. Treat me as you do Lizzy. Choose what will suit me best.”
Ellis’s eyes traveled over her form. “Your figure is similar to Mrs. Darcy’s, though she is a little slimmer.”
Mary laughed. “That is because Lizzy walks everywhere, and I prefer to remain indoors.”
“You share the same color palette, but we will purchase different shades,” Ellis said. “You will each have your own distinct tones.”
Jane, who possessed an expert eye for style and fabric, had already chosen her materials and was now selecting patterns. Madame Cecil herself was consulting with Georgiana when Elizabeth joined them. Together, they selected fabrics until Ellis approached, inspecting each choice.
She set aside a bolt of jonquil silk. “No, Miss Darcy. It makes you appear sallow. And this green has too much yellow. It bleaches your complexion.”
Georgiana obediently deferred to her.
The modiste kept the shop open late to accommodate them, and by the time they were finished, all the gowns had been ordered and patterns chosen.
“Please prioritize Miss Mary’s gowns,” Elizabeth said. “She is in greatest need.”
Madame Cecil said, “I will hire extra seamstresses to sew the straight seams. We will have all the gowns ready by next week. Shall we bring the gowns to Pemberley for the first fitting, Mrs. Darcy?”
“Yes, that would be most convenient,” Elizabeth replied.
“We shall send a note when we are ready,” the modiste said. “Perhaps by Monday next.”
“Has my husband opened an account with your shop?”
“Not yet, madam.”
“No matter. I will send word to the steward. How much is needed to begin the work?”
Each lady paid her portion, including Elizabeth, and the party returned home tired but satisfied with the day’s labor.
As they climbed the stairs to dress for dinner, Mary said softly, “Elizabeth, thank you for everything. I already feel more elegant knowing I shall be beautifully dressed.”
Elizabeth wrapped an arm around her sister’s trim waist. “We shall have a delightful summer, Mary. When we are dressed as well as any woman around us, it will be easier to hold our heads high and feel that we are enough. Now, excuse me, I must speak to Mrs. Reynolds about Ruby. I do not wish to overburden Ellis.”
Elizabeth found Walters in the hall. “I need to speak with Mrs. Reynolds.”
“Yes, Mrs. Darcy. Where shall she meet you?”
“I will wait in the blue salon.”
A few minutes later, the housekeeper entered, and Elizabeth rose to greet her. “Mrs. Reynolds, my sisters need a maid. They will share one between them.”
“Yes, ma’am. Shall I place an advertisement, or will we promote from within?”
“No. I have decided on Ruby, the scullery maid, to assist them.”
Mrs. Reynolds hesitated. “The scullery maid, ma’am? She has no experience as a personal maid.”
“It is only temporary, while my sisters are here for the summer,” Elizabeth explained. “Her duties will be relatively unskilled, carrying bath water, laundering, and helping them dress. If she does not know how to dress hair, Ellis will do it or teach her how to dress hair using simple styles.”
“The upper chambermaids would be the usual candidates for promotion, ma’am.”
“Yes, I know,” Elizabeth said gently, “but since this is temporary, I prefer not to disturb the regular order of the household.”
The housekeeper’s expression reflected her displeasure. “Very well, Mrs. Darcy. I will explain that to the staff. Ruby can begin this evening.”
Later that evening, when Fitzwilliam knocked at her door, Elizabeth was waiting for him. Ellis admitted him, then excused herself.
Elizabeth was seated by the fire when Darcy joined her. She handed him a folded letter.
He studied the graceful handwriting. “Your hand is lovely, Elizabeth.”
“Thank you, sir. That is the invitation to Mr. and Miss Lewis.” She handed him another. “And this is for your solicitor.”
He read both letters, then drew two slips of paper from his breast pocket. “Here are their directions.”
She thanked him and then handed him a card. “Ellis visited the four dressmaker shops in Kimpton and selected Madame Cecil. You do not yet have an account with her. Shall I ask your steward to set one up?”
He took the card and slipped it into his pocket. “I meet with him tomorrow. I will see to it.”
He looked curious. “Aunt Helen uses Madame Mariana. Was there a reason you chose another?”
“Yes, sir. A woman needs every advantage to look her best for her husband. Madame Cecil is the woman for the task.”
He grinned. “Is that so, Mrs. Darcy? And do you wish to look your best for your husband?” His eyes were warm.
She grew shy and lowered her gaze. “Yes, sir. It is expected, is it not?”
He realized then that she had forgotten herself. Her candid reply was no invitation, only the simple truth. To ease the awkward moment, he spoke lightly. “Indeed, it is. Will your gowns be ready before our guests arrive?”
“I believe so,” she said, recovering herself.
“We ordered a great many gowns, Fitzwilliam, for Mary, and I had scarcely anything fit to wear. I daresay you will have nothing to blush for when you see me in my new attire.” She longed for him with an ache she scarcely understood, her heart reaching toward his even as she sat beside him.
In the quiet of that moment, she prayed that he might find her pleasing, not from duty, but from genuine affection.
More than his regard, she yearned for his love and feared how deeply her happiness had already become dependent upon him.
Darcy watched the play of emotions cross her face as she spoke, and he groaned inwardly.
He wondered how he would continue to restrain himself if she appeared in gowns that revealed her figure any more than those she already owned.
Pulling his thoughts to the present, he was grateful she wore her modest nightdress.
It made it just bearable for him to remain in a bedchamber with his alluring wife while forbidden to touch her.
She was silent now, and he bent his mind to the reason he was here, in her bedchamber with her; they were to study, but he said one more thing before turning the subject.
“Elizabeth, I once said that you would look lovely even in a gown made of flour sacks, and I meant it. Be assured, my dear, with you as my wife, I have nothing to blush for.”
“Thank you, sir. That is a very pretty speech, and I am grateful to hear it, especially considering the circumstances of our marriage.”
He picked up her book and turned his gaze on her.
“Are you ready to study?”
She was ready, and she asked her question without hesitation.
“Fate is a major force in the Odyssey, sir. What think you of fate? Does mankind not have the power of choice? Is that not one of the principal lessons of Scripture?” She was a curious woman.
She was also intelligent, and as she watched him expectantly with her brilliant dark eyes turned on him, he felt grateful that he had recognized her worth before it was too late, and glad that he had saved her from the rector.
Now he had only to govern his manners and restrain his tongue, and in time her heart would surely become his.