The Milliner's Scheme and the Griffin Rider

Chapter 1

One

Chloe regarded herself in the full-length mirror in the dressing room of her closed store, uncertainty making her linger far longer than usual. She looked pretty, but did she look pretty enough?

Her gown was certainly fine—the finest she had ever worn.

And the filmy material that fell in straight lines from below her bust highlighted her slim figure in a most flattering way.

Maddie had been quite right about the new style, and Chloe should never have doubted her.

Maddie’s dress designs were the best to be found in Everard, and probably the entire kingdom, even if most of the local nobility had yet to discover that fact.

And the hat perched artfully on Chloe’s golden curls was her finest creation yet—if she did say so herself. No, the longer she surveyed her reflection, the more certain she grew that it would not be her appearance that failed her.

She cast her eyes downward in an expression of bashful shyness, attempting to keep sight of herself in the mirror, which was a surprisingly difficult feat.

“Oh!” she gasped softly, trying out the effect. “Oh, my lord. I mean, Your Grace. I’m so grateful.”

The picture wasn’t complete without a maidenly blush.

But even with all the will in the kingdom, that might prove beyond Chloe’s ability.

She couldn’t imagine herself blushing at the mere presence of a preening popinjay, one who had soft hands unused to work and yet styled himself as the Griffin Duke, merely because his estate housed the most elite squad of griffin riders in Wynkara.

She sighed regretfully. A blush would be the perfect tool, and if she’d had any sense, she would have long since learned to produce one at will.

“Oh!” The soft exclamation drew Chloe’s attention to her friend and business partner.

She had expected to find Maddie’s face alight with admiration for the picture created by their mutual effort, but she was staring at Chloe in dismay as she wrung her hands.

“What is it?” Chloe spun back toward the mirror in alarm. “What is amiss?”

She couldn’t see anything she had overlooked, but Maddie had been running her dressmaking business far longer than Chloe had been a milliner, and she must have seen something Chloe had overlooked.

“Oh no,” Maddie said in the breathless voice that sometimes made Chloe want to shake her.

If only her friend could muster a little more backbone, her talent wouldn’t have been wallowing for so long in a small shop in the backstreets of Everard.

“Your appearance is perfect. Anyone would think you were a lady born.”

Chloe didn’t point out that she had, in fact, been born a lady.

She couldn’t see what difference that made when she had neither money nor connections nor influence.

And she’d never had much patience with people who demanded honors they’d never earned.

The important thing was that she looked the part of a lady now, as Maddie had just confirmed.

She met her friend’s eyes in the mirror, her brow creasing. “You don’t think anyone will recognize me?”

When she had suggested to Maddie that they join forces and pool their resources so that they might manage a down payment on a joint shop on High Street, part of the arrangement had included Chloe doing the majority of the interaction with the customers.

Her upbringing as a lady of quality—albeit a poor one from a distant part of the country, far from any population centers—had given her the right accent and manner for addressing noble ladies.

The venture had so far been a success. As Chloe had pointed out when she first made the suggestion, what could be more convenient than purchasing your dresses and hats from the same location? No lady who patronized their store need fear any mismatch between her gown and headwear.

They had seen excellent growth in their client base initially and had even attracted customers from the very top of Everard’s social circles. After their first such sale, Chloe had triumphantly predicted increasing future success and the culmination of all their dreams.

Now, however, she regretted that initial reach into the local nobility. Would any of the women who had entered their store recognize her face? Or would they fail to make the connection when they encountered her in such an unexpected setting?

“I don’t think anyone will recognize you as their milliner,” Maddie said, her earlier distress fading as she considered Chloe critically. “You really do look amazingly different. I’m not sure I would have recognized you on the street myself!”

Chloe turned to her friend with a smile of disbelief.

Maddie might not have confidence when talking to customers, but she had an unerring eye.

Chloe was quite sure Maddie would recognize her no matter what she wore.

While Chloe was the one to charm new customers into trusting the two women with their business, Maddie was the one who knew the identity and face of every person of note in Everard.

Chloe had often relied on a whispered word from Maddie to tell her the identity of a new customer since she was far from having grasped the who’s who of Everard society.

She had only been in the large town for a year, and much of that had been spent in the backstreets, in the shop next to Maddie’s old one.

But instead of smiling back, Maddie started wringing her hands again.

“Whatever is the matter?” Chloe asked, trying to contain her impatience. She didn’t need Maddie infecting her with nerves.

“I just feel terrible that it’s all left to you!” Maddie burst out, close to tears.

“Nonsense!” Chloe spoke in her most bracing manner. “You know I’m equal to anything I set my mind to. And besides, why shouldn’t it be me? I have far more riding on our success than you.”

Maddie sighed. “You’re very brave.”

Chloe’s brows rose. She didn’t think much bravery was required to face the prancing duke in his fancy jackets.

“I’m far more concerned that I won’t be sufficiently meek and delicate,” she said.

“Any one of my three sisters would do better than me in this particular role.” A reminiscent smile curved her lips.

“Our Papa always used to say that I was born with enough fire for the four of us, leaving little enough for my younger sisters.”

Maddie laughed. “I can only imagine that’s true, given your bravery in coming to Everard on your own. But then, from your description of your cousin, I’m surprised you lasted in her home for as long as two years.”

Chloe frowned at the mention of Cousin Gertrude.

The two years she’d spent in the home of her censorious older cousin had been the worst of her life.

But far worse had been seeing the way her strong-minded and controlling cousin was systematically crushing the spirit of Chloe’s sweeter sisters.

Chloe’s parents had nurtured their young daughters, helping them grow into the confidence that hadn’t come naturally.

But after their parents’ unexpected deaths, the girls had been left with very little and would have been homeless on the street if Cousin Gertrude hadn’t taken them in.

At first, Chloe had been inclined to look on Gertrude favorably for that reason alone.

But it took only a few months before Chloe was chafing unbearably beneath Gertrude’s repressive roof, bound in by her strict and unnecessary rules.

And when Chloe saw what the environment was doing to her more vulnerable sisters, she had begun making plans.

It had taken more than a year for the four sisters to turn the few assets their parents had left them into coin. It was far from enough to provide all four of them with a home and a future, but it had been just enough for Chloe to travel to Everard and begin a fledgling business.

As a gentleman’s daughter, she had been fortunate to have any useful skills at all.

But Chloe had always been fascinated by different hat styles and from a young age had enjoyed making over her and her sisters’ hats—turning old ones into new creations.

She found it fascinating how the right—or wrong—hat could make or break an outfit, and how a new hat could make an old dress seem fresh again.

She had therefore been delighted when her parents hired a temporary seamstress to make fresh wardrobes for all their daughters and the woman turned out to be the daughter of a milliner.

While the woman had chosen to go into dressmaking herself, when badgered by a youthful Chloe, she had admitted to being well versed in the creation of hats and willing to show the young girl how the process was done.

When her parents saw Chloe’s skill at the task and her joy in creation, they had turned a blind eye to lessons which were unusual for a gently born girl, even extending the contract with the seamstress so she ended up staying with the family for two full years.

Since arriving in Everard, Chloe had often thought of her old teacher with gratitude, even as she slaved tirelessly to raise enough funds to bring her sisters to the town to join her.

She would need to earn enough to rent a small house or apartment before that could happen, though.

Chloe herself might be able to sleep in the backroom of the store, but the four of them couldn’t possibly all do so.

“I can’t imagine any of your sisters would have the courage for this role.” Maddie wrung her hands yet again. “I only wish I did.”

“Dear Maddie,” Chloe said with a rush of affection. “I don’t begrudge you in the least. I’m sure I’m the right choice for the role. You will keep our business going and that is quite enough for your side.”