Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(84)

“It’s from Lady Maynard! She’s getting engaged to the Marquess of Sunderland! She sent an invitation for her engagement party.”

Lady Maynard? I take the card and turn it over on my palm. You are cordially invited to the Engagement Event of Mr. David Waterford, the Marquess of Sunderland, and Miss Lillie Maynard, younger sister of the Duchess of Northport.

An angelic face framed by strawberry blonde hair enters my mind. So, it’s Lillie, the younger sister of Constance, who married Edward’s cousin. Lillie had a crush on Edward. She tried to get his attention before we were officially engaged, but naturally she didn’t succeed.

I shudder. Thankfully, I didn’t let her marry Edward. What if I returned and found it was Lillie at the wedding altar?

“Do you know anything about Sunderland?” I say. Mabel lives for gossip.

“Oh, he has two townhouses and a country manor and an old castle in the north! I’ve heard he keeps more than a thousand servants, and . . .”

“Is he a nice guy? I mean, what is his reputation?”

Mabel puckers her forehead. “If he has any illegitimate children, he is being very discreet.”

God, I really need to adjust to the Athelian mind. On the other hand, it seems that if a man is stupendously rich, then it’s expected that he would have children out of wedlock. Really, Edward is a rare species.

“He must have some good qualities. Lady Maynard doesn’t seem the type to settle for an ordinary man,” Mabel says confidently. “Anyway, you’ll meet him soon at the engagement. Now, would you like to see the surprise Amelie and I got for you?”

Somehow, her excited voice doesn’t make me excited as well.

“Come, Princess,” Mabel urges. “Come and see the surprise we got.”

I follow her to my bedroom, wondering if it’s some new flower from Edward’s garden, but I don’t see anything unusual in the room.

“Over there!” Mabel points. “The tailors have designed a new gown for you!”

“Another one?” I stifle a groan. “I told them I have more than enough.”

“Oh, but I’m sure that you would like this! Weren’t you complaining about corsets that are too tight? Well, Moryn’s latest fashion trend is this tea gown—it has built-in padding so you needn’t wear a corset!”

I glance at the bed, where said tea gown is spread out on the sheets. It is the color of heliotropes, trimmed with satin ribbons, with a fancy bow at the neckline and a skirt long enough to trail on the ground. It looks similar to any fancy gown, but when I pick it up, I notice that the chest area is padded like a bra top, but the material is much thicker.

“Aren’t you going to that engagement party for Lady Maynard? This will be just the thing! You won’t have to worry about your corset squeezing your ribs when you dance, and His Highness won’t have to worry if you get dizzy and faint! Although it has become quite fashionable to faint, especially when there’s a crowd . . .”

I roll my eyes. Still, I’m a bit skeptical about this tea gown. “Are you sure it’s all right? Are you sure I don’t need to wear a corset under this . . .” My voice trails off.

Edward is leaning in the entrance of the doorway, arms crossed in front of his chest. I swear, there is a predatory glint in his eyes as he looks at me. Like he’s undressing me in his mind.

“Did you hear our conversation?”

“Every word.”

“You shouldn’t eavesdrop, you know.”

“I wasn’t. I was here the entire time. You simply didn’t notice me.”

Sometimes, His Royal Highness, Edward, can be the most obnoxious person I have ever met.

“However.” Edward uncrosses his arms and takes a step toward me. “Don’t wear this gown to Lillie’s engagement.”

He’s using his bossy prince tone—ever since our first real quarrel, he has seldom used it. “Why not? It should be more comfortable when dancing. And there’s padding. It’s not like the gown is some flimsy nightwear.”

“Do you know how the tea gown received its name? It is because the Moryn aristocracy found afternoon teas the most convenient time of the day to conduct extra-marital affairs. If you wear this gown, others may have the wrong idea.”

“Um, Your Highness?” Mabel says tentatively. “We don’t have much time left. If you prefer a different gown—”

“I want to try it on,” I say, ignoring the noise of disapproval from my husband.

Moments later, I enter the sitting room in my tea gown. Mabel wasn’t kidding when she said that the gown would be much more comfortable to wear compared to the corset. In fact, due to the heavy padding, it’s even more comfortable than a bra.

Edward’s eyes widen and he swallows, but when he speaks, his voice remains harsh. “Don’t wear it.”

“I beg your pardon?” I am fully covered from neck to toe.

“Don’t wear it to the engagement party.”

“Why not? It’s a lot more comfortable than the corset.”

He mutters under his breath, but thanks to his proximity, I hear him fine. “No man should see you in that gown, other than I.”

I could have smacked my head on the wall. “Geez, do you know I’ve worn far less than this in college? I could show my arms and my thighs. And how many times do I have to tell you that I’m not your property?”