The Solemn Bell(63)

“She’ll be very busy. Doubt she’ll notice—or even care.”

Despite the potential for disaster, Angelica was very much looking forward to her first party. She’d never put on an evening gown and danced in a ballroom. She’d never met a hundred new people in a night, or been escorted by a handsome gentleman. She wanted so badly to fit in to the Neills’ world. Thanking Mary Rose for being so patient while she infiltrated the girl’s special night seemed like the best place to start.

“What did you get her?”

Captain Neill sighed, annoyed that she wasn’t giving up that easily. “A carved ivory hair comb from a jewelry shop in London.”

“Oh, I bet it’s lovely.”

“I got it at a bargain. Otherwise, she’d be getting flowers and a card.”

Angelica laughed. “She’s your baby sister. She deserves to be spoiled—well, at least for one night. Isn’t there something I can give her?”

“To be honest, we need to save every bit of money I have. Things are going to be…tight…for a little while.”

She’d taken advantage of his generosity. He’d bought her new clothes, even a fur-trimmed coat, and paid for a hotel room when they should have been living frugally. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“It wasn’t important—it’s still not. But we can’t afford to waste money on another present my sister will never use,” he explained. “If it really means that much to you, we’ll tell her the hair comb is from us both.”

Mary Rose knew that Angelica had never been to London. She’d know that Captain Neill had bought the gift, and simply put Angelica’s name on it out of kindness. It wasn’t proper, but there was nothing to be done about it now. “Alright, Brody. If you think that’s best.”

“I know you want M.R. to like you—”

“Broderick! Good Lord! What are you doing there?” His mother rushed through the hall, her heels clicking against the polished marble.

Angelica sat up straight, embarrassed to be caught hiding out.

“Really, the two of you will make the servants go lazy. If you cannot find something useful to do with yourselves, at least stay out of my way,” Mrs. Neill said, storming past them up the stairs. “I have to see your sister in her bath, or else that child will never be ready. I haven’t time to worry about you, too.”

With a rustle of silk, the woman was gone, leaving only a lingering scent of expensive, overpowering perfume.

“Mother is in her element,” Captain Neill said. “She lives for this sort of thing.”

Angelica smiled, good-naturedly. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a scolding like that. Almost reminds me of home.”

They both laughed. It didn’t matter that his mother ignored her, or that his sister didn’t like her. Tonight was going to be Angelica Grey’s first party.

The first of many, she hoped.





CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR





She flapped her hands at her side. Bessie did her best to keep her still, but Angelica couldn’t stop fidgeting. She always did that when she was nervous—in the old days, it would’ve earned her a smack on the hand from her governess. Her new handler was not so forceful.

“Please keep still, Miss,” the maid said. “I’ve got to pin this dress just right, and I don’t want to prick you.”

Angelica was starting to perspire. The layers of silk and heavy, beaded net hung against her skin, which was still flushed from her bath. She and Bessie had rushed from the tub to insure she did not run into Mr. Lawton again. Now, she was nervous and overheated.

She had allowed the maid to kohl her eyelashes, and rub some rouge on her lips and cheeks to ‘give her some color’. Angelica did not understand why—sighted people were strange sometimes—but deferred to Bessie’s expertise. The girl had assured her she’d seen Miss Mary Rose apply cosmetics hundreds of times.

So, she’d allowed herself to be pinned, polished, and painted in the name of beauty, all because she wanted to look nice for Captain Neill. If he thought she’d look pretty with black eyes and red lips, then what was the harm?

She hadn’t even noticed she’d been flapping her hands again until Bessie forced them down to her side. “Sorry.”

“No reason to be nervous, Miss. You look lovely.”

Angelica smoothed her hands across the tangles of beads running wild all over her gown. They were black—jet, specifically. At Grocott’s, when Magda had selected evening frocks, that had been Angelica’s one criterion. She could picture herself wearing black. She felt like herself wearing black. Never mind that the silk beneath was of the brightest aquamarine.

There was a knock at the door, and then Captain Neill let himself in. They’d all three grown accustomed to him coming and going from her room. Bessie wasn’t shocked, and Angelica no longer felt shy when he planted a lingering kiss on her lips.

“My God, what a frock!” he said, laughing.

Bessie kept it stored in tissue paper, and Angelica doubted anyone had seen it since the moment it had been boxed up and delivered to their hotel room. She was excited to debut it tonight. Mary Rose would finally see how stylish she was, and want to be her friend. Perhaps even Mr. and Mrs. Neill would be impressed by the transformation.