A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting(91)
‘I do not,’ Kitty said, with great dignity, ‘have a scheming face.’
James eyed her, unconvinced. She arranged her expression into a passable imitation of innocence.
‘Do you really think me so conniving?’ she asked angelically.
‘Yes,’ James said promptly, though not without affection. ‘I have long known you to be the worst sort of villain.’
It might be a trifle unusual to be so frequently called a villain by one’s fiancé, but Kitty had to admit there was some substance to the accusation. And yet, who on earth could argue with her results? It was not, of course, proper to compliment oneself overly, but Kitty could not help feeling that she had handled the past few months marvellously. Returning home not only with their debt cleared, but also with a fiancé she could say, quite truthfully for once, that she loved – why, it could only be considered a Very Good Result.
The carriage started to creak a little, as it began to pass over rougher terrain. Kitty peered out of the window at a landscape that was becoming increasingly familiar.
‘We’re almost there,’ she said breathlessly, reaching for her sister’s knee. ‘Cecily, wake up.’
The carriage was slowing in truth now, before making a right turn onto a weathered track that Kitty knew better than her own face. Netley Cottage came into view with excruciating slowness, and she stared with greedy eyes at the ivy falling over brickwork, the plume of smoke puffing up from the kitchen chimney, the magnolia partially obscuring the front window. She had missed its bloom, she thought, nonsensically, seeing the petals upon the ground. Kitty and Cecily only barely waited for the carriage to stop before scrambling out in disgracefully unladylike fashion. Kitty could already hear shrieks of delight from inside, and the pounding of running feet as the carriage was spotted. She stood still for a moment, taking in great lungfuls of air that she would have sworn tasted different on the tongue.
There was so much still to do, Kitty knew – much to solve, to discuss, to decide – but after months spent lingering in uncertainty, of constantly doubting whether the risk was worth it, whether the choices were the right ones, whether this plan was cleverer than that one, she allowed herself the indulgence of enjoying the profound relief that was now filling her. They were home, at last. They had done it. And as the front door opened with a bang and her sisters came spilling out towards them, Kitty felt perfectly sure that she was, in this moment, exactly where she needed to be.
Acknowledgements
It might be quicker to name the people who didn’t help me write this book, rather than to thank everyone that did – but if you’ll bear with me, I’m going to try anyway.
Firstly, thank you to Maddy Milburn and her whole team for taking me on in the first place. Your kindness, passion and – it has to be said – tireless ambition continues to stagger me. Thank you to Maddy, Rachel Yeoh and Georgia McVeigh for your work on those first edits – from the beginning you understood what I was trying to say better than I could – and to Liv Maidment, Rachel again, Giles Milburn and Emma Dawson for answering my incessant questions. Fervent thanks also to Liane-Louise Smith, Valentina Paulmichl and Georgina Simmonds for taking my book out into the world with such energy, for finding such a magnificent international team to work with and for always writing such lovely emails.
Then, huge thanks go to my glorious editors Martha Ashby and Pam Dorman, for your warmth, wit and wisdom. Did you both spring straight from Zeus’s head? Perhaps – and regardless, there’s no one I would rather discuss the merits of a fine beaver hat with. Thank you for everything you have done to make this book the best it can be. Thank you also to Chere Tricot, my fabulous copyeditor Charlotte Webb, and superb proofreaders Anne O’Brien and Kati Nicholl, for addressing my repetitions, deviations, excessive use of adverbs and keeping a weather eye on historical accuracy.
In the herculean task of publishing a book, my job is definitely the easiest, so thank you to the following people for everything they have done to get Lady’s Guide published, printed and on the shelves: massive thanks to the incomparable Lynne Drew, to the fabulously talented Fleur Clarke and Emma Pickard for all the stunning and creative marketing, to the outrageously charming Jaime Witcomb and Susanna Peden for the cracking PR campaign, to Caroline Young for the gorgeous jacket, to the brilliant Grace Dent, Dean Russell, Melissa Okusanya and Hannah Stamp for handling everything production and operations with such skill, to Fionnuala Barrett and Charlotte Brown for the sensational audiobook and to Izzy Coburn, Sarah Munro, Gemma Rayner, Ben Hurd and Fliss Porter on the sales team at HarperFiction and HarperCollins. You are unequivocally the best and I’m so very grateful for all your hard work.
Next, thanks must go to Fran Fabriczki, as none of this would have happened without our Sunday writing sessions. Thank you to my house/soulmates Freya Tomley and Juliet Eames, for always making me laugh and for taking my writing as seriously or as frivolously as I needed in any given moment. Thank you also to Fay Watson, Holly Winfield, Lottie Hayes-Clemens, Martha Burn and Tash Somi for being the best, loudest and funniest hype women in the business – I’m really glad we met.
To Lucy Stewart – who has the dubious privilege of hearing exactly every thought that passes through my head – thank you for the ping pong, the prosecco and God knows what else. To Ore Agbaje-Williams, Catriona Beamish, Becca Bryant, Charlotte Cross, Andrew Davis, Dushi Horti, Jack Renninson, El Slater and Molly Walker-Sharp, thanks for your – occasionally excessive – support and for continuing to act as my own personal thesaurus.