“Oh?” Ellen lifted to her toes in expectation and gripped his arm with both hands.
Joseph’s thoughtful stare focused in on her as he smiled. “It strikes me, Miss Garrett, that part of the problem with the way Lady Margaret and others have treated you is that they do not know what to make of you.”
“That is certainly true,” Ellen admitted with a roll of her eyes.
“But perhaps if we could reimagine how you are and how you present yourself to society, that could change,” he went on.
Ellen frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”
Joseph’s eyes glittered as he said, “If you changed the way you presented yourself in society—perhaps through the clothing you wear, the way you style your hair, the way you deport yourself in company—then you could become the ugly duckling that transformed into the swan.”
Ellen rocked back a bit, planting one fist on her hip. “Are you saying I’m an ugly duckling?”
Joseph’s eyes went wide in horror. “No! Not at all. I find you to be quite beautiful, actually.”
Ellen flushed with the praise. “Thank you, Joseph. You’re not so bad yourself.” She winked at him.
Joseph was flustered again for a moment before blurting out, “If we can change the way you look a bit, if you would allow me to school you in a bit of deportment, and if you were able to somehow obtain an invitation to the Duchess of Westminster’s ball, I would wager you could make so much of an impression at said ball that all of society would fall at your feet, begging you to attend their functions and consider yourself their friend.”
“Do you truly think so? Do you think you could transform me into a swan?” Ellen’s heart pounded with excitement at the possibility.
“Yes,” Joseph said with a confident smile. “I believe I could.”
He offered his arm again, Ellen took it, and they continued strolling through the park, heading to where Lenore looked as though she were finishing her conversation with Mrs. Long.
“Are you free the day after tomorrow?” Joseph asked.
“I believe so,” Ellen said. “Why?”
Joseph nodded, as though he’d made a decision. “While it is not the season for the most famous of horse races, there is one on Saturday. The Duke of Westminster raises racehorses. It is a passion of his, as much as developing land and making his fortune. He has a horse in Saturday’s race, which makes me think that his wife will be there as well.”
“And you want me to walk up to the duchess and ask for an invitation to her ball?” The idea both terrified and excited Ellen.
“No,” Joseph said, “I want you to make an impression on her through your deportment and manner of speech. We will meet at the racetrack slightly before the race is to begin, and I will tutor you in the art of being a lady of society. Once you have mastered the lesson, we will see if we can get Mama or Aunt Josephine to give us an introduction to the duchess. From there, I am certain she will be so charmed by you that she will not be able to help but send you an invitation to her ball.”
“That sounds exciting,” Ellen said, beaming. “I want to do it. Do you think it will work?”
Joseph shrugged. “I believe you have the power to transform yourself, Miss Garrett.”
There was so much trust and…affection in the way Joseph looked at her that Ellen would have done anything for him. If his plan worked, perhaps she would be in a position to do more to help with his efforts to defeat Montrose. All she knew was that she wanted to marry him, and quickly. But if she could find acceptance in the society to which Joseph belonged in the process, then she could have everything she wanted and more.
Chapter Three
“Joseph, pray tell, why are we at a racetrack, of all places, and why in heaven’s name are we here at such a ridiculous hour?” Joseph’s mother asked as he helped her and Aunt Josephine down from the carriage and onto the dirt path leading to the grounds.
“Because I have particular business here today, Mother,” he answered, purposely addressing his mother in a more formal manner in the hope she would see him as mature and stop questioning him. “And I thought you and Aunt Josephine might enjoy a day at the races.”
His mother stared flatly at him, as though Joseph had taken leave of his senses. “This is not Royal Ascot,” she said. “It is not even June. It is October, and no sensible people should be seen attending the races at this time of year.” She rolled the “R” of “races”, as if making a point of her loftiness.
Joseph pressed his lips together and breathed out through his nose. In actuality, he was a bit embarrassed to have dragged his mother and aunt to what was, admittedly, a more middle-class event. But his urgency to see Miss Garrett again and put his plan in motion to help her secure a more favorable place in society had spurred him to do something he wouldn’t otherwise have done.
It came as a bit of alarm to Joseph that his enthusiasm for the plan he’d hatched in St. James’s Park was so strong. He always had strong feelings whenever Miss Garrett was around, but those feelings were usually dread, terror, and the sense of impending disaster.
Now, as he took his mother’s arm on one side and his aunt’s on the other to lead them through the front gates of the racetrack and toward the section where those with money and title waited to watch the action, his feelings were more akin to anticipation, eagerness, and…no, not affection, that wasn’t the right word. Hope?
“It is not unheard of to attend a sporting event such as this in October, Mama,” he said, resorting to the informal form of address to appease her.
“Sporting event indeed,” Aunt Josephine muttered under her breath.