“My lord,” she greeted, dipping into a dutiful curtsy. “Aunt Cecily.”
A wide smile curved Aunt Cecily’s mouth. She was a plump matron who herself was a lady of great fashion sense, even though her styles leaned toward a lot of ruffles and ostentatious hats with feathers and flowers. She was also a beauty and had a giving personality. Aunt Cecily had made Frederica felt at ease and welcomed into their family the instant they had met.
“Has Wolverton told you about this new wardrobe?” she asked with a sniff. “I do not approve.”
Frederica smiled and went over to sit beside her. “As it is, no gentleman seems to think me suited to be their wife. Perhaps the change will open some of their eyes.”
She harumphed but seemed to consider this. “There are merits to your argument I suppose, and you are not per say a debutante in the flush of youth.”
“Oh, dear, I gather twenty is inching toward decrepitness.”
They laughed and chatted for several moments; the entire time Frederica remained aware that the marquess was in the room. He, however, seemed immune to her presence for shortly after he excused himself to retire to his study. There was no warmth in the gaze that briefly touched upon her. In truth, his expression was carefully controlled.
A soft pain pressed against her heart, and she tried her very best to ignore it and pasted on a cheery smile for Aunt Cecily’s benefit. Frederica spent the day with Aunt Cecily, who seemed like she had much to talk about, especially as it relates to rumors about other debutantes that were Freddie’s competition.
The following morning Lady Theo,the Duchess of Hartford, called in her very fashionable equipage and took Freddie up to go shopping. The landau had two pairs of match chestnut horses and was elegantly painted in burgundy with her escutcheon and other details picked out in gold and the upholstery in mid blue which showed Theo off to advantage. The landau came with a liveried driver, two footmen and a servant up front who Freddie thought of as a retired pugilist. Theo’s maid sat quietly with her back to the horses and was tatting some lace as Freddie climbed on board.
“This is so exciting Freddie; it is almost as if your guardian is throwing you a carte blanche. Lord Wolverton wants you to have a complete new wardrobe and trusts me to advise you, according to the note he sent around to my home,” Theo gushed, her golden-brown eyes glittering.
“He seems to think I will ensnare a suitable suitor if I am better dressed. I do not care much how I look but he is determined to get me married off, whether I want to or not…” Freddie said, then muttered under her breath, “Foolish man…”
Theo laughed. “They all are, but Sebastian thinks that your guardian has got it bad for you and is trying to convince himself that it is merely a brief attraction and that if he ignores it, it will go away,”
A sharp tremor of uncertainty quivered through her. Then warmth slid through her veins, and it was impossible to contain her smile or the flutter low in her belly. “The Duke must have got that wrong.”
“Sebastian is never wrong about these matters,” Theo said loyally and with a fond smile. “He says he has never seen his friend so unsettled, and he believes it is because of you.”
Taking a deep breath and fighting the blush, Frederica softly confessed, “The marquess finally kissed me but then put a mask of indifference back on.”
Theo gasped. “Was it a chaste kiss or passionate?”
Frederica flushed at the memory of all that had happened in his carriage.
The duchess patted her arm. “I daresay you need not answer, your expression has revealed it all. Sebastian was right! I assure you a gentleman does not kiss a lady until he is burning for her.”
“Then why did he seem so cold and distant after? I could tell he was about to apologize. As if kissing me was a ghastly mistake.”
Theo’s mouth twitched at the corners. “Alas, men are not like us, Frederica. Sometimes it takes more for them to understand the truth of their feelings. Take my duke for instance. I was driving away in a carriage and sobbing my heart out thinking we had ended. It was in the moment as I left, he realized he could not live without me.”
Her laugh came out as a feeble hiccup. “So, I am to…leave the marquess and see if he will chase me, oh and for good measure I am to shed a few tears?”
Theo rolled her eyes and Freddie grinned, before sighing. “I was gladdened to know that he is also attracted to me. It means perhaps he might start falling in love with me as well, the more time we spend together. I did see him only last week kissing a dashing widow. I think he is determined to set her up as a flirt…”
Theo patted her hand reassuringly. “So, we are going to make sure he notices you, first and foremost, whenever he walks into a room. And Sebastian is pretty astute, if he thinks your guardian is falling in love with you, then I would bet that he is right. So, smile and stop worrying, the Marquess of Wolverton is a man like any other and a clever determined woman can bury deep into his heart and not let go. You keep undervaluing yourself, Freddie, I am cheering you on,” Theo insisted, brushing away a lock of her vibrant blonde hair which had escaped it elegant chignon behind her ear.
Their first stop was at Theo’s very up market modiste and they were served by that very lady herself. And Freddie discovered that shopping without Aunt Cecily could be an awful lot of fun. Measurements were taken and she tried on a number of finished gowns to see the effect. The modiste brought out Parisian fashion plates, some already made-up as sample gowns and a hoard of gorgeous fabrics which were draped over her as Theo and Madame Moineau decided together what would best suit her. They certainly were not picking the plainest and most modest of fashions, more suited for a young girl.
Instead of turning her into a meek little sparrow, they seemed determined to make her into a flamingo or tropical bird with colors so vibrant that they would put some of the gaudy parrots she had once seen in a menagerie to shame. Styles were chosen, and Theo happily ordered her many of each type of gowns and even a new riding habit in a dark green with lots of gold braid. Frederica’s attempts to protest at such extravagant spending were overruled and she was swept off next to a milliner’s where the Misses Calcott went into raptures over how they could present her sweet features to show them to advantage. More hats were ordered than Freddie had ever imagined owning and they were simple but flamboyant. Wearing any of these confections, she would be unable to hide on the sidelines of society, she would have to brazen it out and set a style.
Freddie was starting to enjoy herself and actually made a few suggestions herself. Then she was swept on through a series of emporiums, where slippers, boots, shawls, fans, ribbons, and some gorgeous undergarments were purchased. Lady Theo even selected some scandalously shocking nightgowns and robes which Freddie did not think she would ever dare wear. Eventually exhausted they stopped at Gunters for ice cream and when rested returned to her guardian’s home laden with so many interesting parcels and packages that even with the help of both footmen, they struggled to carry them all.