She pushed open the door, alighted from the carriage, and marched away. Louisa hurried to catch up with her.
“What happened?” Louisa asked. “I saw it was Lady Ayles. What did she want?”
Jenny sighed as she gathered her packages from her friend. “To stir up trouble and lies. Lies which are not worth repeating.”
Yet as they continued their return journey, Jenny began to wonder if there were any facts within those lies. Every time Lord Dowding spoke of Lady Ayles, a different story emerged to discount what he had said.
Then a thought came to her, one that made her stumble.
What if Lord Dowding was doing to her what he had set out to do since they first met—use her? Had she become the newest victim of the Earl of Deception?
Chapter Thirty
After giving it a great deal of thought, Jenny decided to push aside Lady Ayles’s warning. Her first priority was to help Lord Dowding with his mission to bring down Lord Tulk. No man willing to do all he had to avenge his sister could be seen as bad. No matter what any lady had to say.
Once she was fully dressed in shirt, vest, coat, and trousers, Jenny peered at her reflection. Judging by Louisa and Ruth’s frowns, her friends were not pleased.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded.
“I see two problems,” Ruth said, tapping a finger on her lips. “One is your hair. It’s too long. I’ve tried wrapping the braid around your head and pinning it up in a chignon, but still, the hat does not fit.”
“Well, we must hurry,” Jenny said. “The carriage I hired will be waiting at the bottom of the drive any minute now. You said there is a second problem. What is it?” She glanced down and lifted first one heel and then the other. “Are the boots wrong?”
Ruth laughed. “The boots are fine. But your chest is another matter.”
Jenny turned to the side and groaned. Indeed, even in the loose-fitting clothing, the swell of her bosom was evident. “It’s useless,” she cried, lifting her arms and dropping them to her side. “All my hard work for nothing.”
“Wait here,” Ruth said. “I’ll be right back.” She slipped out the door, making certain not to open it too wide and thus allowing for others to see what they were doing.
Unfortunately, Unity and Theodosia entered immediately after. “Jenny, look at you!” Unity said, giving her a critical look-over. “What exactly are you doing?”
Jenny sighed. “I’m pretending to be a man.”
Theodosia burst out laughing. “With that hair and that bosom, you’ll never pass for one.”
“I know,” Jenny snapped. “Perhaps you have some suggestions rather than mocking me.”
Dropping onto Louisa’s bed, Theodosia said, “What if you put a pillow under the coat and make yourself appear a portly man? This would draw the attention away from… your other problem areas.”
Jenny glanced in the mirror again, feeling dejected. This was her one chance to help Lord Dowding, and of all things, being a woman was preventing her! The irony of it all made her want to cry. She was not necessarily full-bosomed, but she had just enough cleavage to cause problems.
The door opened, and Ruth entered carrying a simple white scarf and a pair of scissors.
“We must start with your hair,” she said, smiling. “Then we can use the scarf.”
Jenny took a step back. “Start what exactly with my hair?” she asked, covering her head with her hands.
Ruth handed the scarf to Louisa and turned to Jenny. “Why, cut it, of course. I see no other way to proceed. Unless you plan to give up completely?”
“But I like my hair,” Jenny said, peeking in the mirror. “Plus, what do I tell Mrs. Rutley when she sees what we’ve done?”
Ruth pursed her lips. “Tell her your sister suggested you cut it. That it’s all the rage in London, like everything else she tells you.”
Jenny gave her braid a firm tug. “Well, I suppose I’ve no choice. He needs my help.”
“Wait!” Louisa cried. “What are you doing? If Ruth cuts your hair, you’ll look like a boy!”
Dropping onto the bench in front of her vanity table, Jenny sighed. “I know. Go on, Ruth. I’m ready.”