Page 29 of Bookshop Cinderella

The larger of the two bedrooms was evidently where Delia slept, for the armoire and chest of drawers were filled with clothes. Evie hung her coat in the empty armoire of the smaller bedroom, but she’d barely removed her hat before there was a knock at the sitting room door.

She was expecting the bellboy, but when she opened the door, she found the duke standing in the corridor.

“I was downstairs and saw you arrive,” he explained, noting her surprise, “so I thought to pop by and have a word. I won’t be long, since it’s most improper for a man to be caught standing outside a lady’s hotel room.”

“More improper to be caught inside it, I should think.”

He chuckled. “Quite right. Either way, I shall be quick. I’ve arranged an appointment for you at Vivienne in New Bond Street for half past two this afternoon. Vivienne is the London modiste for all my sisters, and Delia as well, and she will meet with you personally to help you choose what you’ll need.”

“What did you tell this dressmaker about me?”

He shrugged. “That you’re a friend of Delia’s, your house was flooded, and the damage has required you to obtain a new wardrobe. Order what you like, of course, but I should advise not purchasing too vast a wardrobe until Delia returns, for she will be bringing you out, and she will have a much better idea of what you’ll need than you or I would. And I’ve arranged for the Savoy to have one of their maids attend you while you’re here. What?” he added, noting her doubtful expression.

“I’ve been dressing myself my entire life, you know. I hardly need a maid to help me.”

“You will need a maid once those new clothes arrive,” he assured her. “Trust me. The gowns Vivienne is sure to make for you will be far too complicated for you to manage on your own.”

“And how do you know so much about women’s clothes?”

The question was barely out of her mouth before his amused chuckle made her regret it. “Best not to ask,” he advised, “or I shall have to stop being a gentleman and explain how I acquired my vast knowledge on the topic.”

Evie blushed to the roots of her hair, but thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice. “Whenever you need your maid’s assistance,” he said, “ring the bell beside your bed, and she’ll come straightaway.” He nodded to the suite behind her. “I hope you find your rooms comfortable?”

“I do,” she answered, relieved to veer the conversation away from how she would be getting dressed, “but I understand this is Delia’s suite.”

“It is. The hotel is packed to the rafters, I’m afraid, so I told Ritz to put you in here. You’ll have it all to yourself for now and share it with her when she returns.”

“Does Delia know any of this?”

“I’ll write to her in Rome and tell her. She won’t mind,” he added at once. “Delia’s a brick.”

With that note of praise for his cousin, he paused, reaching inside his jacket to pull out a slim, folded newspaper.

“The latest edition ofTalk of the Town,” he explained as he handed it to her. “It will have listings of the latest plays, operas, gallery openings, and such. Choose whatever you’d like to see, and I will arrange it. Just be sure to take your friend—Anna, is it?—with you.”

“I do know how chaperones work,” she told him. “I know how to curtsy, too. I can even do watercolors and embroider cushions.”

He grinned at the acerbic reply. “Sorry. Was I talking down?”

“Very much so.” She gave him a frown of mock severity. “I went to finishing school, I’ll have you know. I’m not a complete noodle.”

“I shall keep that in mind,” he said, replacing his grin with a chastened expression that didn’t fool her for a moment. “If there is anything you wish to see or do this evening, send me a note as soon as you can.”

“I think...” She paused, considering, then shook her head. “Tonight, I think I will stay in and just...relax. Read a book I want to read for a change, instead of one I have to read for the shop. And I shall sleep on in the morning,” she added dreamily, savoring the prospect. “With no alarm clock to wake me.”

His eyes creased at the edges, smiling approval. “Excellent plan. A few days of that,” he added, lifting a hand to lightly trace a half moon across each of her cheeks with the tip of his finger, “and you’ll be rid of those.”

The contact was brief, his hand falling away before she could fully realize he’d touched her, so brief that she might have thought she’d imagined it, except that the skin beneath her eyes felt oddly warm, almost tingly.

She forced herself to speak. “What about food?”

“When you wish to dine, it’s a simple matter to order room service. Just speak into the speaking tube and give your order, or you can request an attendant to come wait on you. Or, if you prefer, you can eat in the restaurant.”

“I can’t believe women dine there! I saw them when I arrived, and I was shocked.” She shook her head. “Women in restaurants? That doesn’t happen in my part of town.”

“Your part of town?” he echoed, laughing. “Woman, you live just down the street.”

“But it’s a whole different world.”

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