Page 4 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
When her friend left, Kate mindlessly ate another piece of cake. She didn’t care for sweets the same way Sophie did, but nobody disliked cake, right?
When Sophie returned, it was with pelisse on and Lady Carlisle and Margaret in tow.
“Good afternoon, Kate,” Lady Carlisle said with a nod of acknowledgement. “You have excellent timing. We were advised earlier today that Sophie’s latest order is ready to be collected.”
Sophie gave Kate a meaningful look, obviously hoping she’d be allowed to choose something more to her taste to wear to her first ball. The four women made their way out the front door to where Kate’s carriage waited.
“Would it be convenient for us to ride with you?” Lady Carlisle asked. “Or would you prefer for us to take a separate carriage?”
“You can ride with us,” Kate assured her. The two households weren’t particularly far apart, so it wouldn’t be an inconvenience to drop the Carlisles back home before returning to her own.
“Thank you, Kate.”
A footman opened the door and assisted each of the ladies inside. He closed the door, and the carriage started to move, bumping over the cobblestones as it made its way along the street.
Madam Baptiste’s shop occupied a stone building on the corner of a busy road in a popular shopping area. The premises had large windows with dresses and swathes of fabric displayed in them. The carriage stopped outside for the ladies to disembark, and the footman hovered outside as they entered the shop, ready to carry whatever items they emerged with.
“Ah, Lady Carlisle, Lady Sophie, Lady Katherine,” Madam Baptiste exclaimed, her dark eyes glittering as she greeted them.
She was a striking woman, with sharp cheekbones and an angled jaw that were at odds with her curvaceous figure. Kate had always thought she’d like to draw her—not that she was forward enough to ask.
“Are you here to collect Lady Sophie’s gowns?”
“That’s correct,” Lady Carlisle said. “May we see them?”
“Of course, my lady. Please come this way.” She led them through a door into the back of the shop and then into a room where a small pedestal was positioned in front of a full-length mirror.
A girl emerged from even deeper within the shop with a dress draped over her shoulder. Kate grimaced at the sight of ruffles and creamy fabric. This definitely wasn’t the best look for Sophie.
“This is the one you requested I focus on first.” Madam Baptiste took it from the girl and held it up. “Would you like to try it on before taking it home?”
Lady Carlisle nodded.
The shop girl helped Sophie undress and don the ruffled gown. Despite it not particularly suiting her, it did fit well.
The girl disappeared into the back and brought out another two dresses, one of which was similar to the first, but the other was sleeker and in a pale shade of blue. It hugged Sophie’s body more closely and made her complexion look like strawberries and cream rather than washed-out porcelain.
“I like that one,” Kate said, doing her best to help her friend.
“As do I.” Madam Baptiste met Kate’s gaze and waggled her eyebrows. “The delicate shade of blue is perfect for her eyes.”
Lady Carlisle made a sound of agreement.
“May I wear it tomorrow, Mother?” Sophie asked, obviously doing her best to keep hopefulness out of her voice.
“Very well.”
Madam Baptiste’s assistant helped Sophie out of her clothes and back into her original day dress.
Meanwhile, Kate opened the sketchbook she’d brought in with her to the page with her most recent designs.“Would something like this be possible?” she asked Madam Baptiste.
The modiste leaned over to get a better look. “I believe so. Lovely design. Very elegant without being bland. It’s a shame you were born into nobility. You have such an eye for fashion. You’d have been a talented modiste.”
Kate’s chest warmed. Perhaps some women would be insulted by a modiste implying that she had a practical workingskill, but Kate liked that someone who actually knew what she was talking about thought Kate had potential, even if nothing ever came of it except for feeding her ego.
“What colors were you thinking?” Madam Baptiste asked.
Kate explained her vision, and the modiste collected a number of fabrics and displayed them for Kate to peruse. She chose the ones that most fitted the design as she’d envisioned it and asked Madam Baptiste to bill the cost to her brother. Lady Carlisle went outside to fetch the footman and then loaded him up with the dresses.
