Page 27 of Winning the Wallflower's Heart
Georgiana took her hand and pushed it away. “It’s scandalous, Esther. I don’t want to be in the gossip rags tomorrow.”
“And what will they say?” Esther asked. “That you wore a dress? A red dress? Is that all they have to say?”
Georgiana sighed. She was much more comfortable hidden along the ballroom walls, away from the prying eyes and gossiping matrons. But she knew, even as others reassured her,there would be talk of her in the ballroom that evening, making her first public appearance with her husband, one of the most powerful men in all of London. She knew he’d be walking into a room where many men owed their financial lives to him. Power had a funny way of corrupting a man’s mind.
“The pink,” she said. “The pink. Let’s put it on. It’s almost time for us to leave.”
Esther clucked her tongue. “One day, dearest, you won’t be so afraid to shine bright in this world.”
Georgiana paused, knitting her brows. “I’m not afraid.”
“Ye’ve spent too much of your life, darling, making yerself small, hiding away. And for what? Ye are a brilliant soul.” Hester cupped her cheek against her soft palm. “And ye put Ellis in his place nicely. Now, let’s go. ‘urry up.”
Georgiana chuckled to herself as the two older women helped her into her gown, tying the back and the waist, slipping one hook in place, and cinching the ribbon around her waist. It was a beautiful, pink-striped linen with ruffled sleeves adorned with blonde lace. The hem of her skirts was also trimmed in the same beautiful lace. She glanced at herself in the mirror, swirling left then right, loving how the skirts swished around her feet.
Then she groaned and flopped back onto her bed.
“No!” the women cried. “No, no, stand up, Georgiana. Your hair.”
“I can’t do this,” she declared.
“Oh, you sweet thing,” Hester said. “You’ll be fine. But if you crush your hair after I’ve just spent the last hour curling, I swear to heaven?—”
“Don’t you dare insult her!” Esther chided.
The two women began bickering playfully, laughing as they always did. It was quickly becoming one of Georgiana’s favorite sounds in the world.
She sat up and shrugged. “I have no business stepping into this ballroom.”
“Isn’t it to see a friend? She will be overjoyed to see you, no doubt.”
“No,” Georgiana said. “It’s everyone else who’ll be there.”
“The only person ye should be worrying about is ye,” Hester said.
Georgiana sighed again. “That seems like easy advice.”
“Sometimes the easy advice is just that.”
“And sometimes,” Georgiana said, laughing, “such advice is easy because it comes from a person who doesn’t have to deal with it.”
“Very well,” the older woman said, a knowing smile on her face. “I know a secret. Stand up, please.”
Georgiana did. The older woman held out her hand as Georgiana reached out her gloved hand and placed it in the woman’s palm.
“Now, darling,” she said, pulling Georgiana across the floor and twirling her until Georgiana had a smile on her face. “The only person you have to worry about is you, and if you have a hard enough time with that, then think of your husband. He’ll be happy you’re there beside him.”
Happy.
She felt the blush creep to her cheeks at the mere memory of last week at Madame Marie’s ballroom and what they had done when they parted. Ellis had promised to escort her this evening to the ball but made his apologies for being busy—not being able to see her until this evening. She missed him all the more for it, even if she was nervous.
“Well, look at ye—an absolute picture,” Hester said, clutching her hands together in front of her chest excitedly.
“You’ll be late. Come on now.” Esther pulled her forward, then paused at the top of the stairs. “Stay here, I want Ellis to see.”
“See what?” a voice said from the landing below.
“Yer wife, ye silly goose,” Hester chided, tucking another pin into Georgiana’s hair.
