Page 11 of Captivating the Countess
“I am to be a steward,” Bell protested—again. “I need only wear a simple dark gown to sit in an office all day. I was only concerned if I must occasionally sit at a formal table. My dinner gown needs pressing, that’s all!”
“Don’t be foolish.” Lady Estelle picked through the pile of gowns the ladies had left behind when they married. “None of us can wear these tiny bodices any longer, so we have no incentive to make them over for ourselves. They’re excellent quality. Look at the blond lace on this one! It will look fabulous with your coloring.”
Their colors suited Bell as well, although she feared she’d fade into nothingness with the midnight blue. Still, it was a lovely shade, one that flattered their Malcolm eyes and not her golden-brown ones.
Before she could protest again, Lady Alicia swept around the room holding a gown with an enormous train. “You must have dinner with us. You’re a countess first and foremost. You will distract Rain from his dismals over losing Araminta.”
“And you will help us make lists of other suitable heiresses he might marry.” Lady Estelle handed the gold gown over to the seamstress. “Unless, of course, you know of any magic spells to cure our father. If he were healthy again, Rain could take his time.”
“I’m not a healer.” Bell attempted to dissuade them of her ability to do anything other than keep books. “And I’m from far northern Scotland. I don’t know many people. If the duke can’t heal himself and Rainford can’t help him either, then don’t count on me for anything.”
“What if it’s a spiritual ailment?” Lady Alicia asked. “You really need to speak with the spirits.”
Ah, there was the crux of the matter. They were Malcolms. They believed in life beyond death. And like everyone else, they were eager to speak to those long gone.
“I cannot imagine why anyone would deliberatelyinvitea spirit into their life,” Bell said firmly. “Don’t you have enough people interfering without asking one from a different time and place? They are not better, smarter people for having passed on.”
“But it’s exciting.” Lady Delahey picked off lace that had merely been basted to a sleeve. “Our grandmother, the fourth duchess, died when our Uncle Theodore was born, so we never knew her. It would be wonderful to speak with her.”
Bell shook her head. “How long ago was that, half a century? Back during the Regency? What precisely do you expect her to say after all these years?”
“Well, she could scold her grandson Teddy Junior for being such a bounder,” Lady Delahey suggested. “If Teddy weren’t such a perfect mug, Rain wouldn’t have to worry so much about his inheriting the family trust.”
“Blame that predicament on our great-grandfather.” Lady Estelle snapped angrily at a thread. “He’s the one who set the terms.”
“Well, his intentions were good.” Quiet Mrs. Lombard pinned the lace and another note to the seamstress on a tan bodice. “His father was crazy, after all, and he married a Malcolm who couldn’t promise him an heir. Our family was never normal, so it makes sense to separate the funds from the title.”
None of this was her business, and Bell didn’t question. But she listened intently, looking for the reason the spirit insisted that she save the duke.
“It would make more sense if an objective party determined which heir was craziest.” Lady Estelle laughed and dug through the pile of clothes. “Rainford is perfectly sane, unlike Teddy. But he chose not to marry until too late, which does make him a little...”
“Normal.” Lady Alicia defended him. “He didn’t expect Father to become ill so young.”
“Try this one on. I think it will fit without too much adjustment.” Lady Delahey, the oldest and bossiest sister, began unhooking Bell’s bodice. “We must keep Father well until Rain can marry. Marriage will at least delay the trust’s second clause for a few years.”
“We really need a list of unmarried Ives females. Did Rain ever make one?”
“He did. We’ve entertained them all. He simply wasn’t interested.”
“I don’t know why Araminta interested him. She was quite dull.”
Bell gave up trying to follow who said what. She let the ladies push and pull her around while she simply absorbed information and attempted to keep out prying spirits. Having her head full of gossip, silks, and lace helped tremendously, she discovered. Having only one sister and no wardrobe, she’d never learned that defense.
By the time the sisters rushed off to dress for dinner, Bell was garbed in a modest copper-colored dinner gown only a year or two old that none of the married ladies could wear any longer, and Lady Alicia declared too mature for her taste. It had ruffles instead of lace forming the bustle of the upper skirt. The practical brown of the under skirt had ruffles as well. Bell thought she could wear it regularly, perhaps with a different bodice every so often.
As soon as the room quieted, Winifred knocked on the connecting door. When the widow entered, she admired the results of the wardrobe addition.
“We’ll add some of those pretty topaz earrings, and you’ll look perfect for a family dinner. I’m feeling better leaving you with his sisters about. I’ll go down with you this evening so you feel comfortable, but I think you’ll be happy here.” She helped Bell tease a few loose curls around her face.
Bell didn’t mention that the winter holidays had to end and the sisters had to go back to their own homes sometime. Presumably, Lady Alicia would remain.
“What we need to do now is visit the duke,” Bell decided. “How do I go about that?”
Five
One of themany reasons Rain encouraged his sisters to visit was so he could enjoy the company of their sensible—ungifted—spouses. Large dowries had allowed his non-prepossessing but highly intelligent sisters to choose men who suited them. They’d done well.
Rain didn’t know why he couldn’t manage the same.
