Page 35 of A Marquess' Season of Secrets
“She returned a little while ago, Your Grace. Shall I enquire about her presence for dinner?”
“No, that is not necessary, Thomas. She will be down soon enough. You may serve the meal.”
The footman had just sliced the mutton when Ellie entered the room, her lady’s maid not too far behind her.
“Good evening, Ellie. How was your day?”
“Satisfactory,” the woman replied, frowning at the footman. “I see you did not wait for me this evening. Are you terribly hungry?”
“Not at all, but poor Thomas rarely has the opportunity to serve us because you prefer to do it. While I appreciate my sister being so mindful of my well-being, ’tis only right to allow the man to fulfil his duties.”
“I suppose so,” Ellie conceded. “You might as well serve me as well, Thomas.”
“Yes, My Lady,” the man replied.
“Did you go shopping today?” Nash asked. “Or did you promenade through the park? I do not recall whether you told me of your plans for today.”
“I did a bit of both and even came across David’s mother. She was shopping for rosettes to apply to a dress and shoes, but I managed to talk her out of it. She applies rosettes to everything!”
Nash grinned, shaking his head. “You are rather frank when it comes to fashion, sister dear. However, I hope you were not too blunt with her. She will be your mother-in-law, after all.”
“I know how to be charming and honest,” Ellie argued. “I even talked her out of purchasing puce-coloured material. I know it is rather popular at the moment, but no one can convince me that it is a desirable colour. Now, the colour of the pink lilies in my room is perfect. I need a gown in that precise shade.”
Nash was tempted to tell his sister that Isabella had arranged the flowers, but Ellie would likely toss them away out of spite.
“Shall I send for the seamstress? She could begin the preparations for your trousseau as well.”
Ellie wrinkled her nose slightly. “Let’s not speak about that, now. There is plenty of time to discuss my wedding details another day, but I would like to know if you have come across any women that catch your eye.”
Someone had indeed caught his eye, but not in the manner his sister spoke about. Even Jasper had taken notice of Isabella during his visit and had commented on the woman’s beauty. It wasn’t just her physical features, which was enough to draw one’s attention, but the radiance about her.
“It seems that a woman has caught your attention,” his sister stated with a gleam in her eyes. “Do tell me who she is. Do I know her?”
“’Tis not what you think,” Nash tried to explain and paused.
If he mentioned that he found their maid intriguing, Ellie might find a cause to dislike the woman further.
“I sincerely hope you are not trying to hide her from me,” his sister said as she cut into a roast potato. “That would be unfair of you. You did promise that I could be part of the process.”
“I agreed that you could give options and your opinions on the women I select, but the final choice is mine alone.”
Ellie pursed her lips, frowning at him. “But what if you choose the wrong woman? Your life would become miserable, and I shall feel guilty that I did not try hard enough. I managed to find David, did I not? There is no better man than he.”
“David is the one who found you,” Nash corrected. “You rejected him at first because he did not have the rakish charms that you flutter your eyelashes for.”
Ellie gasped. “Of all the things to say! I have never fluttered my eyelashes at a rake, Barrington Nash Stratford! I resent you for saying such a thing.”
Nash reached over and patted his sister’s hand. “I was only teasing. I know that I taught you better than that.”
Mollified, Ellie resumed her eating. They had a brief moment of silence to enjoy their food before his sister started on her next topic.
“Catherine had the nerve to openly challenge me today,” she said, her eyes spitting fire.
Catherine Spencer was Ellie’s nemesis, a woman she regularly competed with. It had been this way since the Spencers settled in Oxfordshire several years ago and tried to make their stamp on society.
Catherine had been a popular lady in her old parish and wished to take over her new town. Unfortunately for her, Ellie wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen without a fight. This winter marked the fifth year of their never-ending rivalry.
“What did she do this time?”
