Page 57 of A Marquess' Season of Secrets
Juliana agreed with her there. “Yes, My Lady. The duke should only have the best of everything.”
Lady Stratford smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I knew you would see it my way, and that is precisely why you must be the one to ensure that everything goes well. I have heard of your talents, and even Mrs Black has sung your praises. Why, I’m certain that nothing is impossible for such a gifted woman.”
Lady Stratford’s words seemed rather sarcastic. This made Juliana worry about what the woman possibly had in store for her.
The duke’s sister was not one to be this friendly and polite without cause, leading Juliana to surmise Lady Stratford might wish her to fail and use her failure as an excuse to remove her from the house. It might seem an implausible thought, but Juliana was wary enough to consider it.
“My Lady, I do not believe I am suited for such a prestigious responsibility,” Juliana refused as graciously as she could. “I have never organised such an event and would not want it to unravel at the seams due to my inexperience.”
“Oh, do not be so modest!” Lady Stratford argued, flapping her hand. “I am confident that this will be the perfect job for you to do.” The woman looked into the distance for a moment, leaning her body over the arm of the chair. “I can envision it now— would you like to hear that vision?”
Juliana did not have a choice, so she nodded. “Yes, My Lady.”
“It all starts with the guest list, which of course, I’ll be in charge of. I cannot expect you to know of the type of woman my brother deserves. You are but a servant, yes?”
Juliana could argue that she wasn’t just a servant, but she didn’t have any evidence yet, so her answer could only be, “Yes, My Lady.”
“I suppose I shall have to invite that Catherine Spencer to teach her a lesson. I heard she wishes to drop her handkerchief at my brother’s feet, but she will not get far. She is a comely thing, but her fashion sense leaves much to be desired.”
Inviting the very woman who wished to marry the duke seemed like a terrible idea to Juliana, but all the women that Lady Stratford would invite were going to be eligible women who wanted to marry the duke. One more would make no difference.
“I have counted at least eight women who will look wonderful on my brother’s arm, but he will have the last say on who walks down the aisle towards him,” said Lady Stratford.
Juliana grew faintly sick at the mental image of a beautiful young woman walking towards the duke.
“Is there anything specific that you wish me to do, My Lady?” Juliana asked, tired of hearing about these women.
“Let me write down a list for you,” the woman told her. “Get my stationery, Isabella. I keep multiple pens and paper in every room.”
Juliana already knew this as she regularly collected the woman’s scrunched up papers and used them for her drawings and whatever words flowed into her mind. She made haste and fetched the scented paper, pen, and inkwell and set it beside the woman, quickly stepping away.
Juliana did not trust the woman with the ink after Kitty told her how the duke’s sister had dropped a small bottle all over Peggy’s shoes due to a mistake the maid had supposedly made. Lady Stratford appeared to be a reasonable young woman, but she certainly had a temper.
The duke’s sister wrote two pages worth of instructions, all the while explaining the qualities of each woman she was inviting. Juliana’s heart simply kept sinking until all she felt was dread and unhappiness.
Her very body was heavy and weary by the time she left Lady Stratford’s presence, so much so that she hid in the least used room of the house and simply sat in the corner like a lost soul.
Chapter 12
Juliana stood back to admire the tulip arrangement, pleased with the vivid shades of purple, the blushing pink, cheerful yellow, and fiery reds and oranges. She had thrown in a few white tulips to balance the other hues and to pick up the predominant colour in the pale drawing room.
Everything had to be just perfect for the dinner party this evening, and if all went according to plan, it would be a success. Even the weather cooperated by providing them with a light breeze and clear skies that would likely turn into a cool, starry night.
There would be no moon tonight, but any guests who chose to venture outside for a bit of fresh air would be treated to a clear view of the constellations from comfortable seats in the garden. That would be something that Juliana would do, but the guests may feel differently about the activity.
“The tulips look lovely, dear,” Mrs Black said, walking into the room. “I see you have arranged five bouquets.”
“The uneven number is pleasing to the eye. I would have done three, but this room is too big, and the arrangements would have been lost. I’m tempted to add two more, but I doubt the duke would want too many flowers dotted about the place.”
The housekeeper chuckled. “The duke doesn’t like too much colour as is evident throughout the house. His mother was fond of flowers and would do all the floral arrangements every three days. You have a similar hand to hers.”
The duchess had been a woman well-loved by the servants who had known her, so to be compared to her was a great honour.
“Thank you, Mrs Black. I enjoy matching flowers to rooms and always hope it will bring a bit of sunshine to the viewer. Perhaps the guests will be too busy socialising, but if one person takes note of the arrangement, I’ll be most happy.”
“I’m certain someone will,” Mrs Black assured. “I have come to see if you need any more guidance for this evening. You have organised the dinner party well for your first time, but there can always be last-minute problems that can surface out of seemingly nowhere.”
“Wel l...” said Juliana, mentally going through the list she had memorised.
