Page 98 of Crash Landing
“Excellent.” Trajan introduced Florence to the woman, who also had a kindly smile for her.
“The bath for Lady Florence will be brought up shortly, as will your breakfasts. Shall I set it out in m’lady’s chamber or yours, Your Grace?”
“We’ll dine in Lady Florence’s chamber.”
“Very good, Your Grace. Polly will be along to attend to m’lady’s bath and grooming. I have taken the liberty of laying out a robe and some other useful items, since I noticed you were traveling very light. M’lady, do you wish to wait until after you have eaten and bathed to review the menus for the week?”
“Yes, I think the menus and list of supplies for any dinner parties we might have ought to wait until we have finished the two urgent matters of the day,” Florence said, turning to Trajan to remind him of their wedding and seeking an audience with the princess.
“All right, business first. Parties later.”
The breakfast cart arrived. Florence’s new maid, Polly, set everything out for them on the small table in her chamber, and then left them to their privacy.
Florence and Trajan did not linger long over the meal, even though they were both famished. He was about to leave her to attend to his own grooming when her bath was wheeled in and footmen began filling it with buckets of warm water.
Then Mrs. Blake bustled in to deliver slippers, scented oils to go along with the scented soaps she had brought in a few minutes earlier, a fresh supply of hairpins, and a hairbrush. “M’lady, I noticed you are also lacking proper footwear for your finer gowns.”
Florence sighed. “Yes, I did not think to pack even one pair.”
“I thought that might be the situation and took the liberty of tracing your boots to record their size. I sent one of the maids to the local shoemaker to obtain suitable slippers for you, a pair in white and a pairin black I thought might be most practical. She ought to be back shortly. The size may not fit exactly, but we can stuff cloth in them if they are too big or stretch them if they are too small.”
“Do you think he will have those available for the mere asking?” Florence asked with much surprise.
Mrs. Blake smiled. “I know he does, for he had an order from Lady Westcomb for those exact slippers, and her feet are about your size. He’ll give them to us, though.”
“He will?” Florence glanced at Trajan to see if he approved of such duplicity.
He cast her a smile and winked.
Mrs. Blake continued. “I have standing orders from His Grace to overpay if we need something done fast. Is this not so, Your Grace? These were his granduncle’s instructions and have never been rescinded by His Grace.”
“It is a most practical arrangement,” Trajan said. “Do not frown at me, Florence. You cannot wear scuffed boots to your own wedding.”
Florence admitted he was right, and was not remorseful for their housekeeper’s bit of subterfuge, because she really needed proper slippers.
In truth, she could have made do for their wedding because it would take place only with a minimum of witnesses. But she could not show up looking lesser when visiting the Princess of Wales.
“Lady Westcomb will not need hers for another week, and the shoemaker can do up another two pairs for her by then,” Mrs. Blake added.
Problem of her footwear solved.
If only the rest were so easily resolved.
As it turned out, the matter of their wedding went just as smoothly.
Both of them were fed, washed, and elegantly attired—she with her new slippers—by the time they took the Weymouth barouche fortheir short ride to the residence of the Duke of Durham and his wife, Fiona. As it turned out, they were home and delighted to learn of the wedding plans.
“I knew there was something between the two of you from the moment you were introduced last year,” Durham said, slapping Trajan on the back.
Florence gasped. “Oh, do be careful with him.”
She quickly explained what had been going on, but omitted specific mention of Lady Simmons. It was sufficient to relate that a certain lady’s intimate letters had been reclaimed at the princess’s urging.
Durham and Fiona listened attentively.
“Ramsdale and Bromleigh are both in Town,” Durham said. “Unfortunately, their wives remained at their country estates. They have both been growling bears and insufferably ill-tempered because they miss their better halves so much. This is exactly the distraction they need. Let’s gather them and then head to church. No prelate is going to say no to four dukes demanding a marriage license and an immediate wedding thereafter. Besides, you’ll need some powerful friends to back you up if Frampton thinks to cause you trouble.”
“Or the princess decides to alter the terms of your arrangement,” Fiona said, frowning. “We won’t let her get away with it.”
