Page 32 of The Duke Meets His Match

Chapter 8

Foster, under Lady Walmsley’s direction,had led Madame Veronique, her assistant, and the footmen with their boxes to Susan’s guest rooms. By the time Susan, Lady Walmsley, and Tompkins ascended the stairs to Susan’s rooms, Madame Veronique and her assistant had laid out four gowns on Susan’s bed.

“Madame Veronique, you and your seamstresses have been exceedingly busy,” Susan said as she gazed at the lovely gowns before her. “We were expecting one, maybe two gowns today.”

“I just had zees feeling about you,” Madame Veronique said with a wink. “I said, ‘We must do our best wis zees client, n’est-ce pas vrai? Eez true, yes?”

“Indeed, Miss Jennings,” Madame Veronique’s assistant said. “Madame said we must drop everything else and concentrate our efforts on your gowns. She said she had an inkling.”

“An inkling,” Susan said, raising an eyebrow at Madame Veronique.

“What can I say? Zere eez somezing about you zat tells Madame Veronique we must do our best.”

Susan looked suspiciously at Lady Walmsley, who only shrugged. “I haven’t had any communication with Madame since the two of us were in her shop.”

Madame Veronique tapped her forefinger against her temple. “MadameVeronique knows,oui? Now, let us begin wis zees one”—she picked up a day dress made of light blue muslin—“but first, we must remove zat horrible cap and never see eet again. Off! Off!” She pointed repeatedly at Susan’s cap as though shooing it away.

Susan reluctantly untied the bow of her cap and slipped it from her head.

“More,” Madame Veronique said in a commanding tone, twirling her hand near Susan’s head. “I want to see your hair as God gave eet to you.”

Susan reluctantly unpinned her thick braids from her head and ran her fingers through the weaves, trying to untangle it all. She hated fussiness, and dealing with her hair had always been a nuisance.

“Oooh, la!” Madame Veronique breathed. “We see what we have here now zat eet eez free,non?” She took a clump of Susan’s waist-long hair into her handand began rubbing the strands between her fingers. “Magnifique! Mimi,come see.”

Mimi hurried over and gently touched Susan’s hair. It was rather odd having her head scrutinized in this way.

“Lady Walmsley,” Madame Veronique said in a voice that heralded anannouncement. “We must ask you to send a message to Miss Lily at once. Sheeez an artiste when eet comes to cutting zee hair. I would have no one else touchzees beautiful locks but Miss Lily. And when you see zee hair and zee gown together—mwah!” She kissed her fingers and flung them, as though throwinga kiss.

It was a bit dramatic for Susan’s taste, but on the other hand, itwasdiverting. Or at least it would be if she weren’t the subject of it all.

“Certainly, Madame!” Lady Walmsley said. “I shall see that it is sent posthaste.”She promptly sat at the escritoire in Susan’s room and dashed off a note. “This is all so exciting! I have heard of Miss Lily, you know, and I should have thought of her myself.” She crossed to the bedroom door and went out into the corridor. “Foster,” she called. “I need a footman at once, if not sooner! Foster!” Her voice faded as she hurried down the corridor.

Madame Veronique chuckled briefly, but then she turned a serious face to Susan. “Miss Jennings,” she said, the French accent now gone. “You are an exceedingly clever woman, as I think you are undoubtedly aware. I consider myself one as well.”

“I would agree,” Susan said.

“Therefore, I shall be frank with you. Up until now, I believe you have relied on your intellect and have disregarded the natural beauty with which you have been blessed.”

“I don’t think—” Susan began.

“Yours is not a classic beauty, perhaps,” Madame Veronique continued, holdingup her hand to stop Susan from speaking. “And I suspect that may be why you have not given it much, if any, credence. I am telling you this because whenyour hair has been cut in a flattering style and you are wearing one of my newgowns, you are going to see yourself in a new light. I tell you this as a warning.”

“A warning,” Susan repeated, nearly laughing. Madame Veronique waswarningher that new clothes and a haircut would make a new woman out of her!Hardly.Susan was Susan and would always be Susan.

“Yes, a warning,” Madame Veronique repeated.

Susan was unconvinced. “I am completely aware that beautiful women hold some mystical power over men. I have a sister-in-law, you know, who used her beauty to bring men under her spell. Ruby Chadwick, she was called. The Darling of Drury Lane.”

“Ahh! I remember Miss Chadwick well,” Madame Veronique said.

“Now,sheis an incomparable beauty,” Susan said. “I have never had that effect on men—spellbound, utterly devoted.” Susan had witnessed it happen.Her brother Lucas had fallen head over heels for Lavinia, which was Ruby's realgiven name, but gentlemen passersby still gaped at Lavinia even to this day.

“There are different kinds of beauty, Miss Jennings,” Madame Veronique said. “I have seen it all in my shop. There are also different kinds of ugliness. For the outside eventually reflects what is on the inside, you see.”

At that moment, Lady Walmsley burst back into the room, her face pink, her eyes shining, wisps of gray hair fluttering about her cheeks and forehead. “The note is on its way! Oh, I canhardly waitto see what Miss Lily does with that hair of yours, my dear!” She clasped her hands together and stopped to catch her breath. “What a great pleasure this all is for me! I am elated!” Lady Walmsley glowed with happiness at the prospect of dressing Susan, who had been a complete stranger to her just days before.

“You see what I mean?” Madame Veronique said softly to Susan.

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