finished, great tears were rolling down Lady Viola's cheeks, cutting white tracks through her powder and rouge.
A knowing smile laced Lady Letitia's lips. "You love him."
Jenny looked up at her, and shook her head. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't need to, my dear." Lady Viola sniffed back her tears and dried her cheeks with the handkerchief her sister gave her. "But it is clear nonetheless. You mightn't even know it yet yourself, Jenny. But from what you've told us, your hearts met in the abbey.
96
Maybe only for a moment, but it won't be the last time, I promise you that." She leaned forward and held Jenny with the most potent of gazes. "Why, I have a notion that the two of you are falling in love."
Jenny flinched at that. Preposterous. They shared a moment of tenderness. She eased his pain. She paused then. Was there more to it? Was she falling in love with Callu m ?
The sound of hands clapping drew Jenny's gaze to Lady Letitia , who was prancing, as best she could given her heft and swollen ankles, around the drawing room gleefully. " ''Tis exactly as we'd hoped, Sister. A love match in the makin g — a real love match!"
There was a rustling sound at the drawing-room door, then it flew open and Meredith backed into the room, her arms laden with a huge parcel. "It's here, Aunties. Come and see!"
At once the ladies set aside their views on Jenny and Callum's attraction, much to Jenny's relief. Lady Viola struggled to her feet and the three women joined Meredith around the polished mahogany table in the center of the room as she tore the muslin wrapping away.
With a gasp of pleasure, Jenny stared at what lay before her. There beneath the scraps of muslin was the most beautiful evening gown she'd ever seen.
She couldn't help herself. Jenny bad to touch the fabric.
Snatching it up, she shook it from its folds and marveled at the creation. The evening gown was made of vibrant midnight-blue sarcenet draped over an icy white satin slip. The waist was short in accordance with all the latest fashion magazines, and topped by a daringly low bodice. The cropped, full sleeves cascaded over the
97
shoulders, and fell deliciously low in the back. Around the waist was a sash of blue satin ribbon fastened in a petite bow in the back.
Were she to wear this gown, no one would be able to take their eyes from her. And most especially not Ca ll u m .
Jenny lurched with surprise.
Callu m ? Lud, where had that thought hailed from? That notion came quite out of the sky, didn't it?
Tucking the distracting thought in the back of her mind, Jenny held the dress up to her shoulders to view it more carefully. The gently flared skirt was ornamented with a deep trimming of net, and finished with niched rows of more blue satin, which would produce a light, ethereal effect, particularly when Callum swirled her around in the ballroom. Lud. There he was in her thoughts . . . again.
Once more, Jenny tried to put her thoughts of Callum aside and instead focused her attention on her new gown.
Golly. That was assuming the gown was meant for her.
Oh, it had to be. Just had to be. It was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever seen!
Well, she wasn't about to wait around to find out while her heart was already claiming it for its own.
"Your gown is lovely, Miss Meredith. Though I daresay," she added cleverly, "I would not have chosen quite this shade of blue for you." Then she glanced sidelong at Meredith who laughed in response.
"No, silly. Aunt Viola had the gown fashioned especially for you."
"For me?"
98
Lady Letitia chuckled to herself. "Come now, gel, you know you have need of it."
"We are not too old to recall the feel of wanting to look fetching for a beau." Lady Viola smiled warmly.
Jenny's innards somersaulted. Oh, this was too wondrous to be true. The gown was hers. Hers! "Oh, thank you, my ladies. Thank you ever so much."
"No need to thank us, my child. You have no idea the happiness you are bringing us." Then Lady
A knowing smile laced Lady Letitia's lips. "You love him."
Jenny looked up at her, and shook her head. "I didn't say that."
"You didn't need to, my dear." Lady Viola sniffed back her tears and dried her cheeks with the handkerchief her sister gave her. "But it is clear nonetheless. You mightn't even know it yet yourself, Jenny. But from what you've told us, your hearts met in the abbey.
96
Maybe only for a moment, but it won't be the last time, I promise you that." She leaned forward and held Jenny with the most potent of gazes. "Why, I have a notion that the two of you are falling in love."
Jenny flinched at that. Preposterous. They shared a moment of tenderness. She eased his pain. She paused then. Was there more to it? Was she falling in love with Callu m ?
The sound of hands clapping drew Jenny's gaze to Lady Letitia , who was prancing, as best she could given her heft and swollen ankles, around the drawing room gleefully. " ''Tis exactly as we'd hoped, Sister. A love match in the makin g — a real love match!"
There was a rustling sound at the drawing-room door, then it flew open and Meredith backed into the room, her arms laden with a huge parcel. "It's here, Aunties. Come and see!"
At once the ladies set aside their views on Jenny and Callum's attraction, much to Jenny's relief. Lady Viola struggled to her feet and the three women joined Meredith around the polished mahogany table in the center of the room as she tore the muslin wrapping away.
With a gasp of pleasure, Jenny stared at what lay before her. There beneath the scraps of muslin was the most beautiful evening gown she'd ever seen.
She couldn't help herself. Jenny bad to touch the fabric.
Snatching it up, she shook it from its folds and marveled at the creation. The evening gown was made of vibrant midnight-blue sarcenet draped over an icy white satin slip. The waist was short in accordance with all the latest fashion magazines, and topped by a daringly low bodice. The cropped, full sleeves cascaded over the
97
shoulders, and fell deliciously low in the back. Around the waist was a sash of blue satin ribbon fastened in a petite bow in the back.
Were she to wear this gown, no one would be able to take their eyes from her. And most especially not Ca ll u m .
Jenny lurched with surprise.
Callu m ? Lud, where had that thought hailed from? That notion came quite out of the sky, didn't it?
Tucking the distracting thought in the back of her mind, Jenny held the dress up to her shoulders to view it more carefully. The gently flared skirt was ornamented with a deep trimming of net, and finished with niched rows of more blue satin, which would produce a light, ethereal effect, particularly when Callum swirled her around in the ballroom. Lud. There he was in her thoughts . . . again.
Once more, Jenny tried to put her thoughts of Callum aside and instead focused her attention on her new gown.
Golly. That was assuming the gown was meant for her.
Oh, it had to be. Just had to be. It was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever seen!
Well, she wasn't about to wait around to find out while her heart was already claiming it for its own.
"Your gown is lovely, Miss Meredith. Though I daresay," she added cleverly, "I would not have chosen quite this shade of blue for you." Then she glanced sidelong at Meredith who laughed in response.
"No, silly. Aunt Viola had the gown fashioned especially for you."
"For me?"
98
Lady Letitia chuckled to herself. "Come now, gel, you know you have need of it."
"We are not too old to recall the feel of wanting to look fetching for a beau." Lady Viola smiled warmly.
Jenny's innards somersaulted. Oh, this was too wondrous to be true. The gown was hers. Hers! "Oh, thank you, my ladies. Thank you ever so much."
"No need to thank us, my child. You have no idea the happiness you are bringing us." Then Lady
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