maidservant pursed her lips. Though they didn’t know it, they were of a single mind: a strange penniless female of unknown origins did not merit being dressed as well as her betters.
But if Camille didn’t know, it seemed Nell herself did.
“You mustn’t worry about me,” Nell said in her soft voice. “I’m pleased to have anything to wear at all. I’m lucky to be here to wear it.”
Belle’s smile was forced. “No, Camille’s right. We can’t have you going about with your legs showing. I’ll have another gown altered for you, either one of Camille’s or one my own. My maid is a marvel with a needle and a flatiron. A hem can be let out in no time.”
“But I thought Nell could come with us to walk the dogs now,” Camille said. “It’s so early no one will see us.”
Their daily jaunt with Camille’s pair of dogs was a tradition with them, stemming from when Belle had been a newlywed staying at Miles’s country home.
“Early or late, she can’t go out with her ankles showing,” Belle said briskly. “She’ll have to wait until we have something decent for her to wear.”
“Please don’t trouble yourself,” Nell said. “It’s kind of you to care, Miss Croft, but I’m a bit afraid of dogs.”
“Do you still want to go?” Belle asked Camille.
“Of course!” Camille said.
“Then give me a moment to change my gown.”
Camille looked puzzled. Belle’s delicate complexion grew rosy. “This one isn’t warm enough,” she explained. “I don’t know what I was thinking when I put it on. I’ll be back soon,” she said, and left the room, her skirts swirling against her legs as she hurried out.
Belle stormed down the hall toward her own chamber and almost walked straight into her husband. That pleased him very much. He folded her in his arms and whispered, “So eager? But alas, we have to wait until dark. That’s the only time we can decently be alone. Another reason to get Cammie married off,” he breathed as he nuzzled her ear.
“We never will if she keeps dragging strays home,” his lady said angrily.
He could feel the tension in her body and reluctantly let her go. Holding her at arm’s length, he tried to look into her eyes. “What is it? What’s got you so upset?”
“That—that woman we brought to our house.”
He became alert. “She’s been caught stealing?”
“No. Except perhaps…Oh, Miles, do you know, I had to leave the room just now I was so angry. Camille’s taken her so to heart she even invited her along on our morning walk. And I was jealous! Nonsensical, isn’t it?” She sighed. “Will I ever learn to share? But I’m trying.”
“Oh, good. That means I can take another wife?” he asked, and was rewarded by a look of mock outrage and then a giggle. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “Camille loves you above all others, as I do. But she does take in birds and dogs, starving cats, and now she’s graduated to forlorn humans. It was only a matter of time.”
“I know. But this girl…Miles, I have the worst feeling about her. I cannot trust her. Yes, the chit is quiet-spoken and we haven’t found a thing againsther. And she may be well born. That’s the only reason I finally took her in, aside from the fact that I saw Camille wanted to. But it’s one thing to house the creature, another to take her to the bosom of the family as Camille’s done. We can’t board her in the attics, but we can’t invite her to parties or teas either, because though she might actually turn out to be related to somebody , until we know, we can’t foist an unknown on Society, and even Camille knows that.
“But that means Camille won’t go out, because she doesn’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings. And she plans to take this Nell with us when we visit Eric! The girl says she wants to thank him. I know that sounds proper, but…what man wouldn’t be interested in such a beautiful little baggage? And your daft sister is dangling her in front of Eric
But if Camille didn’t know, it seemed Nell herself did.
“You mustn’t worry about me,” Nell said in her soft voice. “I’m pleased to have anything to wear at all. I’m lucky to be here to wear it.”
Belle’s smile was forced. “No, Camille’s right. We can’t have you going about with your legs showing. I’ll have another gown altered for you, either one of Camille’s or one my own. My maid is a marvel with a needle and a flatiron. A hem can be let out in no time.”
“But I thought Nell could come with us to walk the dogs now,” Camille said. “It’s so early no one will see us.”
Their daily jaunt with Camille’s pair of dogs was a tradition with them, stemming from when Belle had been a newlywed staying at Miles’s country home.
“Early or late, she can’t go out with her ankles showing,” Belle said briskly. “She’ll have to wait until we have something decent for her to wear.”
“Please don’t trouble yourself,” Nell said. “It’s kind of you to care, Miss Croft, but I’m a bit afraid of dogs.”
“Do you still want to go?” Belle asked Camille.
“Of course!” Camille said.
“Then give me a moment to change my gown.”
Camille looked puzzled. Belle’s delicate complexion grew rosy. “This one isn’t warm enough,” she explained. “I don’t know what I was thinking when I put it on. I’ll be back soon,” she said, and left the room, her skirts swirling against her legs as she hurried out.
Belle stormed down the hall toward her own chamber and almost walked straight into her husband. That pleased him very much. He folded her in his arms and whispered, “So eager? But alas, we have to wait until dark. That’s the only time we can decently be alone. Another reason to get Cammie married off,” he breathed as he nuzzled her ear.
“We never will if she keeps dragging strays home,” his lady said angrily.
He could feel the tension in her body and reluctantly let her go. Holding her at arm’s length, he tried to look into her eyes. “What is it? What’s got you so upset?”
“That—that woman we brought to our house.”
He became alert. “She’s been caught stealing?”
“No. Except perhaps…Oh, Miles, do you know, I had to leave the room just now I was so angry. Camille’s taken her so to heart she even invited her along on our morning walk. And I was jealous! Nonsensical, isn’t it?” She sighed. “Will I ever learn to share? But I’m trying.”
“Oh, good. That means I can take another wife?” he asked, and was rewarded by a look of mock outrage and then a giggle. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “Camille loves you above all others, as I do. But she does take in birds and dogs, starving cats, and now she’s graduated to forlorn humans. It was only a matter of time.”
“I know. But this girl…Miles, I have the worst feeling about her. I cannot trust her. Yes, the chit is quiet-spoken and we haven’t found a thing againsther. And she may be well born. That’s the only reason I finally took her in, aside from the fact that I saw Camille wanted to. But it’s one thing to house the creature, another to take her to the bosom of the family as Camille’s done. We can’t board her in the attics, but we can’t invite her to parties or teas either, because though she might actually turn out to be related to somebody , until we know, we can’t foist an unknown on Society, and even Camille knows that.
“But that means Camille won’t go out, because she doesn’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings. And she plans to take this Nell with us when we visit Eric! The girl says she wants to thank him. I know that sounds proper, but…what man wouldn’t be interested in such a beautiful little baggage? And your daft sister is dangling her in front of Eric
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