Behind the Rake's Wicked Wager - By Sarah Mallory Page 0,17
Oh, Susannah—’
‘No, no, he can have no inkling of the truth, and Gerald would never tell him, I am sure.’ She took Aunt Maude’s arm and gently urged her on. ‘It is just the comments he made to me, as if he thinks we run some sort of gambling den.’
‘All the more reason, then, for him to take tea with us and see that it is not the case,’ declared Mrs Wilby. ‘A gambling den! How perfectly ridiculous.’
Her aunt’s outraged dignity made Susannah chuckle.
‘But if he is suspicious of you,’ continued Mrs Wilby, ‘perhaps it would be best if you curtailed your visits to...’
‘My dear aunt, I will do nothing of the sort. In fact, I am going there tomorrow morning. Really, I did not realise, when I started this, this project, that there would be so much to do, or that it would cost so much.’
‘If people knew of it, Susannah, they would be quite scandalised.’
‘I am an heiress, Aunt,’ she said drily. ‘They would merely think me eccentric. If only I had control of my fortune now there would be no problem over money, but my uncle has bound it all up so tight I cannot even borrow upon the expectation, unless I go to a money-lender.’
‘Oh heavens, child, pray do not even think of it!’
‘I don’t. But we will need to find extra money soon.’ She sighed. ‘My dependence is upon you and Kate to win a little more at our next card party.’
‘Which will make Lord Markham even more suspicious,’ said Mrs Wilby bitterly. ‘I have a mind not to take tea with anyone tomorrow. I shall write and tell them all I have been laid low with a fever.’
‘No, no, dear Aunt, let them all come. ’Pon reflection, I think you are quite right. Nothing could be more respectable than the guests you have invited. Lord Markham is most likely to be bored to death and will beat a speedy retreat!’
* * *
It was a cold, clear afternoon, but a biting wind made Susannah glad she had ordered her carriage to take her and Kate to Henrietta Street. They drew up on the gentle curve of the street outside one of the elegant three-
storey houses, where only the array of fabrics displayed in the window gave an indication that this was not a private residence. A young woman in a plain dark gown opened the door to them.
‘Good day to you, Mabel. Is Odesse upstairs?’
‘Good day, Miss Prentess, Mrs Logan. Yes, Madame Odesse is in the showroom with Mrs Anstruther.’
‘And how is little James?’ murmured Susannah as she followed the girl up the stairs.
‘Oh, he is doing very well, miss, putting on weight just as he should, and sleeping through the night now.’ Mabel cast her a quick, shy smile. ‘It is so good to have him close, where I can keep an eye on him.’
They had reached the landing and Mabel showed them into the large reception room, where a dark-haired woman wearing a plain but exquisitely sewn round gown was talking with a formidable matron in a
Pomona-green redingote and matching turban, assuring madame in a lilting foreign accent that her new gown would be completed tout de suite.
She looked up as her new visitors came in, but Susannah waved her hand.
‘No, no, madame, please continue serving Mrs Anstruther. We are happy to browse amongst these new fabrics.’ Her smile included the matron, who quickly looked away.
‘Thank you, I have finished here.’ Mrs Anstruther hastily pulled on her gloves and headed for the door. ‘If you will have the new gown delivered to me this afternoon, madame...’
She hurried out and Madame Odesse shut the door carefully behind her.
‘Miss Prentess, Mrs Logan, how good of you to call. Will you not be seated?’
Susannah noted with a smile that all trace of the vague European accent had disappeared from the modiste’s tone.
‘This continuing cold weather has made it necessary for me to order a new redingote, and I have persuaded Mrs Logan it is time she bought a new gown. We have brought with us a length of silk especially for the purpose.’ Susannah smiled. ‘I trust everything goes well here?’
‘Very well, thank you, we have made some changes.’ Odesse paused. ‘Would you like to come and see?’
‘We would indeed!’
She took them back down the stairs and through a door on the ground floor. The room was alive with quiet chatter, which stopped as they went in. Four young women were present, sitting near the large