stepmother’s townhouse, they arrived at Lady Daphne’s much grander one. Aunt Marielle accompanied them, and a second carriage followed with the servants and luggage.
James awaited their arrival and greeted them as they entered the elegant townhouse in Russel Square.
“Welcome back, Daphne, Aunt and Miss Ashford,” he said, smiling. “Were there any problems with the journey?”
He kissed his sister and aunt but merely bowed to Poppy. Yet his eyes lingered discreetly on her, sweeping from her head to toes. Then the dratted man winked. A sweet feeling brushed against her heart. Poppy grinned and swept him an elegant curtsy in return.
“James, everything went smooth as clockwork, thanks to your excellent organization and staff,” Daphne said, removing her bonnet.
“We have some business matters to attend to,” James said. “I will be in the study awaiting you.”
“I will just show Poppy to her room, and I will be back down to talk to you, brother.”
Poppy wondered what her stepmother would think about her being welcomed into society under Lady Daphne’s and the countess’s aegis. It would not reflect well on her stepmother’s treatment of her if Poppy were brought out by an unrelated family. Still, she was not going to complain because she had been happier in Lady Daphne’s and James’s company than she had been since Richard’s death.
Poppy realized that she could not completely avoid her stepmother and half-sisters but feared that it would not be a pleasant experience, especially if they saw that she was well-received by society. While in the country, she had been able to push their contempt from her mind, but now she recalled their disagreeableness to her.
With an internal sigh, she followed Lady Daphne upstairs and was shown into a pretty room decorated in lilac with the soft furnishing in deep purple and gold. A fire had already been lit as the weather was surprisingly chilly for late spring. A young maid bobbed a curtsy and took her bandbox, which Poppy had brought with her. Footmen followed, carrying up her luggage. She had only taken one case with her to the country, but another case with the earl’s coat of arms had been borrowed to transport her new wardrobe.
Poppy could not imagine how she would ever repay their great kindness.
“Poppy, this is Amy, who has been asked to act as your maid for your stay with us in town,” Lady Daphne informed her, kissing her cheek. “If you could get freshened up and changed, we have lots to do. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Daphne floated off while Amy hurried to bring hot water and prepare her new mistress. Half an hour later, Amy was laying out a charming evening dress in a pale blue. The gown was in watered silk with faint stripes in the weave. The skirt was plain but very gathered, the bodice ornamented with the silk piped in three lines from the dropped shoulders to the front point of the waist. The short sleeves were puffed and ended in three ruffles of a slightly darker blue lace, and the same lace edged the neckline. Poppy marveled at the material which would reflect the light as it moved with the wearer.
Poppy touched the elegant garment. “Amy, where is this dress from? It is not one of mine…”
“Her Ladyship ordered it with the other gowns in your wardrobe. Such pretty gowns, you are so very lucky, Miss. I will unpack and press your other gowns once I have got you ready, Miss.”
And there were even more new gowns, shoes, and assorted unmentionable awaiting her here. No doubt James’s doing. Poppy allowed Amy to help her into the gown and to arrange her hair.
“It is so easy to curl your hair, Miss, you have such beautiful hair, so few ladies have real natural curls,” Amy gushed. “I do not even need to use hair pads to make the new styles.”
Poppy stared at herself in the cheval mirror, quite surprised at how pretty she appeared. Her hair had been caught up in an elegant chignon with several artful tendrils about her forehead. “Thank you, Amy. You have done a beautiful job with it. I suppose I should go down. It is early for dinner, but Lady Daphne suggested we had things to do. Do you know where I could find her?”
“I believe Lady Daphne is in the baroque drawing-room; it is the second door on the left at the bottom of the stairs, Miss.”
Poppy descended and found the correct door. She knocked and was bid to enter.
Daphne and James