The Virtuous Ward - By Karla Darcy Page 0,32

thought, Madame, is that with your help we can decide which of the outfits are totally unsuitable and which others we can, shall we say, modify."

"Eh bien ." The woman's voice was brisk with decision. "Please to sit down while I consider."

Amity subsided against the back of the cushioned chair and watched as the little woman bustled around the room. Her wrinkled face was pinched in concentration and her mouth was pursed in a moue of distaste as she viewed each garment. She glanced at Amity, her head cocked to the side and her eyes narrowed in study, then with a nod of her head she would return to an inspection of the offending article. Amity winked at Betta who sat on the edge of her chair and the girl relaxed, grinning in return.

To Madame's credit, once she had decided to involve herself she spared neither herself, her assistants nor Amity. Each garment was tried on under the piercing eye of the modiste. Soon the room was littered with bolts of fabric, cards of trim and other accessories. By unspoken agreement neither Madame nor Amity mentioned Honoria's name, although the deceitful blond was on both of their minds. At the end of several hours, everything had been decided to everyone's satisfaction. The dresses that were deemed unsuitable had been given to the wide-eyed Betta, to remake for herself, with others chosen to replace the missing items. The remainder would be altered and both Amity and Madame agreed they would be the first stare of fashion.

"I feel very much relieved, Betta," Amity said as they exited the shop. "And it's a fine day for a walk."

"Can't say as I'll mind," the practical abigail said as she sniffed the air. "That Madame uses a powerful lot of scent. Must be because she's a foreigner. Wouldn't like to work for her. She's a regular tartar the way she snaps out orders and stares down her nose at all those little assistants."

"You have to admit that she agreed to help without a single argument."

"She'd nothin' to lose and everything' to gain, if you ask me," Betta responded, unwilling to give an inch. "Didn't lose a cent, did she now and you'll be wearin' her clothes all over London and looking like a regular princess."

"Oh, I do like the sound of that," Amity chuckled. "I shall walk with my nose in the air and everyone shall fall down in awe."

"More certain you'll do the fallin', iffen you don't look where you're goin' "

Amity turned to grin at her abigail and a moment later crashed into a very substantial body. She whirled to apologize and was confronted by a handsome soldier whose empty sleeve was pinned to the shoulder of his uniform jacket. As she opened her mouth to speak, she noticed the sudden pallor of the man's face and the dots of perspiration that had broken out on his forehead.

"Hartshorn, Betta," she whispered, knowing her abigail always carried ample supplies of necessities.

While the girl dug in her reticule, Amity pushed the weakened man against the wall of the building, where he sagged, held up only by Amity's strong arms. Betta opened the vial and thrust it beneath the soldier's nose. It took two whiffs before his eyes fluttered open and his head jerked away from the burning aroma.

"Blimey," he said with disgust.

"Are you better?" Amity asked.

"I'll never smell again." His voice was raspy but there was a rather shaky grin on his face and his brown eyes twinkled at the two ladies now giggling at his words.

"I'm so sorry I bumped into you," Amity said. "Did I hurt you?" She indicated his missing arm and his smile widened.

"Twas not me arm giving me trouble, Miss, but me belly," he said. "I've neglected to eat much today and I was feeling a bit rocky."

"Well that's easily attended to," Amity said taking charge of the situation in her usual high-handed manner. "Bring him along, Betta."

In his weakened condition, the soldier was unable to gainsay the little abigail and in no time at all the three were seated in a nearby tearoom. Amity ordered sandwiches and pastries and then introduced herself and Betta to the bemused young man.

"Jason Conway, miss. Was a sergeant before the Frogs took me arm. Been in London several days and now I suspect I've died and gone to heaven for I'm surrounded by angels."

Amity liked the look of the soldier with his thick thatch of hair and cheeky smile. Now that the color