Historical Romance Boxed Set by Brenda Novak Read Free Book Online Page A

leaving the room, then Alexandra eyed the torn gown with a discerning eye. An elegant day dress made of blue barege, it had a high, plain body that buttoned up the front to the throat. Full bishop sleeves ended in a deep cuff at the wrist, and the skirt had several flounces, each bordered with quilled ribbons.
    “My lady, if you will stand before the mirror, I’ll have a look at the problem,” Alexandra said.
    “The tear is here.” Lady Anne indicated a spot that looked as though she’d caught her skirt on a nail or some such. “I was tempted to wait until I reached my mother’s, but this gown was a gift from her. I’m afraid if I don’t have it fixed right away, the damage will become irreparable.”
    “I see.” Alexandra bent to examine the offending flounce. “This shouldn’t be too difficult to mend. When I’m finished you won’t even know it was there.”
    After helping the duke’s daughter to remove her dress, Alexandra carried it from the room in search of a needle. She did not yet know where she was to find the color of thread she needed, but with twenty seamstresses staying under the same roof, sewing supplies could not be far off.
    “How is everything?” Calvert asked. He had been hovering near the portal and nearly pounced on her when she emerged.
    “So far, all is well. I need some blue thread and a needle, however, and I have no idea where to find them.”
    “I’ll show ye.” Sonya appeared from nowhere, it seemed, and led her upstairs to a large, well-equipped room.
    Alexandra found thread in a rainbow of colors and chose the one that best matched Lady Anne’s dress. Then the doorbell sounded, and Sonya left to answer it.
    It took only a few minutes for Alexandra to stitch the tear. But when she left the sewing room and reached the landing, she stopped short. Her stepfather’s voice echoed through the hall below; Willy wasn’t more than ten feet away.
    Panic raised the hair on Alexandra’s arms. She had a good inkling what Willy would do if he found her here and learned she had already collected some of the money for the skirts. She had experienced such retribution before.
    Sonya told him Mr. Calvert would be with him shortly and ushered him into a room straight off the bottom of the stair as Alexandra’s thoughts flew in a thousand different directions. In a matter of minutes—as soon as Calvert saw her stepfather—Willy would learn the truth. She had to hide!
    No, she had to escape! If Willy caught her now, she’d never make the train. Worse, she’d probably be unable to leave the house for several days. She’d miss Aunt Pauline for sure, and lose the opportunity to be free of her stepfather.
    Feeling the weight of the money already in her pouch, Alexandra hesitated a mere fraction of a second before racing back the way she had come. She quickly donned Lady Anne’s dress, praying that Willy would never recognize her so elegantly garbed, and snatched a bonnet of blue satin and dangling black lace from the workbench of some unknown milliner.
    Ducking her head so the lace that cascaded down her back would fall about her face, she crept to the top of the stairs. Calvert was nowhere to be seen, but Willy hovered near the entrance to the room where Sonya had asked him to wait.
    How could he have such terrible timing? Alexandra wondered, writhing in the misery of her own bad luck. She had been so close!
    Her fingers curled into the palms of her hands as she started down the stairs. It was now or never. She had to escape before Calvert appeared.
    Willy glanced up, his attention drawn by the swish of her skirts. His gaze passed over Alexandra like a cold breeze, but she steeled her nerves against it. Keeping her chin tucked resolutely into her chest, she allowed him a clear view only of the black tulle of her cap.
    He cleared his throat as Alexandra brushed past, so close she could have reached out and touched him. The fear that seized her at that moment nearly caused her to collapse in