shall decline the wine, after all, and instead go directly up to see my niece.”
Mr. Cribbage made an ironical bow. “Of course, my lady. You will want to inspect my daughter to see that she has not become tainted by her proximity to me.”
Lady Azaela did not deign to acknowledge her brother-in-law’s rude remark, but swept out of the drawing room and made her way upstairs to her niece’s bedroom. She entered on a bare knock, saying, “Well, Babs? What have you to tell me?”
Babs swung around, her green eyes widening in real pleasure. She rushed into her aunt’s outheld arms, and unexpected tears rushed to her eyes. “Oh, Aunt Azaela! How very glad I am that you have come.”
“There, child, as though I would not,” Lady Azaela said bracingly, touched by her niece’s unusual display of emotion. She set her niece away so that she could look at her. “You appear well enough, though perhaps a trifle pale. Are you resting properly, my dear?”
Babs laughed and threw an encompassing glance about the jumble of bandboxes, portmanteaus, and articles of clothing scattered over the bedroom. Her maid had smiled a greeting for Lady Azaela but continued with her task of packing away undergarments and stockings. “Oh, indeed! Lucy and I have been in such a whirl of shopping and planning, you can have no notion. I am so tired that I am hardly able to keep my eyes open through dinner these days.”
Lady Azaela snorted, her shrewd glance taking in the telltale circles under her niece’s eyes. “So I imagine. Lucy, would you be so good as to bring me a cup of tea?”
“Very good, my lady,” said the maid, understanding at once that Lady Azaela wished to be alone with her mistress. She left the bedroom, carefully closing the door behind her.
Lady Azaela laid aside her reticule and gloves and began untying the ribbons of her bonnet. “We shall now have a comfortable cose, dear Babs, and you shall tell me when the wedding is to be. You were rather vague in your letter and downstairs there is your father trumpeting that he is ordering the caterers. I shall require information on everything that has been done to date if I am to eradicate his disastrous influence on the festivities.”
“My father is operating under a delusion, Aunt. Nothing that he is planning shall in any way affect my wedding,” said Babs, moving aside a couple of opened bandboxes so that her aunt could be seated on the chair beside the bed.
Lady Azaela raised her brows. “You astonish me, my dear. Your father can be most determined, if you will recall,’’ she said dryly.
Babs winced at the reminder of her painful comeout. “True, but the Earl of Chatworth is also a most determined gentleman.”
“You interest me most profoundly,” said Lady Azaela politely.
Babs laughed, her green eyes twinkling. “Indeed, I had thought I might. The fact of the matter, dear ma’am, is that his lordship has already finalized arrangements for our wedding. It will be in but a week’s time and—”
‘‘ A week!’’ Lady Azaela all but shrieked in her astonishment. “My dear, you cannot be serious. Why,there is much to do. Your dress—”
“My dress has just come today. See, here it is.” Babs lifted the satin and lace gown carefully from the largest box on top of the bed and held it up to herself, one slim arm pinning it against her. A faint smile on her lips, she asked, “How does it look. Aunt? Shall I appear the usual happy and blushing bride?”
“Oh, my dear,” said Lady Azaela softly. There was an undercurrent of pity in her voice that her niece could not but detect.
Babs suddenly no longer felt like smiling. She lay back the gown, taking care to fold it within the tissues so that it would not wrinkle. “Lucy shall put it up later, after she has let down the hem. It was just the slightest bit short, you see, and—”
“Babs, come sit beside me,’’ said Lady Azaela. She waited until her niece had settled on the bed beside her and
Kate Corcino, Linsey Hall, Katie Salidas, Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley, Rainy Kaye, Debbie Herbert, Aimee Easterling, Kyoko M., Caethes Faron, Susan Stec, Noree Cosper, Samantha LaFantasie, J.E. Taylor, L.G. Castillo, Lisa Swallow, Rachel McClellan, A.J. Colby, Catherine Stine, Angel Lawson, Lucy Leroux