The Duchess by Bertrice Small Read Free Book Online

The lace on the sleeves of Sirena's garment was cream color, but there was no overskirt, making the dress quite different. The bottom three inches of the hem were pleated tightly. Sirena squealed with delight when she saw herself in the glass.
    “A cream lace shawl and elbow length gloves, a reticule and slippers the color of your belt, and for you also, pearls, Lady Sirena. The effect is delicate and fragile as is your blond beauty. Your mama will have to fend the gentlemen off, m'lady.”
    Both girls laughed at this pronouncement, and even Lady Abbott could not restrain a smile.
    “Ohh, Madame,” Sirena said, “If the rest of the wardrobes are as wonderful as these two gowns, we shall be the envy of London!”
    The modiste smiled archly. “And they will be, and you will be,” she replied.
    “What of the court gowns?” Lady Abbott asked.
    “Cecile, bring the hoops,” Madame said. “They are so awkward. I do not understand why your King George is so insistent upon them. Most young girls do not know how to wear hoops, and they certainly dare not sit in them.”
    “It is his custom, and he is a man who doesn't move easily with change,” Lady Abbott said.
    “Are not all men like that?” Madame Paul responded with a shrug of her narrow shoulders. “Why should a king be any different? They bleed like any other as wediscovered when they lopped poor King Louis's head off his shoulders.” She shuddered. “Praise le bon Dieu that I had the presence of mind to escape France before that happened!”
    “Surely a respectable modiste woman would not be harassed,” Allegra said.
    “Mademoiselle, I created only for the aristocracy,” Madame Paul explained. “I worked with my sister and my niece. Francine came with me, but Hortense refused to leave France. She was killed along with many other innocents whose only crime was that they toiled for the nobility.”
    “I am sorry, madame,” Allegra replied.
    “As am I, Mademoiselle Morgan. I miss my sister.” Then the modiste was all business again.
    “These gowns must be ready for the Bellingham ball,” Lady Abbott told the Frenchwoman again.
    “Both wardrobes in their entirety will be ready two days before,” she promised Lady Abbott. “Your young ladies can then put on their new day dresses and parade about the park with the other misses.”
    “My daughter and my niece will not appear until the night of the ball,” Lady Abbott responded.
    “Ahh, how clever!” Madame Paul chuckled, looking with new respect upon Lady Abbott. The dowager marchioness was obviously not such a fool as she might appear. She chuckled again.
    True to her word, the girls' new collection of wearing apparel arrived exactly when madame had promised them. They were brought by Mademoiselle Francine, who, having directed the footmen in unloading her carriage and the accompanying cart, presented her bill to Mr. Trent. She was mightily surprised to bepaid immediately, and in full. Usually it took the rest of the season, and sometimes months afterwards to collect all that was owed them. Often her aunt would withhold the court presentation dress from each collection in order to obtain at least something of what was owed her. Mademoiselle departed smiling, and was distinctly heard to be humming beneath her breath.
    Allegra and Sirena could scarce contain themselves. Everything from the skin out was new and fresh. There were chemise dresses, and tunic dresses in fine cotton fabrics, striped and watered silks. There were shawls from India, velvet mantles, bonnets, a dozen ball gowns for each of them, matching shoes and gloves. There were silk petticoats, and fine lawn chemises as well as both silk stockings and tights. Honor and Damaris were kept busy the entire day putting away their mistresses' new wardrobes.
    Lady Abbott encouraged her charges to rest until the night of their first ball. “You'll get little rest once you have entered into society. You are already invited to a number of other