“I doubt that somehow,” Belle replied, moving to look out of the window and exclaiming once again at the beautiful grounds that surrounded them. “And I’d settle for a kindly fellow with a comfortable income. But I think you could have every man here at your feet, if you felt so inclined.”
She glanced around to see her sister turn onto her stomach, her hand resting on her chin, feet kicked up behind her and a scowl on her lovely face. “A handsome prince? No, thank you!” she replied with heat. “I’d rather marry the dragon.”
“Oh dear,” Belle said with a sigh, and consoled herself with looking out the window again.
***
“Oh Crecy, you do look a picture,” Belle said on a sigh as her sister flopped back onto the bed with a groan. “Oh no, don’t you dare!” she scolded, grasping Crecy’s wrists and hauling her upright. “Don’t you dare crease it!”
Crecy muttered and scowled and Belle shook her head. “Oh, dearest, do please try tonight. You did promise, after all.”
With an unladylike huff, Crecy gave her one last glare of disgust and then began to float around the room, mimicking the simpering manner that many girls seemed to adopt when eligible bachelors were present.
“Oh, your grace,” she trilled, curtseying and turning her face away in a coy manner. “How naughty you are to say such things, and me, an innocent maid!”
She fluttered her eyelashes at Belle and blew her a kiss.
“Wretch,” Belle replied with amusement, though inwardly she was quaking. Lucretia looked like a dream, but if she said something outrageous, they were sunk. She prayed no one noticed that her own dress had been furbished up with scraps of an ancient gown she’d found mouldering in the attic. Was that mildew she could smell? Oh, surely not?
And then there was Aunt Grimble.
Belle raced to apply some perfume and prayed Lily of the Valley outweighed any less savoury odours. She wondered if she could plead a headache? An evening alone with a good book in a room like this sounded perfectly heavenly. But then she would leave Crecy at Aunt Grimble’s mercy and ... Good heavens, no!
“What on earth are you flapping about now, Belle?” Crecy demanded.
“Can you smell mildew?” she asked, feeling panicked suddenly.
Crecy scowled and wrinkled her nose, moving close to sniff at her sister before bursting out laughing. “Of course not, you goose! Whatever are you worrying about? You look ... actually, Belle, you really do look very lovely.”
“Oh,” Belle replied, rather taken aback by the compliment. It was rare indeed for Crecy to notice such things at all, for if she dismissed her own looks, she certainly had no interest in anyone else’s. “Thank you.”
Crecy nodded and they moved towards the door as Aunt Grimble came into the room without so much as a knock.
She was quite a sight.
A short, stout woman with a square jaw and small, glittering eyes, she certainly made an impression in all her finery. Sadly, it wasn’t an impression either of them wanted to be associated with.
Iron grey curls bobbed around her rather masculine face in a style that might have been girlish on a woman forty years younger or with a sweeter nature. On her, it simply looked ludicrous.
“Well, girls,” she said as they gaped at her with open mouths, too astonished to even react. “This is a very important few days for you and you’d best not mess up all of my hard work and planning.”
Belle tore her eyes away from the stupendously vulgar purple gown her aunt was wearing to blink in astonishment at her words. Hard work and planning? Ha! The indolent creature hadn’t lifted a finger to help them prepare everything they needed; it was Belle who’d secured the invitation and Belle’s meagre savings that had been sparingly used to try and buy the things they most desperately required for the season. Crecy believed her own had been equally touched upon, though in truth, Belle had covered most of the costs herself.
And it was now perfectly obvious the odious creature had spent a small fortune on her own wardrobe. Was that monstrosity actually trimmed with ermine? Every sense was revolted. However, while the violet gown might be vulgar and in poor taste, it was clearly new and must have cost a pretty penny. Belle seethed with fury and had to clamp her jaw shut to keep her tongue between her teeth.
Their aunt stepped closer and Belle was assailed by the strong scent of ambergris. Crecy sneezed.
“Hmmm,” Aunt Grimble mused, casting a disdainful eye over Belle’s attire before turning her attention to Crecy. She inspected Crecy’s gorgeous white crepe gown over a Hibernian bodice of holly green and satin underskirt, and gave a tut of annoyance. To Belle’s astonishment and horror, the appalling woman reached for the neckline and gave a sharp tug to expose rather more of Crecy’s creamy white décolletage.
Crecy gave a cry of fury and slapped the woman’s hand away, and before Belle could gather her wits enough to add her fury, Aunt Grimble drew herself up to her full height, which barely reached Belle’s shoulders and wagged her finger.
“Now, you listen here, you little fools. You’ll do well to do as I bid you if you seriously want to catch yourselves a husband. There’s more flies caught with honey than vinegar, and no use hiding your light under a bushel. Let them get an eye of the goods, and then we’ll see what we can make of you.”
This little homily was so shocking to both sisters, even having become used to hearing such indelicate advice offered before, that they were both stunned into silence. Assuming her advice had been taken on board, their aunt sailed to the door like a short purple galleon.
Belle and Crecy could do little more than exchange looks of mute despair, and follow her out.
Chapter 5
“Wherein ordeals are faced all round.”
“Miss Holbrook.”
Belle looked up and found with relief that Lady Russell was bearing down on them once more. They had already suffered the mortifying experience of seeing their aunt trying to insinuate herself into a conversation between the Duchess of Sindalton and the Countess Falmouth. They could only count themselves blessed that the women were good-natured enough not to give her a sharp set down, but they had certainly moved away as fast as they were able.