Chapter fifteen

Three hours ago , Missandrei had received a letter to get dressed for shopping with the dowager and the viscountess Lady Hulsbury. Presently she was watching Lady Hulsbury coo over a bolt of fabric that made her eyes hurt. The dowager stared at the fabric with down turned mouth. The dowager and her sister looked nothing alike. While one was dark haired , the other had fair curls. While one was reserved , the other was bubbly. The duchess had nearly a head on her sister. Her dress was elegant while the viscountess' was bright colored , not necessarily complementing either her skin or her hair and over designed. 

The dowager had selected some fabric and styles that suited a demure lady . Missandrei wasn't a demure lady. If she'd be forced to wear a dress , it'd sure be something she liked . 

Madame Domoraux signaled at her discreetly. She inched away till she was standing beside the large woman. 

"You my dear have the kind of skin and body I've been longing to do miracles for. Where have you been hiding?" the woman glared .

."I-" 

"But you are here now and shopping with the duchess so may I say congratulations are in order"

Missy blushed.

" Missandrei" the woman drawled the name in her thick accent "I will make you dresses that will make the Duke never take his eyes off you" she nodded solemnly

" that's not what I want at all"

"but that's what you need"she snapped at one of her girls and she ran over with a tape. They began to measure and speak in rapid french about each part they measured. Missy was regretting why she'd learnt Latin and merely picked up a few french words.

"She needs everything . Walking dresses , day dresses , dinner gowns , ball gowns , riding habit" the dowager said 

Missy wrinkled her nose. She'd only worn a riding habit once in her life. She'd tripped all over it and had never attempted it again. 

"this one" the dressmaker held up a blue bolt of fabric "will be ready next tomorrow. In time for the Richardson's ball. I hear many ladies talk about it. You will be hell of the ball"

From there , they went to the milliner's , then the hat Maker's. Then they went glove shopping . And then horror of horrors , the dowager took her to a cosmetic shop and bought her hair dye. 

"Your hair is so unusual and loud. Look around you . It stands out too much. It's untamed. My maid is a genius with hair. She can do out those curls and then you will be perfect" 

Missy felt like hurling the glass bottle at the duchess' face. How dare she! 

" Don't try to change me Your grace. It's a wasted effort" 

"I won't let you embarrass my son"

"Your son is grown enough to speak for himself. I'm sure he'd let me know immediately i embarrass him"

The duchess' looked at her from underneath her nose. A neat trick considering Missandrei towered over her " Don't cross me girl. I will have your name and that of your family's dragged through the mud. You might be okay with being a name synonymous with scandal but I'm sure your family has more pride than that" 

Missy watched through a Haze of burning hatred as the dowager climbed up to the coach elegantly. One more stop to reverse her ban from Almacks and then she could part from the company of the great and powerful duchess and her opinionless older sister turned pet. She just hoped she would see as little of them as possible after she married Chadwick. 

She stormed the her front door hours later apparently Lady sefton and jersey were bosom friends of the dowager and had a lot to catch up on. The way the Almack ladies had scrutinized her had peeved her out greatly. Who made them judges over others? As far as she was concerned, they were little more than snobbish , judgemental, over worshiped women.

Eunice was sitting at her desk penning a letter to her secret pal when she stormed in kicked off her shoes and jumped into bed. 

"I thought shopping was meant to be fun" Eunice said sarcastically.

"i always knew it was torture" 

"where are the new things?"

" the dowager doesn't buy old things . Everything she insisted on has to be made customly for me. I wonder if Luke would have any money left after all this"

" He's as rich as croesus. He'll be fine"

"oh but guess what I could come home with. A hair dye!"

Eunice's eyes went so wide. "she actually-"

Missy nodded "the nerve!"

"And then she threatened to destroy my family's name if I crossed her. I intensely loathe her"

"The Duke has a thousand estates. You can hide out at one. She'll never find you.she can live out her haggish days with her son"

That's not what Missy wanted at all. She wanted to live out her days with Luke while the dowager rot at some estate near the borders of Scotland. Why should the dowager get to live with the dashing duke while she lived with a house and servants. 

"she even said her maid is a wonder and can make my curls disappear"

"the countess would like her"

"I'm sure. Oh and she reintroduced to the Almack patronesses. But I won't be caught dead going there. I wonder why they didn't ban me long ago" she huffed 

"they probably saw the future where you became a good little duchal dog" 

Missy narrowed her eyes at Eunice "Since when did you stop being my voice of reason?"

" there is nothing reasonable about being insulted by a horrid mother-in-law. I read about it in books. It's such a difficult situation. A man has to obey his mother and still do right by his wife. The best plan is to grow a tough backbone and show her that in less than three months you will be a duchess and then she'll answer to you"

"you are right. She's flexing the muscle that comes with her title" she groaned "i totally forgot I will have that title in no time"

"see I'm still your voice of reason" she went back to her letter"what do you think I should sign it. I signed the last one Eunice , but I want to sound as mysterious as him . I'm greatly disadvantaged since he knows who I am"

"where does the letter go?" Missy wondered out loud " can't you track it?"

"no. it gets to the mail office, a young boy shows up and disappears with it . He's rather tight lipped about the sender"

Missy leaned forward" where's your sense of adventure? We should track him!"

"I tried . Not I - per say- Thierry helped me. The boy went through so many twists and turns. He's been ordered to lose any tail on him i suppose. Thierry lost track of time him somewhere around vine street . He can't be caught"

Missy nearly sighed in relief. If Thierry who was as quick as a bird couldn't catch someone, then that person was uncatchable. And Vine Street was far from Coventry street where Jonathan's bachelor lodgings - and hideaway from his aunt, sisters and mother- was. 

"at first I was annoyed i couldn't know who was behind the mask but now I'm quite glad. He will show me himself when the time is right I believe. And i so enjoy creating my own fantastical writer gentleman. He has dark blonde hair and silver eyes"

Missy huffed and was about to say how peculiar he'd be when it hit her "you just described Jon?!"

Eunice shrugged without guilt "He is handsome. Don't tell me you haven't noticed"

Of course she had. Who wouldn't?

Eunice blotted the ink from her paper and sealed it "a girl can dream sandie"

Missy was smirking on the inside . Eunice wasn't even aware a girl's dream had come through.