Match For Melissa (23 page)

But their work together would not be the only happiness that Regina should enjoy. They would share a deep and abiding love that would shine from the very windows of the small parsonage. All who saw them would know that theirs was truly a match made in heaven. Their life would not be easy. Regina was well aware of the hardships that awaited her as Mr. Watson’s wife. No maid would lighten her load for they should not be able to hire one from the small salary he received. She should have to clean, and cook, and care for their children without assistance. But this was not in the least daunting to Regina. The contemplation of long hours spent in housewifery merely filled her
with additional joy. She should be willing to endure any hardship with Mr. Watson at her side.

Regina’s thoughts turned to the private life they should lead and a warm glow suffused her countenance. When their children were tucked in their beds and the long winter nights stretched out before them, they should sit by the fire in perfect companionship. He would read to her, in his wonderful voice, as she mended a shirt from the charity box or stitched a new article of clothing for one of their many children. Perhaps she would tell him the latest news of the schoolroom, where he should encourage her to teach any and all children who expressed a desire to learn, regardless of their station. There would be a cozy tea tray between them and he would compliment her on the excellent cakes she had baked. And then, when it was time for them to retire to their chamber above the stairs, they would embrace warmly and—

“It is finished, miss.” The maid removed her stool and smoothed out the hem of the costume, bringing Regina out of her perfect dream with a jolt. “It was only a small tear and I have stitched it so that no one shall ever notice when you lead the procession with his grace.”

Regina gasped in shock as the full force of the maid’s words reached her startled mind. The duke! In her blissful excitement over the Reverend Mr. Watson’s declaration, she had forgotten that she was all but promised to the Duke of Oakwood!

“Is there something amiss?”

“No, indeed.” Regina gave the maid a shaky smile that she prayed was convincing enough to set the girl’s suspicions to rest. “You have done excellent work and I thank you for it. If you will leave me now, I shall take a moment to compose myself and then I shall return to the ball.”

When the maid had departed with a smile and a nod, Regina dropped her head in her hands and gave a most uncharacteristic groan. Whatever would she tell the duke? If her mother was correct and he was intending to declare for her tonight, she would cause a dreadful scandal by refusing!

Panic threatened to consume her, but Regina pushed it back with firm resolve. Her path was clear and she must not falter. She could not marry the duke, not when her heart truly belonged to Mr. Watson.

Regina rose to her feet, shook out her skirts, and marched firmly to the door. She had been so foolish as to mistake the warm friendship she had shared with the duke for love, and she had come within a hairsbreadth of making a dreadful mistake. She would have to find some way to tell the duke her true feelings for him before he made his formal declaration.

With her heart beating fast with anxiety, Regina opened the door and stepped into the hallway. She would ask the duke for a private moment before the conclusion of the ball. And then she would inform him that she could not marry him, even though that would take every ounce of courage that she could muster.

“Look at the harlequin, Melissa!” Emmy’s eyes were shining as she pointed to the gentleman in a shining gold and purple satin costume.

“I see him, Emmy.” Melissa smiled at the excited young girl. “Take care not to move too close to the rail. We must not let anyone see us.”

Emmy nodded and moved back several steps. They were standing on the interior balcony that overlooked the ballroom, hidden in the shadows of a potted tree. From this vantage point, both Melissa and Emmy could observe the guests as they entered the ballroom and prepared for the grand promenade to the sumptuous buffet that had been arranged in the duke’s solarium.

“Where is your mistress, Lissa?” Emmy searched the array of brightly costumed guests below. The glittering chandeliers that hung from the high, vaulted ceiling provided a soft glowing light that flooded the ballroom and left no dark corner unexposed.

“Do you see the gentleman dressed as Pan with his magic flute?”

Emmy took a moment to survey the scene below and then she shook her head. “No, Lissa.”

“He is to the right of the French doors leading to the gardens, next to the lady dressed as a gypsy princess. Lady Harrington’s party is about to greet them.”

“I see her!” Emmy smiled as she successfully identified Lady
Harrington in her Cleopatra costume. “And the shepherdess is her daughter?”

Melissa nodded. “Miss Dorothea. Her escort is Lord Chadwick. He wears the costume of a pirate.”

Emmy nodded quickly. “But where is Miss Regina?”

Melissa searched the crush below and then she shook her head. “I do not see her. She must have taken leave of Lady Harrington’s party for some reason.”

There was the sound of scattered applause below and Lissa and Emmy watched as the guests turned toward the entrance to the ballroom. It was apparent that someone of great consequence was about to arrive.

“Miss Regina is at the entrance, with his grace.” Lissa wore a proud smile as she spied her stepsister on the arm of the duke. Regina was lovely and her costume was more elaborate than any other at the ball.

“Miss Regina is beautiful, Lissa!” An expression of awe crossed Emmy’s face. “And her costume is the finest that I have ever seen!”

Melissa smiled. Emmy had confided that this would be the first costume ball that she had ever observed. She had seen no costumes before this evening and thus had no range of comparison. All the same, Emmy’s compliment came from the heart and Melissa was pleased at her words.

Emmy began to smile. “If another costume ball is to be held this Season, all the grand ladies will be asking for your services. They will squabble and peck like a gaggle of geese to see who will be the first to wear a costume fashioned by Madame Lissa, the famous modiste.”

“Madame Lissa?” Melissa turned to Emmy in surprise. “But I do not pretend to be a modiste, Emmy, and I am certain the ladies who are present here this evening do not regard me as such. Indeed, not one of them knows that I fashioned Miss Regina’s costume.”

“But they
do
know, Lissa. Mrs. Parker said she heard Miss Regina tell his grace that you had sewn her costume. And Mr.
Harley was present when she conversed with Lady Beckworth and Lady Jennings. At that time she told them that all the credit for her appearance belonged solely to you.”

“But what of Lady Harrington? Surely she did not credit Miss Regina’s costume to me!”

Emmy giggled. “Not her! That one would not credit God for the beauty of the trees and the sky! But Mrs. Parker heard Miss Regina’s sister mention it to several ladies, and his grace, himself, told more than a few gentlemen of your talents. Everyone knows by now, Lissa. Mrs. Parker says that such an exciting discovery cannot remain secret for long among the members of the
ton.”

“Thank you for telling me this, Emmy.” Melissa reached out to take the girl’s hand. “I did not expect to be praised thusly.”

The guests were forming a line for the opening promenade and as Melissa watched from her position on the balcony, her depression began to lift. While it was true that she had lost her opportunity to dance once more with the man she loved, perhaps some good had been served when Jane had discovered the costume that she had fashioned and had appropriated it for Regina’s use. Her generous stepsisters had told all that she was the creator of the lovely costume. If Emmy was correct and the ladies of the
ton
would seek out her services as a modiste, perhaps she could establish a small shop for herself in London. It would be a way to escape from the life of servitude her stepmother was certain to require of her without imposing on either Regina or Dorothea.

When the lines of guests had been formed, the duke raised his hand and the orchestra began to play. Melissa watched as the duke took Regina’s arm and began to lead the procession to the banquet that awaited them.

“We must go, Emmy.” Melissa guided Emmy away from the rail. “The banquet is about to begin and we will be needed elsewhere.”

They had just entered the corridor, on their way to the kitchens, when Harley intercepted them. “Mrs. Parker requests a
word with you, Lissa. You come along, too, Emmy. She sent me to fetch both of you.”

“Is something amiss?” A worried frown appeared on Melissa’s brow.

“No, Lissa.” Harley gave her a reassuring smile. “Mrs. Parker merely wishes to speak with you on a matter of some importance.”

As they followed Harley to Mrs. Parker’s quarters, Melissa still wore an anxious expression. It was highly unusual for the housekeeper to be in her quarters at this hour. Perhaps Mrs. Parker had fallen ill and needed Melissa and Emmy to tend to her. But Harley had stated that nothing was amiss and he would surely have told them if the housekeeper were unwell.

When they arrived at Mrs. Parker’s chambers, Harley knocked once and then opened the door. Melissa stepped in and her mouth dropped open in surprise as she saw Mrs. Parker, Henri, Mr. Oliver, and several other members of the staff in attendance.

“There is no need to be concerned, Lissa.” Mrs. Parker laughed merrily as she noticed the worried frown that was still present on Melissa’s face. “I have sent for you to present you with a gift.”

“A gift? But…why?” Melissa was thoroughly mystified.

“Henri has told us of your dream, my dear, and we wished to help.” Mrs. Parker took Melissa’s hand and led her to a clotheshorse that had been draped with linen. She whisked off the drape and smiled in delight at Melissa’s astonished expression.

“It’s…it’s a costume!” Melissa blinked at the sight of the lovely gown. “But how did you…?”

“You must credit Henri with the concept.” Mrs. Parker laughed. “You are to be the Princess of Winter at the ball this evening.”

The gown was made of flowing white silk and fine Belgian lace, and Melissa reached out to touch the delicate material. “It is lovely! However did you fashion it in so little time?”

“You remember my cousin, Mrs. Collins, do you not?”

Melissa nodded quickly. “Indeed I do, Mrs. Parker.”

“When I sent word to her of our plans, she presented us with her wedding dress. The bodice was trimmed with pink rosebuds, but those were easily removed. At Henri’s suggestion, we replaced them with lace.”

“Bridget did that.” Henri nodded, beaming broadly.

Bridget smiled and dipped her head in a nod. “And Mrs. Parker sewed the cape, herself.”

“Oh!” Melissa gasped as Mrs. Parker revealed the cape. It was fashioned from ice blue velvet with snowy white fur around the hem and the neck. “This is lovely material! Wherever did you find it on such short notice?”

“There is an abundance of it in the Blue Drawing Room.” Mr. Oliver chuckled as Melissa’s eyes widened. “Perhaps the draperies are not as full as they were this morning, but Mrs. Parker has assured me that none will notice.”

“And the beautiful fur to trim the cape?” Melissa’s eyes began to sparkle. No doubt that had been purloined in some manner from the duke’s furnishings.

“It came from one of his grace’s carriage robes.” Harley spoke up. “He has many so you have no cause to be anxious.”

“The robe was large and there was enough fur to fashion a cap for you to wear.” Tina, another of the maids, stepped forward to present Melissa with the cap.

“Does this costume meet with your approval?” Mrs. Parker looked anxious. “We know it is not as fine as the one you made, but we all did our best.”

Melissa rushed over to hug the housekeeper. “It is perfection, Mrs. Parker! Indeed, I have never seen one as delightful, or as imaginative!”

“You must dress now, Lissa.” Emmy’s eyes were shining. “The dancing will begin in less than an hour and you must be ready to take your place in the ballroom.”

Melissa’s heart was beating an excited rhythm as Mrs. Parker and her maids helped her to dress. Mr. Oliver, himself, saw to
her coiffeur, claiming that he had arranged his grace’s hair for a number of years and insisting that there could not be that much difference between the hair of a gentleman and the hair of a lady. When the cape was settled around her shoulders and the cap on her head, Melissa entered Mrs. Parker’s small sitting room where Harley and Henri were waiting. Once they caught sight of her, they broke into applause, announcing that they had never seen a lovelier sight than their Princess of Winter.

“Magnifique!”
Henri blinked several times to dispel the moisture that had gathered in his eyes. “You will be the belle of the ball,
mon enfant”

Harley nodded. “Well said! It is a pity that the duchess is not in residence, for I might have borrowed a gem or two for Lissa to wear.”

“I am so glad you have reminded me, Harley, for I have the perfect earrings to wear with this lovely costume!” Melissa hurried to her basket to remove the packet that was hidden in the bottom. She uncovered the earrings and there was a collective and appreciative gasp from all in attendance as she clasped them on.

“Perfection!” Mrs. Parker nodded, gazing at the glittering blue diamonds in awe. “Wherever did you get them, Lissa?”

“They were a gift from my grandmother to my mother. When Mama died, she left them to me.”

“Gorblimey!” Emmy was so shocked, she lapsed into the speech of her ancestors. “Be they real diamonds, Lissa?”

Melissa was about to reply that indeed they were, when she remembered that the servant, Lissa, was highly unlikely to possess something of so great a value.

“They could not possibly be real, Emmy.” Henri pronounced, saving Melissa from the necessity of answering the question. “No doubt they are a clever imitation.”

Mrs. Parker nodded. “They are indeed an excellent forgery, the best I have ever had the pleasure to see. Even I was taken in at first sight, Emmy, and I have seen many precious gems in my day.”