“Because you love me. Besides, I am the one who is going to take you dress shopping.” Cecily beamed at her. “It is going to be so much fun. I have been itching to take you to the modiste for years, and now I finally get to.”
“You helped me pick out my wedding dress.” Andrea pointed out.
Cecily stopped walking and put her hands on her hips, the look such a mirror of the Dowager Duchess’s that it pulled Andrea up short.
“No, I simply bullied you into getting one made. You picked it out all by yourself, even thoughIwas your maid of honour.” Cecily gave her a frank look, before patting Andrea’s arm and continuing, “Though I will not hold it against you too much. When I get married, I will make sure you are there to help me find the perfect dress.”
“I still do not see why I need an entirely new wardrobe. I am already married, it is not like I am trying to impress anyone.” Andrea plucked a dandelion from the ground and blew on it, watching as it the stalks floated away.And I doubt I could, even if I wanted to.
She did not say the last part aloud. It would spoil the mood. And she had no wish to do that.
“Andrea, how many ball gowns do you actually own?” Cecily crossed her arms across her chest, fixing her with a gaze so fierce Andrea almost took a step away from her. “And more to the point, how many do you actually like?”
“I like a few of them. I rather like my wedding dress, and the nice blue one we had made last season.”
“That is two dresses, hardly enough to do all the socialising my cousin has planned for the pair of you.”
“She is right, you know.” Frederick’s voice tickled her ear, making both her and Cecily jump.
She whirled to face him, the sight of his easy smile seemed to release thousands of butterflies into her stomach. “You really should not sneak up on people like that.”
“It is hardly sneaking if I am in my own garden. Besides, I like making you jump.” He laughed as she scowled at him.
The scowl did not quite manage to hide the smile from her face, nor did it do much to alleviate her urge to curl into Frederick’s side. She was grateful for the presence of Cecily.Perhaps it will make him behave.
Though from the grin on his face, Andrea was not wildly optimistic about this. And if she was entirely honest with herself, she was not sure she wanted him to behave.
Focus Andrea. You are acting like some moon-struck child.“Well I do not like it.”
“Oh, I do not think that is true. I think you enjoy it, at least a little bit.” He winked at her. “I know how you like being kept on your toes.”
Beside her, Cecily made a noise that was somewhere between a cough and a snort. She arched an eyebrow at her friend who seemed to be rather fixated on one of the magnolia blossoms near them.
“Perhaps I should take steps to keep you on your toes.” Andrea stepped towards Frederick and prodded him in his chest.
“You could certainly try.” He caught her hand in his. “But I am not sure how successful you would be.”
“The pair of you are enough to make anyone sick.” Cecily groaned. “If you could stop flirting for five seconds, we can discuss how many dresses you will need from the modiste.”
“I thought about five or six.” Frederick stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Though perhaps eight if you are going to make ones like the wedding dress.”
“Eight?” Andrea let out a strangled noise, even while Cecily nodded her approval.
“You are one of the most beautiful women in the ton, and it is high time the rest of them saw it.” Frederick turned to face her, arching his eyebrows at her.
“If they did not see it before, what makes you think they will see it now?” She had meant to sound joking, but the words came out more earnest than she had intended.
Frederick’s face softened. “The fact that I will be there to shine a spotlight on you.”
“And I will be there to make sure you look stunning when he does. After all, everyone knows I am the one with the fashion sense in the family.”
“I think I have pretty good taste.” Frederick winked at Andrea. “Just look at my Duchess?”
“You are utterly ridiculous.” Andrea rolled her eyes at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she found herself taking a step towards him.
The smell of amber filled her nostrils, mingling with the earthy smell of the garden and the fresh scent of roses. She inhaled deeply, the mix of scents calming parts of her she had not even realised needed calming.
Frederick shook out his hair and shrugged. “That does not mean I am wrong.”
