Madame Theroux might be the fairy godmother Matilda had been dreaming of. Her new wardrobe, the magic trick that caused all the frogs to turn into princes and fall in love on sight. Or at least, grant Matilda enough entrée to earn a few friends during her stay.
And if even this cosmetic transformation was not enough to keep the ridicule and loneliness away… Well, she would at least know she had tried as hard as possible.
“When Gilbourne said ‘everything’,” Madame Theroux began, a coy note in her voice. “Did milord truly mean everything?”
“I have no idea what you mean,” Matilda replied, baffled. “I don’t know if he meant a walking dress or an evening gown or a riding habit or—”
“Oh, all of that and more, I’m sure. He did say ‘from head to toe’. I’ll assume he meant for me to include the full range of seductive undergarments to heighten nocturnal pleasures.”
“The full range of… what?” gasped Matilda. “I—I’m his ward, not his wife.”
Madame Theroux grinned with mischief. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Chapter 17
By the time Titus and his ward arrived outside his home, the sky was inky black and dotted with stars. None shone as bright as Miss Dodd, whose eyes sparkled in her radiant face.
She hadn’t stopped smiling at him since emerging from the dressmaker’s shop bubbling over with this new style or that, which Miss Dodd hadn’t even known existed. Madame Theroux showed her fashion plates, and promised Miss Dodd she would soon look every inch as elegant and sophisticated.
“Thank you so much,” Miss Dodd said for perhaps the hundredth time in five short miles.
“Stop thanking me,” Titus growled. “And stop smiling.”
She only smiled wider. He was glad for the darkness cloaking them. Even in the shadows, her beauty was almost too bright to bear.
John Coachman opened the carriage door. As before, Titus banished him with a look, so that Titus should be the one to hand Miss Dodd out of the coach and onto the starlit street.
“This is Mayfair?” Her head swiveled in all directions, eyes wide—and surprised. “I understood it to be full of terraced homes; enormous brick buildings divided amongst multiple families.”
“This is not Mayfair,” he replied. “Too crowded and too many carriages. I live on the edge of London on a large plot of land so that I needn’t look at other people.”
“And because it’s beautiful,” she guessed. “So many trees and flowers! Your home is lovely to look at from the outside, even at night. All the candles in the windows! I imagine each of those windows come morning offers a breathtaking view surrounded by nature.”
“What I value most is peace and quiet,” Titus said repressively.
An ambiance that was soon to be in short supply, if the past few days with the talkative, sunny Miss Dodd were any indication.
On the outbound journey to Marrywell, he had been resentful of the intrusion of a ward, and the disruption to his meticulously ordered life. After spending time with her, Miss Dodd’s presence still wasn’t convenient… but he found himself looking forward to each new glimpse of that infectious smile.
The visit to the modiste had little to do with his role as guardian, and was only partially spurred by the poor treatment Miss Dodd had received from Titus’s peers. Even if she should never see those people again—and God knew, Titus had no desire to go anywhere there might be people—every penny of the expense had been well worth the pure delight a new wardrobe had brought to her face.
When the butler, Kelly, opened the door to receive his employer, Titus ushered Miss Dodd into the receiving area. Seconds later, Buttons arrived from the second carriage, along with a pair of footmen bringing in the valises.
“I’ll take Miss to her room to get settled,” Buttons chirped, obviously over the moon at being able to put her skills to use.
“One moment. Wait here,” Titus commanded.
He brushed past the women and into the corridor, where his housekeeper, Mrs. Harris, was hurrying to greet him.
Titus kept his voice low. “Please ensure that there are no spiderwebs in the house, particularly not in any room my ward might conceivably enter.”
Mrs. Harris did not hide her offense. “Of course there are no spiderwebs in this home, my lord! You will never encounter so much as a speck of dust on any surface. The day you encounter—”
“No. You do not understand. If a spider enters this home whilst Miss Dodd is under my protection, I will sack every member of this staff.”
The housekeeper’s eyes widened. “Oh. She—”
“No one is even to say the word in front of her, or allude to spiders or webs in any manner. Am I clear?”
