Someone who can balance my family’s debt,Ophelia added silently.
“I am sorry, my darlings, but I am simply not excited about this,” she confessed. “I am looking for a husband to make my father happy, no more. Come, let us just get this over with, please?”
Theo, Seraphina, Rose, and Amelia, all gave her sympathetic smiles, then followed her into the modiste’s shop. She wrinkled her nose in distaste the moment she stepped inside. It had been over a year since she had ordered a new dress and was disappointed to see that ruffled collars and puffed sleeves had made their way back in style along with the cold weather.
“Ah! My favorite ladies!” Mrs. Tate, the modiste sang as she spotted the five of them. She whispered something the noblewoman she was making alterations to and hurried over.
“Good day, Mrs. Tate,” Ophelia and everyone else greeted.
“What a lovely surprise to see you, Miss Wexley!” Mrs. Tate exclaimed warmly. “It has been too long since you have allowed me to make you a new gown.”
“Yes, well,” Ophelia cleared her throat, struggling with what to say. She dreaded parties. Dreaded what it took to get ready for a party. She had thought, finally, that all such fuss was gone from her life forever- and she had been thankful for it.
“Our dear Miss Wexley has been so very busy with charity work as of late,” Theo said, coming to her rescue, “And she has finally decided to start attending parties with us once more.”
Ophelia gave her friend a grateful look and Theo winked.
“Since she finally has time to join us again we thought she might deserve something special,” Theo went on, putting a hand on her shoulder.
“Something a little different,” Rose offered.
“Something bold,” Seraphina added.
“Something without ruffles,” Amelia insisted.
“And something blue,” all four of them said in unison.
Ophelia shook her head as her smile grew. She truly loved her friends, especially in this particular moment. They knew her so well.
“Well, you are in luck, Miss Wexley,” Mrs. Tate stated, giving them all a warm smile.
“I have been working on some new designs. They are not precisely what the rest of thetonis wearing right now, but if you want to be set apart then I believe they could be just the thing you are looking for.”
“That already sounds perfect,” Ophelia said, feeling a little more at ease. “However we see that you are busy. We shall take ourselves back and have a look while you finish.”
Mrs. Tate visibly relaxed.
“Oh, you lovely souls, thank you!” She gushed, “I will be back with you as soon as possible.”
“All right,” Ophelia sighed, walking with her friends to Mrs. Tate’s design room, “Tell me of my prospects. I know the four of you have had your ears to the ground.”
“Lord Farley of Dedham is still available,” Rose quickly offered.
Ophelia wrinkled her nose.
“Too young. I do not want a husband still attached to his mother’s apron strings.”
“What about the Duke of Lexington?” Amelia asked as they arrived in the back, “He is your age.”
“No,” Ophelia adamantly replied, “He chews with his mouth open even at parties. I’ll be thrown into the bailey for matricide before our first month together.”
Her friends laughed as they started to peruse the new designs.
“Oh, what of Lord Chancey, the Earl of Devonshire? He has a lovely house by the cliffs,” Seraphina suggested.
Ophelia burst out laughing.
“He is older than my father!” She exclaimed.
