“Then I expect to give you great pleasure.”
She took his words at face value, but then he raised her hand and kissed it, his lips pressing warmly against her skin. The look in his eyes told her he was as aware of the coming night as she was, and perhaps with the same anticipation. But first they had the evening to navigate. All must go perfectly.
Kitty had Henry choose her gown.
“The red, ma’am. It’s elegant but not ostentatious. A pity you don’t have grander jewels to wear with it. There should be some belonging to the viscountcy.” A gentle hint.
“I’ll look into it.”
“Sit you down, ma’am, and I’ll brush out your hair and redress it.”
“It will do.”
“It will not. It’s coming out all over.”
“Cap?” Kitty saw the maid’s expression and sat down with a sigh. “It’s completely appropriate for a married lady to wear a cap.”
“Not on her wedding day, ma’am,” Henry said, pulling out pins. Kitty had forgotten that Henry had never seen it down. “That’s quite a sight,” the maid said as she started to brush it.
“And quite a lot of work. My first husband liked it.”
“I’m sure your second will, too.”
Kitty sincerely hoped that was true. She still feared disappointing him. “I’ve often wished it was smoother,” she said. “I’ve tried rinses and oils, but it has a mind of its own.”
“Like the head beneath it, I suspect.”
Kitty chuckled. “You suspect hair grows out of the mind? What of the men with none at all?”
“Certainly they’re not all stupid, so there’s an end to that theory.”
Kitty was thinking about jewelry. To demand the viscountcy’s jewels on her wedding day seemed grasping, but the toast in the servants’ hall would be a formal appearance, and she wanted to impress.
She remembered that Henry was an old familiar servant to Braydon’s family. When her hair was cleverly pinned up in rolls of curls, Kitty said, “You could mention jewelry to Lord Dauntry.”
In the mirror she saw Henry give her a look, but she said, “I could, ma’am. I’ll dress you first.” She went to pick up the red dress.
Kitty stood. “Could you call me Kitty? In private.”
Henry smiled. “I could, yes. As I won’t be here for long.”
Kitty was suddenly saddened by that.
“I won’t abandon you,” Henry said, “but my place is with Miss Ecclestall, and in time you’ll find a maid to suit you.” She dropped the gown over Kitty’s head and then fastened it. “There. Now you’re ready, I’ll go and speak to his lordship.”
She soon returned with Braydon, who had remained in the town finery he’d worn for the wedding. Kitty thought his look was admiring, and perhaps more than that. She hoped so.
“No one admits to knowing where the Braydon jewels are,” he said. “The dowager has some that she claims to be gifts to her, and as best I can tell, that’s true. I will uncover the truth, but I’ve made minor amends.” He had a box in his hands. “If I’d known of that gown, I would have chosen red stones.”
He gave her the box and she opened it to see a necklace. Smooth, translucent yellow stones were surrounded by what must be tiny diamonds that sparkled in the candlelight. The size of the stones and a clustering design made it a fit companion for the ring. It was probably too splendid for the occasion, but it would impress.
“It’s lovely,” she said. “Thank you.”
He took it out of the case. “May I?”
She turned so he could put it around her neck and fasten it, his fingers brushing at the nape. That had always been a particularly sensitive area for her, and she inhaled. Hands on her shoulders, he turned her toward the long mirror.
“Perhaps it isn’t so poor a choice,” he said.
