*
She did nothave time, however, to consider John’s feelings on his study much further, because today was a momentous day for her charge. Catherine had to admit that she was a bit excited herself.
Today, the modiste, Mrs. Warburton, was coming to Edington.
John had—rather thoughtfully, Catherine had to admit—asked Mrs. Warburton, the most elite of her profession, if she would come to Edington and measure Henrietta for a new suite of clothes for her season.
Henrietta had, of course, insisted that Catherine attend her fitting.
Only moments after Catherine jointed Henrietta in her parlor, they heard a carriage pull up outside the Hall. Henrietta rushed to the window and Catherine followed. A neat little carriage with plum trimmings had appeared out front. Its door opened and one of the footmen handed down a little woman, clad in a gorgeous black silk, who was quickly followed by three assistants dressed in modest but becoming slate gray.
“She’s here!” Henrietta exclaimed and clapped her hands. “She’s here! I think I might faint.”
“You will notfaint.” Catherine laughed at the healthy glow in Henrietta’s cheeks.
Catherine had taken to amusing Henrietta with the finestbon motsof Lady Wethersby, who she had merely referenced as an old friend of her father’s, the fictional Mr. Aster. To tease her young charge, Catherine offered one of Lady Wethersby’s favorite sayings of ten years ago.
“A taste for excessive ornament reveals the unadorned soul within.”
“Oh, Catherine!” Henrietta retorted. “You cannot believe that!”
“I can’t say I do.” Catherine laughed. “Not least because Lady Wethersby has a great weakness for baubles herself.”
“Don’t worry…” Henrietta giggled “…I plan to be very modest and plain in my dress. Only a jewel or two at once, I promise.”
Catherine knew society would scarcely tolerate more than pearls on a debutante, but she let Henrietta indulge the fantasy of jewels for the present.
Soon, Mrs. Morrison was leading Mrs. Warburton into Henrietta’s chamber, followed by footmen carrying an array of long mirrors and bolts of fabric. The three assistants filed in after their mistress.
Unlike mosttonmodistes in London, Mrs. Warburton was not French. She had no delicious accent or mysterious past.
Rather, as everyone knew, her family had been in the garment business for as long as anyone could remember. She had grown up, as she was fond of telling customers, between a bolt of chiffon and a needle. She had the demeanor of a severe schoolmistress and, in person, would have passed for such if it hadn’t been for her beautiful black silk, which fit her to perfection and made her look quite comely.
Luckily, even in the Wethersbys’ time of plenty, they had never frequented Mrs. Warburton’s, famous though she was. Lady Wethersby could never abide by what she called Mrs. Warburton’s “medieval” cost. When Catherine had asked her guardian what she meant by this description, Lady Wethersby had replied, “Because to pay those prices, my girl, is to be positively put on therack.”
When John had told her that Mrs. Warburton was coming, Catherine had admonished him for not checking with her first. It was entirely plausible that she could have known Mrs. Warburton personally. After all, the modiste was such a figure among thetonthat Catherine felt shedidknow her, even though she didn’t. His reply indicated that, either way, he felt confident that Mrs. Warburton’s silence could be bought. Catherine couldn’t tell if he was being too optimistic or if he was paying her a truly medieval sum.
Living up to her no-nonsense reputation, Mrs. Warburton immediately and brusquely commenced with her business.
Soon, Henrietta was down to her stays, getting measured for all manner of garments and actually quivering with excitement. Whenever Catherine met her eye, she gave her a wild smile.
“Are you excited for your season, Lady Henrietta?” Mrs. Warburton asked, when she caught Henrietta’s smile in the mirror for the fourth time.
“YES. I am SO excited, Mrs. Warburton. And I am endlessly thankful that you have come all the way from London to measure me.”
“It is no trouble, my lady,” Mrs. Warburton said and Catherine stifled a scoff. She was sure that for what John was paying her, itwasno trouble. “I hope you have a strong hand to lead you. It is a consequential moment in a girl’s life.”
“Surely,” said Henrietta, “that’s why I have Cath—Miss Aster. She has been teaching me everything.”
Catherine and Henrietta had dispensed almost instantly with the formalities in private, but Catherine knew she should encourage her to keep up “Miss Aster” in the presence of the modiste, if only so the girl could practice. She didn’t have the heart, though, to admonish her when she was in such high spirits, and Catherine didn’t like Henrietta calling her Miss Aster anyway. It only highlighted how Catherine was deceiving her.
Mrs. Warburton cast a look in Catherine’s direction. Catherine suspected that the older woman thought she looked a bit shabby for the chaperone of a duke’s sister.
“And she has been telling me all of these comical expressionsherold chaperone used to say,” Henrietta continued. “What was the one about secret engagements, Catherine?”
“She once warned me,” Catherine supplied, “about secret engagements. She told me:A secret engagement is just an illicit dalliance by another name. Although, she seemed so taken with the idea that it sounded rather pleasant.”
Henrietta let out a peal of laughter, but the modiste merely looked disapproving. Catherine knew that Mrs. Warburton was known for her rigid propriety regarding morality and manners. This conservative attitude did not extend to her evening gowns, however, which were famous for their sensual lines. When Catherine had been in society, girls used to credit Mrs. Warburton’s creations for making their matches. Catherine had been a little surprised that John had chosen Lady Warburton for his sister, but she suspected he didn’t have a granular understanding of the different modistes of London and had simply chosen her as the best known. Another reason, she thought to herself bitterly, why he might have consulted her. Not that Henrietta would mind debuting in a series of alluring Warburton confections.
