She laughed softly. “Yes. But don’t call me Miss Dangerfield, not even in private. I am Mrs. Ellis.”
He nodded. “I will do as you command.”
“Now go and wait for me downstairs.” She waved him toward the door. “I need to don my stockings and boots and fetch my pelisse and accessories.”
“If I must,” he replied with a sigh. He grinned as he left the room, then went to fetch his hat and gloves.
It occurred to him that he hadn’t been this happy in years. Perhaps he’d never been this happy. Certainly not with Clarissa, though he’d hoped to be.
Thinking of her and her betrayal brought a moment of sobriety. Roman would do well to recall his personal vow never to allow himself to be vulnerable again. With the exception of the surviving Laceys, everyone in his life had hurt or abandoned him.
Perhaps Ellis would be different. Except they had no future together. She did not wish to marry, and she was not the sort of wife he needed. She had no fortune and not even any family connections, as far as he knew. Yes, the Duke of Henlow had provided her a recommendation for employment, but it wasn’t as if he’d given her money outright.
Roman’s good mood was in danger of disappearing completely. Perhaps Ellis wouldn’t be different. She was harboring secrets, just as Clarissa had. He supposed the difference was that Ellis clearly acknowledged she was withholding things from him and had indicated she may share them at some point.
Wincing inwardly, he entered his chamber and found his hat and gloves. He wanted to recapture his joy of a few minutes ago and stop thinking of obstacles to his current situation, which brought him much-needed happiness.
There was nothing wrong with enjoying this affair with Ellis for as long as it would last. He deserved that much, didn’t he?
Chapter 13
Ellis regarded herself in the mirror as she donned her gloves. The dark brown wig was an improvement over the men’s wig and facial hair, but Ellis missed her own hair. She looked forward to the day when she could be fully herself again.
How quickly that had changed. When she’d started working for Roman, she’d been happy not to be herself.
In her haste to leave the Duchess of Henlow’s house, Ellis had brought just two gowns that would be considered appropriate for evening events. She’d donned one of them this evening, a pale blue gown from two years ago with ivory ribbon stitched at the hem and the waist.
Roman’s maid, Patience, had offered to assist Ellis with dressing if she needed it. However, Ellis had only taken clothing from her old life that she could manage herself, which, admittedly, comprised most of her wardrobe.
Her allowance for clothing had been minimal, especially when compared with Min, of course, and she’d never been permitted to have anything that was too fashionable. Per the duchess, only the plainest and utilitarian garments would do. No one would care or even note if Ellis wore the same dress multiple times in a Season or over multiple Seasons.
Occasionally, Min’s maid had helped Ellis don a ballgown or style her hair. Although “ballgown” was an exaggeration, for Ellis’s evening wear was nothing like what other young women wore. Her garments were made of the least expensive materials possible and sported little or no ornamentation. Min fought for her to have more impressive clothing, but Ellis had never particularly cared.
Still, Min often made sure Ellis’s costumes were decorated with extra ribbons, like the gown she wore tonight, or flounces, and that she had jewelry to wear. Indeed, every piece of jewelry that belonged to Ellis had been gifted to her by Min. And Ellis hadn’t brought a single one with her when she left the household. She now felt regret, for Min must have been upset—and she’d every right to feel that way. Ellis’s only defense was that she’d been more distraught than she’d ever been in her life, and she hadn’t been thinking clearly. She’d just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
Gloves in place, Ellis plucked her reticule and cloak from the bed, then made her way downstairs where Roman was waiting. It would just be the two of them traveling to Marylebone for dinner since Oliver Pritchard had not accepted Roman’s invitation to stay whilst he was in London. Instead, he would be visiting his uncle, a barrister who resided in Bloomsbury.
Since Mr. Pritchard wasn’t staying here, the Laceys had offered to host dinner tonight, which Roman had eagerly agreed to. He didn’t like to entertain.
Ellis was relieved Mr. Pritchard was staying elsewhere. For now, she and Roman didn’t have to worry about the librarian being in the same house with them whilst they tried to conduct a secret affair. At least she hoped it remained secret. She couldn’t tell if anyone in the household suspected the intimacy between her and Roman.
Whilst she tried to keep their interactions purely professional and respectable, Roman sometimes couldn’t help his reactions to her, namely every time he saw her dressed in something that wasn’t men’s clothing. He reacted with giddy excitement, and though it was very sweet, she worried someone would notice.
He waited for her at the bottom of the stairs and behaved as she expected. His eyes were bright with admiration and anticipation as he swept her with an approving perusal.
“Beautiful.” He spoke softly, for Graham was surely in the entrance hall waiting to open the door for their departure.
“Thank you,” she replied. “Would you mind helping me with my cloak?” she asked, handing it to him.
“I would be delighted.” He held the garment for her and wrapped it around her shoulders. She fastened it at her throat.
“Let us depart,” he said.
She did not take his arm as she preceded him into the entrance hall. They were employer and employee as far as anyone else was concerned. Outside, Roman helped her into the coach, and they were shortly on their way to Marylebone.
“Have I told you how relieved I am that Pritchard isn’t staying with us?” Roman said from beside her. They now shared a seat when traveling in the coach.
“Yes, you might have mentioned that.” The edge of her mouth ticked up sardonically in an almost-smirk. “Although without him staying with us, you’ll need to find a way to speak with him regarding Margot.”
