“Hm…” Sophiahadsent over a rather large assortment of clothing. Rhoda pointed toward the worn carpetbag sitting outside her dressing room door. Cecily’s assistance certainly couldn’t hurt. “Let’s see what we can put together for you. But we have to hurry. I promised Sophia I’d meet her a block away at a quarter till eleven.”
Cecily finished the cravat with a flourish and then examined the contents of the bag.
“Aren’t you going to chastise me for manipulating too much?” Rhoda asked her somewhat skeptically, the disapproval Cecily had expressed at Eden’s Court still stinging.
Cecily looked over her shoulder with an apologetic smile. “I was only worried for you both. Since then, I see that Emily has found herself in something of an unusual love match and Sophia wrote that you seem to be rather enamored with Lord Carlisle. I’ve realized neither of you would have trapped yourself in a marriage you didn’t really want. I ought to have trusted you both.” She stood up, holding a pair of black breeches.
“These ought to fit. Your hips are larger than mine since your confinement with Little Finn.” Rhoda stepped forward and held them up to Cecily’s waist but couldn’t stop herself from grasping her in a tight hug. “I know you were just concerned. I’ve missed you, Cecily.”
After holding tight to one another for a moment, they both awkwardly stepped back and became quite interested in the remainder of Cecily’s costume. Rhoda and Cecily had always been the least demonstrative of their foursome. Sophia was always hugging everyone, and Emily was quite affectionate as well.
They caught one another’s expressions and let out some nervous laughter.
“Oh, this one is perfect!” Cecily had pulled out a rather elaborate waistcoat. “The embroidery on this is magnificent.”
Between the two of them, they pinned and tucked and scrutinized until both of them looked passably masculine. Again, Rhoda wondered how Sophia was faring, on her own through all this.
“You aren’t concerned that Mr. Nottingham might be angry if he discovers you committed such a crime?” More and more, Rhoda was beginning to consider the entire enterprise to be more than a little illegal. Trespassing, forgery, fraud.
Beads of perspiration broke out on her forehead at the thought of all they were undertaking today.
But Cecily only shrugged. “He’ll find out, all right. And then he’ll likely have a laugh over it.” She gritted her teeth together in a wince. “As long as we don’t get caught. Oh, but this is so exciting though! I absolutely adore Little Finn, you know, but it all can feel so tedious at times!”
“I’d imagine the theater would suffice.” Rhoda would not be attempting to do this if it hadn’t been absolutely necessary.
She took one last look in her glass and then stepped back. “Are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be!” Cecily was far too cheerful for this. Rhoda’s future, Justin’s future,liveswere at stake here, for heaven’s sake.
Well, perhaps not lives. But reputations, and happiness, and whatnot.
Rhoda peeked out the door and the two women slipped down the back stairs to the servants’ exit. The true test as to the effectiveness of their disguises was yet to come.
“Oh, no, Rhoda!” Cecily said in her regular high-pitched feminine voice and then again, “Oh, no,Dorwich.” This time much deeper. “You mustn’t sway your hips. Walk like a man, like this.”
Rhoda burst out laughing as Cecily attempted to walk with her knees apart, as though she had to accommodate a masculine appendage between her legs. “Too much! And what shall I call you? Warwick? I rather like Warwick for you.” And then she took several steps in a less exaggerated manner than Cecily had. By the time they reached the street, both of them had found their rhythm.
An elderly gentleman glanced at them twice, causing Rhoda to pull her hat lower. It felt odd walking down the street without taking Cecily’s arm. She wished she’d thought of a walking stick for both of them. At least that way they’d have something to do with their hands.
White’s wasn’t far, and they both strode down the sidewalk with more haste than usual.
“A diversion,” Cecily confirmed in a low voice that only Rhoda would hear. “Sophia and I will create the diversion and you get that wager down. We’ll only have one opportunity.”
Rhoda felt faint.
She never felt faint.
“Justin’s going to kill me.”
Cecily grasped her arm reassuringly. “It’ll be fine. You are destined for happiness, just as I was, and Sophia, and even Emily.”
Rhoda nodded.
“Aye, mates.” A small man edged up behind them. “What’s yer business?”
Cecily glared over her shoulder with narrowed eyes that quickly opened wide in astonishment. Behind the mustache, pipe, and lowered hat peered an all too familiar blue gaze.
“Oh, my heavens, Sophia! How simply marvelous!” She eyed the duchess from head to toe.
