“Your Royal Highness,” Aunt Esther said with a deep curtsy. “What an honor to see you.”
Fancy hastily dipped her knees and bowed her head as well.
“Lady Brambley.” The woman had an aristocratic accent that sounded…German? The imperiousness of her voice made Fancy keep her head ducked. “And who do you have with you there?”
“May I present to you my nephew’s wife Francesca, the Duchess of Knighton? Francesca, you have the honor of being introduced to Her Royal Highness, Princess Adelaide of Hessenstein.”
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Royal ’Ighness,” Fancy blurted to the lady’s embroidered shoes.
“A duchess, eh? Well, let’s have a look at you.”
At the command, Fancy slowly raised her head. She saw something flash through the princess’s hooded gaze, and her heartbeat stuttered. Blooming hell, she didn’t lookthatterrible, did she? She knew her gown wasn’t the nicest, but the maid had managed to tame her hair into a creditable topknot. As Princess Adelaide continued to peruse her, looking at her as if she were some vile thing the cat dragged in, Fancy’s stomach churned, her mortification growing.
Why couldn’t I ’ave met ’er after I got new dresses and a few lessons under my belt?she thought miserably.
Fancy wanted so badly to be a duchess who would make Knight proud, the sort who could glide into any room with poise and grace. Instead, she’d fallen flat on her face on her very first outing. And she’d done so in front ofroyalty, no less. It was a nightmare coming true.
“Her Grace is newly arrived in London, Your Royal Highness.” Aunt Esther’s apologetic tones cut through Fancy’s spiraling thoughts. “She is not yet accustomed to Town ways, but rest assured, I shall be offering my guidance.”
“How fortunate for her.” Princess Adelaide pinned Fancy with piercing eyes. “Where are you from, Your Grace?”
“Um, ’ere and there,” Fancy said weakly.
“Here and there?” The princess’s gaze narrowed. “What sort of an answer is that?”
“My family travels, Your ’Ighness.” She swallowed. “My da is a tinker.”
“A tinker, you say?” Princess Adelaide’s brows shot ceilingward. “How extraordinary of Knighton to marry into a family of travelling peddlers.”
As mortified as Fancy was, she did not like the woman’s scornful tone. It was one thing to insult her and another to insult her family who’d done nothing to deserve it.
She pulled her shoulders back. “My da isn’t a peddler. ’E’s a tinker and gifted at ’is trade, Your ’Ighness.”
“Well, that is not saying much, is it?”
“The name Milton Sheridan is famous in some parts for if ’e can’t mend it, nobody can,” she said through gritted teeth.
“I have never heard of him.”
The princess’s haughty dismissal of Da provoked Fancy into replying, “If you ’ad, you would know that ’e’s known equally for ’is tinkering and for ’is good ’eart, and that I can speak to personally. If ’e and my ma ’adn’t taken me in when I was a babe, I wouldn’t be standing in front o’ you today, and that’s a fact.”
Aunt Esther gasped, quickly covering the sound with a cough. Fancy’s heart thumped with anger and fear as the princess regarded her for several long moments.
“You have pride,” Princess Adelaide declared.
Fancy blinked.
“That will serve you well in your new life, Your Grace.” She raked Fancy over with another assessing glance before turning to Aunt Esther. “Lady Brambley, you may bring her to my next monthly salon.”
“How very kind of you, Your Royal Highness.”
Aunt Esther sounded as shocked as Fancy felt. She curtsied, and at her sharp nudge, Fancy followed suit. Princess Adelaide inclined her head and walked out, her maid scampering behind her.
Once the door was closed, Aunt Esther expelled a breath. “That was a near disaster.”
Shame clogging her throat, Fancy clasped her hands. “I’m sorry, Aunt Esther. I know I shouldn’t ’ave—”
“You have no cause to be sorry, gel,” Aunt Esther interrupted. “You just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat…in a manner worthy of Wellington himself! Princess Adelaide is one of the most fashionable hostesses in Society; a word from her can make or break a reputation. Do you know how difficult it is to secure an invitation to Her Royal Highness’s monthly salons?”
