“Your Grace, the dresses you have commissioned are ready. However, I do believe you want me to make you something more flowy for when you come back. It should celebrate the life you are carrying within you.”
“Oh, of course,” Victoria replied, beaming.
The dressmaker steered her behind a velvet curtain to try on some of her new gowns. Meanwhile, Lucy waited outside, feeling the heat increasing.
“It’s all in your head,” she muttered to herself, even as she pulled at her dress’s high collar.
Her breathing had become erratic as she fully realized the extent of her confinement in the gown’s heavy fabric. She fanned herself, feeling sweat trickling down her neck and chest.
“Is Mademoiselle not well?” Madame Cecile inquired as she approached with a glass of water.
“It’s, uh, the heat.”
“My dear, the dress is not only burning you alive, but the color does no wonders for your complexion. It dulls you when you are a naturally beautiful young woman. Perhaps I can tempt you into trying a new piece? I believe it will look exquisite on you.”
Before Lucy could refuse, the dressmaker walked away and back again with a gown of shimmering deep blue. It hugged her curves and emphasized her décolletage. The blue seemed to blend with some silver beads on the silk.
It was a beautiful gown. Simply wearing it made Lucy feel like herself again. Joshua would absolutely hate the low neckline and the plunge in the middle.
“It’s exquisite, indeed,” Lucy admitted breathlessly. “However, this gown is not for me.”
At that moment, Victoria left the dressing area, and her eyes widened with glee.
“Y-you look magnificent!”
Lucy did feel magnificent. The dress fit her well and made her stand straighter. More confidently.
“You look like a goddess, Lucy,” Victoria added, looking proud.
The bell then chimed, and both women turned to the door. It swung open. The Duke of Hawksford, Victoria’s husband, stood there, smiling at them. But he was not alone.
“Well, guess who I found at White’s. He looked like he was raring for a fight, so I told him to take a walk with me since it would do him good.”
Daniel followed his brother-in-law into the shop. He wore a dark green coat. He looked bored and annoyed, but that all changed when his eyes landed on Lucy.
Lucy shivered at the way he watched her. She could feel his gaze like a caress. The polite man from the ball became someone else—the man she had danced with, who had held her tightly.
His eyes darkened, and she could have sworn they looked hungry. Predatory.
Chapter Eleven
“You look radiant. Beautiful,” Victoria breathed, her hands clasped to her chest.
Lucy looked at her friend gratefully. Victoria always knew when to ease the tension. In this case, she knew exactly when to break the silence that followed Daniel’s entrance.
“The midnight blue makes your skin glow like porcelain. Doesn’t she look magnificent, Richard? Daniel?”
Lucy felt her cheeks warm and could only imagine how red they had gotten. While her dress was more revealing than the drab grey one, it was still not quite as daring as the ones she had seen on some of the debutantes. Yet, she felt so exposed. Her hand flew to her chest, as if it could shield her from Daniel’s scrutiny.
“I—I don’t need a new dress, Victoria,” she stammered. “Especially not something like this.”
“Something like that?” Richard shook his head. “Nonsense. You look elegant in it, and Victoria is right to compliment you for it.”
Daniel remained where he was, as if frozen in time. His eyes had become a turbulent blue, burning like a cold fire. Lucy felt like he was fighting a battle from within. He clenched his jaw as if he were trying to prevent something from escaping.
Then again, he was probably just displeased. He could be annoyed at the idea of seeing her again. Right here.
“It is, uh, acceptable,” he choked out, sounding stiff.
