Still, somehow, Julia felt as if Emily had given the thick chignon extra height and had overdone the number of curls.
“Will I be late for dinner?” she asked, hoping to stop the maid from any further fussing.
“No, miss. You’re the guest. They won’t start without you. In fact, I’ve been instructed to take you down to the gray salon when you’re ready.”
“I’m ready, Emily. This has taken two hours longer than I normally spend at my toilette.”
“Yes, miss. I’m terribly sorry.”
Drat her tongue!Now Emily was going to mope.
“I’m not complaining,” Julia explained, then outright lied. “I’ve never been dressed so well or made to look so attractive. You are a wonder.”
The girl regained her smile and her cheeks pinkened. Then she led Julia downstairs to the correct room, which she never would have found by herself.
Unfortunately, a moment later, Jasper’s raucous laughter rang in her ears.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“It has come to this paper’s attention that Bow Street Runners were seen on Grosvenor Square two days ago calling out for scandalous Lord M__ who eluded them.”
-The Morning Post
Jasper burst out laughingbut managed to stop himself almost instantly, even as he rose slowly to his feet, his gaze fixed on Julia’s bewildering appearance. His mother on the other hand got right to the heart of the matter.
“Where under God’s heaven did you get that gown, dear girl?”
Julia halted in her tracks.
“I...,” she began and turned to where the maid had been standing a moment earlier but she’d already scurried away. Faced with emptiness, Julia glanced back at him and then answered his mother.
“Your staff found this in your attic, I believe, my lady. I came without any clothing, you see.”
“Whyever did you do such a thing?” His mother looked at him, then back at Miss Sudbury, clearly puzzled. He wished he’d come up with some sort of explanation, but he hadn’t been able to, and thus, he’d said nothing.
“I ... well ... there was a bungle,” Julia began. “My sister left nearly at the same time, and her footman put both trunks on her traveling carriage. When the earl picked me up, I thought my ... um ... my footman had loaded my trunk onto his coach.”
