“He does?” Maddie asked, blinking.
“Apparently, the duke has a soft spot for romance, too,” Lady Jessica announced, “which is quite agreeable of him.”
“We already found another maid for Lady Emily,” Lady Veronica continued. “She’s upstairs getting settled in, I believe.”
“You see? Now you have no reason not to come with us,” Lady Elizabeth said.
Maddie glanced around at the sisters, her brow furrowed. “But how did you all know I’d come with you?”
“I didn’t,” Lady Elizabeth admitted. “But Veronica and Jessa insisted you would.”
“We are staunch believers in love,” Lady Veronica said with a sigh and a wink.
Lady Jessica nodded her agreement.
“Now, come with us,” Lady Elizabeth said. “You’re about to go to your first official ball and dance with a very handsome gentleman.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Many hours later, Maddie was staring at herself in the looking glass in Lady Elizabeth’s bedchamber. She couldn’t quite believe the reflection staring back at her. The Whitmoreland sisters had gone to great lengths to make her look like a true princess.
No doubt she appeared vain, but she couldn’t stop staring at herself. Her blond hair was swept up in a lovely chignon. The hairstyle appeared artlessly arranged but had taken Jessica’s maid—all three sisters insisted she call them by their first names from now on—hours to perfect. They’d applied rouge to her cheeks, kohl to her eyelids, and some sort of black goop to her eyelashes to make them appear longer.
She wore a pair of diamond earbobs loaned to her by Veronica that put Lady Henrietta’s earbobs to shame and a matching diamond necklace that made her nerves jump every time she remembered it hanging around her neck. It probably cost more than Papa’s entire estate in Devon. The gown Veronica had given her to wear was a work of art. Sleek lavender satin with an empire waist. It accentuated her breasts and flared out over the rest of her body. It was lined with silver ribbon and embroidered with tiny silver stars. It couldn’t have been more perfect if she’d chosen it herself.
And then there were her slippers. Beautiful, shimmering silver flats with gorgeous little matching bows she couldn’t stop admiring. The shoes nearly looked like glass in the shifting candlelight. She turned in a circle in front of the looking glass and laughed. “I can hardly believe it’s me.”
“You’re absolutely gorgeous,” Eliza said, clapping her hands and smiling.
“Justin won’t recognize me,” Maddie replied, spinning around and around.
“Nonsense. You’ve always been gorgeous,” Jessica added. “We’ve merely enhanced your beauty.”
“Justin knows I’m here, doesn’t he?” Maddie asked. Now that the moment to see him again was near, she felt as if she might cast up her accounts. Was this real? Was she truly about to go to a London ball dressed in this finery and wearing these jewels?
“He knows and the groveling shall commence soon,” Veronica replied with a certain smile. “Very soon. Let’s go. It’s time.”
Butterflies winged around Maddie’s belly as she stood and allowed the sisters to escort her out of the room and down the corridor to the second-floor landing. She stood at the top of the wide marble staircase, trembling with nerves.
“You’re gorgeous and you deserve so much groveling,” Eliza whispered in her ear. “Go on then.”
Maddie drew a shaky breath and looked down the staircase to see Justin waiting at the bottom. She swallowed hard. He looked so handsome dressed in his fine black evening attire with a white waistcoat, shirtfront, and cravat. The exact clothing he had worn the night they’d met. An ache formed in her throat. Tears stung the backs of her eyes. There would be time to discuss everything with him later, but at the moment, she only wanted to enjoy her dream coming true. For the first time in her life—the only time—she was a debutante, about to be escorted to a real London ball. Oh, if only Molly could see her now. Her sister would be so shocked. Maddie would have to remember every detail to share when she got the chance.
Maddie took a deep breath and began to descend the stairs. She kept her chin carefully aloft and her shoulders straight, exactly as Mama had instructed all those years ago. She swallowed again. Mama would be so proud.
When she arrived at the bottom of the staircase, her gaze locked with Justin’s. He bowed to her. “You look beautiful. No, beautiful is an inadequate word,” he breathed as she placed her gloved arm on his black sleeve. “You are stunning.”
“So are you,” she replied with the hint of a smile. “I’m not certain how I’ll be allowed in the ball without having made my formal debut, but—”
“Not to worry. We have the dukes for that,” Veronica said as she and her sisters descended the staircase behind her.
Maddie’s eyebrows shot up. “The dukes?”
“Yes. Come with me and allow me to introduce you to them.” Justin covered her hand with his and a thrill shot through her as he led her across the foyer to the drawing room.
When the door opened, inside were two men wearing black evening clothes. One was young and handsome with dark hair and startling green eyes. The other was elderly, with a crop of white hair and a charming smile.
Justin led her to the elder of the two first. “Grandpapa, the Honorable Miss Madeline Atwood. Madeline, this is our grandfather, His Grace, the Duke of Holden.”
