“It is dull, Charlotte, and you must stand out. The Dowager Duchess of Caverton is not renowned as a woman of simple tastes. You need to impress her.” Lady Bellmore was now rummaging around in Charlotte’s cupboard, making the odd tutting noise.
Deciding to take advantage of her stepmother facing away from her, Charlotte hastily removed two of the dresses her mother had slipped in and hid them beneath the mattress of her bed.
She then said, “Is it not impressive enough that I have managed to win the heart of her grandson?”
“No. Impressive though that may be, you must look the part.” Lady Bellmore turned around, two more dresses in her arms, and frowned at the pile of clothes in Charlotte’s case.
“I will look the part because I will look like myself.” Charlotte took the dresses from her mother, put them back in the wardrobe, and procured another set of night clothes.
“Can ‘yourself’ not be a little more… interesting?” Lady Bellmore was rifling through the clothes.
“I suppose I could pack my archery bracers. Do you think that will be interesting enough?” She grinned impishly at her stepmother, procuring the bracers from behind her and moving to pack them.
“You cannot be serious.” The Countess removed the bracers from the case.
Charlotte put them back in. “Well, you yourself said the Dowager Duchess is rather eccentric. Perhaps one of the events will involve archery.”
“And if it does, I am sure you will leave such endeavours to the men.” The bracers were removed once more.
“What if I am expected to participate?” The bracers went back in the case.
“I doubt you will be.” Lady Bellmore wrapped the bracers in a dress, removed both, and put them in the cupboard.
“Have you seen my riding habit?” Charlotte asked as she rifled through the rest of her clothes.
“Yes, it is in the cupboard,” Lady Bellmore replied.
“Why on Earth is it there?” She pushed past her stepmother, grabbed the habit, hid her bracers within it, and carefully put it back in the case.
“Because I put it there.” Lady Bellmore moved to take the riding habit back, but Charlotte refused to let her.
“Are you expecting me to ride in a ball gown? There are nearly ten of them in here; surely, I will not need that many.” She began handing her stepmother dresses, mostly so she could hide the clothes she wanted to take deeper within the case.
“You never know.” Her stepmother handed her back the dresses.
Charlotte allowed them to drop to the floor. “I know that this is a ridiculous amount to pack. I shall hardly be able to fit anything else in my suitcase.”
“Do not be ridiculous; there is plenty of room. Besides, I can have one of the servants bring up another case should we require.”
“We already have three cases. A fourth seems excessive.”
“What harm will a fourth do?”
“They will think I am coming to live there for the rest of my life!” Charlotte exclaimed.
Her stepmother opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” both Charlotte and her stepmother called at the same time.
Evelyn opened the door and peered through. “The Duke is waiting in the drawing room and asked that you meet with him.”
“He… What?” Lady Bellmore looked shocked. “Were you expecting him?”
“No.” Charlotte replied truthfully.I never thought I would be grateful for his sudden appearance.
“I believe he has brought you gifts.” Evelyn smiled.
“Well, let us not keep him waiting.” Lady Bellmore headed towards the door, and Charlotte followed her.
