“We shall be here all day, I see.” She rose to her feet and gracefully crossed the room to the far shelf before reaching for a book. “Try again, but with this book on your head. Relax your shoulders and straighten your back. Breathe. Now, imagine you are a queen walking into her throne room.”
Elspeth closed her eyes for a moment, picturing the proud lairds of her homeland. She could see the strong, upright women of the Highlands, goddess warriors of ancient times. She could see Mother Earth herself, lording over them all.
She took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and consciously relaxed her shoulders instead of just rolling them back. She lifted her chin with a newfound resolve.
When she opened her eyes, she stood taller, her posture surprisingly elegant.
The Dowager Duchess’s eyes widened, a genuine smile gracing her lips. “There! Excellent! You see? You have it in you, child. Now, hold it. Walk across the room, but without the tome,” she encouraged as she removed the book from her head.
Elspeth walked, her steps more graceful, her head held high.
A strange sense of satisfaction bloomed within her. She was as powerful as any English lady, and it was time she showed it. She would not cower in front of anyone. While it was a small victory, it was a victory nonetheless.
For the first time since arrivin’ in London, I feel that perhaps I will be able to navigate this world on me own terms.
“Well, Yer Grace,” Elspeth said as she turned back to her, her arms hanging loosely by her sides. “What is our next lesson? Do yer worst.”
“How do you feel about holding your skirts when moving about town, elegantly and with one hand?” The Dowager Duchess did a little demonstration. “Like this?”
“Are ye kiddin’ me, Yer Grace? With all due respect, there are ways to make sure I daenae get me gowns all muddied?”
“My dear girl, you will soon learn that there is a lesson for everything,” the Dowager Duchess said with a wink. “However, they may prove more efficient than you think. A good posture saves the back later in life. You will not believe the complaintsI receive from some of my contemporaries. Additionally, your laundress will thank you for taking better care of your garments. And they will last longer!”
“Oh, I see.” Elspeth mirrored the movement. “And thank ye. Me maither has long since passed, as well as me faither. Me grandparents long before that. It is refreshin’ to be in yer company, Yer Grace.”
“Indeed,” the Dowager Duchess said, not echoing nor denying the sentiment.
She rang a bell then, and the butler appeared in the doorway moments later.
“Please send word to my nephew that we will send Lady Inverhall home in a carriage after she has dined with us this evening. And inform the cook that we have a guest for dinner tonight.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Why do ye fancy English folk have so many bloody stairs?” Elspeth complained as they ascended the stairs. “Is it a sign of wealth?”
“I thought my grandmother’s lessons were helping to soften that tongue of yours,” Hugo scoffed.
“Me tongue is plenty soft, Yer Grace,” she joked. “Daenae worry, I am just tryin’ to get it out of me system before we are aroundpleasant company. I will behave meself tonight. Just ye wait until ye see me performance.”
It was a week later when Elspeth accompanied Hugo to a grand evening reception, this time at the opulent townhouse of the Earl and Countess of Pemberton.
Thanks to the Dowager Duchess’s relentless tutelage, Elspeth’s posture was now impeccable. She would not admit it to Hugo, but it did make climbing stairs easier.
That evening, she wore a gown of deep emerald silk that was chosen by the Dowager Duchess herself. It complemented her green eyes and dark hair, which had been pulled up into an elegant chignon with a few perfectly curled wisps to frame her porcelain face.
Elspeth looked every inch the refined lady.
I can do this.I will do this.
She had been busy with the Dowager Duchess and eager to improve each day. She was emboldened by her progress, learning a new thing each day. In fact, she had hardly seen Hugo, and seeing everything that had transpired between them, it was helpful.
As they entered through the large, ornate door, Elspeth noticed his gaze linger on her, if even for a fraction of a second longer than usual. She caught a flicker of something unreadable in his blue eyes before he resumed his customary aloofness, looking anywhere but at her.
Let him stare.
She rolled her shoulders back and held her skirts delicately with one hand.
“Remember your lessons, Lady Inverhall,” he murmured as they moved through the throng at the entrance. “Polite interest, not interrogation. And no discussions on the merits of Scottishheather over English roses. You are here to appear amenable, not disagreeable.”
