“Thank you, Mrs. Beaumont. Whatever they want, just charge it to my account.”
“Very good, Lord Fletcher. Rest assured, they will be well taken care of.”
“Excellent. I shall leave you to it then and return shortly,” he said, leaving the shop.
Audrey watched him depart before turning her attention to Grace and Mia. “We must not be too greedy with our purchases, sisters,” she cautioned them. “Lord Fletcher is being quite generous, but I don’t want toabuse his generosity.”
“May I still pick out new gloves?” Mia asked.
“Of course, dearest, and perhaps a few ribbons as well.”
That put a smile on her youngest sister’s face.
“And what about you, Audrey? What will you purchase today?” Grace asked.
“A bit of lace and a few pearls to alter Mama’s pale pink silk for the concert tonight. Maybe a ribbon or two.”
“Don’t you want to see if Mrs. Beaumont has something that would be suitable for this evening? She might have a dress that failed to suit a lady who ordered it and would only need a few alterations.”
“No, that’s much too extravagant an expense. I can make do with the lace and pearls.” The last thing she wanted was to take advantage of his generosity.
Grace shook her head. “My dear sister, it’s fine to think of yourself for a change. Lord Fletcher has been most generous and said to buy whatever you want.”
“And I want lace and pearls and perhaps a new pair of white gloves. That will be sufficient.”
“I don’t know why you insist on punishing yourself. You should at least buy a new pair of stockings for this evening. Yours are quite worn, ” Grace said before wandering off to look at some gloves.
Was Grace correct? Was she punishing herself because she was disappointed that Lord Fletcher didn’t return her feelings? She didn’t think so, but maybe there was a grain of truth in Grace’s accusation.
“Miss Parker, how lovely to see you today.” Mrs.Beaumont said, interrupting her musings. “What may I help you with?”
“Some lace, pearls, and new gloves.” She thought about what Grace had said. “And a pair of silk stockings and a few ribbons as well.”
“Of course. Let me show you the new lace that came in yesterday. It’s quite exquisite.”
Mrs. Beaumont was correct, as always. The lace was exquisite, and it would be the perfect addition for new sleeves to update her mother’s dress. The modiste whispered in Audrey’s ear, “My dear, are you altering one of your mama’s dresses?”
Audrey nodded and looked around to make sure no one could overhear their conversation. “Yes. I’ve been invited to a musicale this evening, and I need to make one of them suitable. I plan on using the lace to update the sleeves.”
“This lace will be a wonderful addition. May I ask the color of the dress?”
“Pale pink.”
Mrs. Beaumont patted her arm. “I have the perfect shade of ribbon for it as well. Would you like to see it?”
She nodded.
The modiste took her to the ribbon rack, where she pulled out a spool of dark pink, almost maroon ribbon.
Audrey’s eyes widened. Mrs. Beaumont was right. It was indeed the perfect shade to complement the dress. She needed to buy enough for the dress and perhaps a little extra to weave in her hair.
“Thank you, Mrs. Beaumont. You’ve been most helpful.”
“It’s my pleasure, my dear. Let me show you the gloves I have available as well.”
In the end, Grace and Mia each settled on new gloves and a few ribbons. Audrey was pleased that her sisters had listened to her and didn’t buy anything too extravagant. With their purchases in hand, the sisters made their way out of the modiste’s shop.
“Where is Lord Fletcher?” Mia asked, looking up and down the street. The hackney was still there, and so was the footman who had accompanied them, but there was no sign of the baron.
