She rose when he entered the room, and he greeted her with a grin. “Madame, thank you for attending me here.”
Rupert motioned for Madame to be seated, and he took the chair opposite her.
She inclined her head. “I am well acquainted with your lady mother and your cousin, Lady Beaumont, milord. I think I must tell you that I do not dress ladybirds.” She gave a one-shoulder-Gallic shrug. “Myclientèleis exclusive and would not approve. However, with anything else I am happy to aid you.”
That put him in his place. “There is a lady, but not of the demimonde. She is the woman I hope to wed.” Hmm, how should he put this without giving too much away? “She had an unfortunate experience with her late husband.” Rupert felt his neck growing warm. He hadn’t expected to embarrass himself. This might not have been such a good idea after all. “Perhaps I should not have asked you to come.”
“I think I understand, milord.Moi, I was in France at the time of the Revolution. Many women were treated badly. You wish to help your lady in an unusual way. Am I correct?”
Rupert had the strange urge to tug at his cravat. “Yes.”
She nodded encouragingly.“Continuez.”
This conversation called for brandy rather than tea. “I’d like to have you design a nightgown, a modest nightgown that shows nothing.”
Madame Lisette’s lips formed a moue.“Oui?”
“Yes.” This may not be so bad after all. “That is the first one. The next one should be a little less modest.”
“How long do you plan to continue with these nightgowns?”
“I have no earthly idea.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “As long as it takes.”
An interested sparkle entered Madame’s eyes. “Tell me more about this lady.”
Rupert froze. He could not reveal Vivian’s identity to this woman.
“Come, come. How am I to dress her if I do not know her size?”
“Oh yes, of course.” Why hadn’t he thought of that? “She is quite slender and very fair. Of moderate height.” He stood, placing his hand on his collar bone. “Her head comes to here.”
Madame had pulled out a notebook and was writing. “Eh bien. I understand you. I have something that might work. Another customer ordered it. An older lady who loved beautiful things.” Madame crossed herself. “Unfortunately, she recently passed away. The gown is white, with blue flowers the color of a summer sky embroidered on it.”
“Perfect. Her favorite color is light blue.” Thank the Deity. His scheme was going to work after all.
She slipped the notebook and pencil back into her reticule. “Where shall I send the garment?”
“Send it here. I’ll have it delivered to her.”
Rising, she curtseyed. “It will be my pleasure to assist you and the lady to a happy occasion. I am always pleased to see a woman wed to the right gentleman.”
Rupert would be as well. Pleased to have Vivian married to him, and in fairly short order if he could manage it.
Sooner than he had expected, the package from Madame Lisette arrived. Perfect; now all he had to do was figure out how to get it to Vivian. It would not do to simply arrive and ask her to change. It was clear she took a great deal of effort with her disguise. Somehow he had to get the nightgown to her lady’s maid, yet the whole house would know the second he asked for the woman.
Stuie slipped into Rupert’s study through the French windows. “I’m to ask if you got anything for me to do, my lord.”
Mr. Dermot, the tutor Rupert had hired to teach the staff, had probably sent his tiger to him. “Tell me you weren’t disrupting class.”
“Nothin’ like that.” The boy gave a cockapert grin. “Mr. Dermot said I could go as I already knew what he was teachin’.”
“Teaching.” Rupert couldn’t go to Mount Street, but Stuie could. “As a matter of fact, I do have something I need help with.”
“I’ll get the phaeton.”
“No, this time we’re walking.”
Stuie’s shoulders drooped, but he’d been too well trained to object. “Yes, my lord.”
