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‘There we are, my lady. Let’s get you out of your nightgown and into the bath. That will help.’
‘Harper, I fell asleep, almost as soon as he came into the room.’ Madelyn climbed in and lay back in the warm water. ‘I said a few things—none of them at all coherent, I’m sure—and then I just drifted off. Last night, of all nights.’
‘I’m sure His Lordship knew it wasn’t deliberate, my lady. Mr Tanfield says he’s ever such an understanding gentleman and he has known him for years.’
He is? Madelyn was not at all certain that was how she would describe Jack, although he had certainly been very kind, if teasing, that morning. And he had been considerate the night before. Some men, from what she had heard, would have taken out their frustrations on their wives’ unconscious bodies.
‘You’ll have a nice long journey to rest and talk and everything will be all right tonight—you’ll see, my lady. Now, we agreed on the plum-coloured walking dress, didn’t we? And the light straw with the satin ribbons. I’ll just get everything laid out.’
Madelyn worked up a good lather on the sponge and began to wash. Thinking about her wardrobe was a helpful distraction. Medieval gowns were all very well for evenings, but they looked most strange with modern hats. No lady could go out without a head-covering, of course, but she thought she had managed a workable compromise. She would have to see what Jack thought. If he was in any mood to be civil about her clothes, that is.
* * *
What her husband thought of her walking dress was not apparent. He stood up when she arrived at the breakfast table, waited while she asked Saul for scrambled eggs and toast from the sideboard and drank coffee while she sipped gratefully at weak tea.
‘The weather appears to be set fine. Provided there are no accidents on the road we should make good time.’
So, he was going to ignore her intoxication the night before, pretend that disaster of a wedding night had not occurred. Perhaps even ignore the stir her wedding gown had caused. On the other hand, it was too delicate a subject to risk the staff overhearing, so he was probably saving a comprehensive scold for the journey.
‘The newspapers, my lord.’ Partridge removed three folded papers from the salver he was holding and placed them beside Jack’s plate. ‘Your man asked me to inform you that the chaise will be at the door within the half-hour, as will the carriage for those members of staff accompanying you. He left, riding Your Lordship’s horse, over an hour ago.’
‘Excellent. Then, if you have finished, Lady Dersington, we will leave.’
When Madelyn came downstairs with the simple jacket like a spencer over the bodice of her gown and a plain bonnet on her head, Jack did raise an eyebrow as he helped her into the chaise. ‘I had wondered how you would continue your unique style of dress to accommodate day wear. That is intended as a walking dress, I assume?’
‘Yes.’ Madelyn took her seat looking forward out of the wide glass-front window of the chaise. The two postilions were mounting, taking control of four horses—Jack clearly intended to make good time. ‘The skirt is not as full and it is slightly shorter so it is clear of the ground. The bodice is a very fine silk so that the fitted jacket is not too warm. It is a mixture of the two styles and, I believe, will be practical.’
‘But a modern hat.’
‘I imagine that a hennin with veil, or even a bourrelet, would appear most strange.’
Jack’s very silence was comment enough.
Madelyn decided that she was going to have this out, there and then. ‘I have no desire to dress as a medieval woman, but I do wish to wear a style of gown that I believe suits me and in which I am comfortable. Surely that is not so unreasonable?’
‘From your point of view, I can understand that it is not. That ensemble, and what you wore last night, seem practical and elegant.’ Jack unfurled a newspaper. ‘The other papers are in the side pocket, should
you wish to read.’ He cleared his throat from behind the cover of the spread pages. ‘You are correct, that style does suit you very well.’
‘Thank you,’ she said, startled by the concession. ‘And thank you, but I will not take a news sheet. I prefer to watch the scenery. This will be unfamiliar countryside for me.’
‘No countryside for a quite a while.’ Jack lowered his paper and folded it for more convenient reading. ‘And you will recognise the streets as far as St Paul’s.’
‘Very well, I will read until we arrive somewhere new, thank you.’ It seemed there would be no lecture. Not yet, at any rate and he thought her gowns suited her well.
With a silent sigh of relief, Madelyn opened the Morning Post, rather guiltily skipped past the political news and turned to the Court and Society section, which was usually surrounded by various interesting snippets of news from around the country.
The wedding of the Earl and Countess of Dersington took place yesterday at the church of St George’s, Hanover Square.
Madelyn almost dropped the paper. Of course she knew society weddings were reported—she had read enough accounts of them since she had been in London, but somehow it had not occurred to her that hers would be among them.
The Earl has only recently taken up the title, which he inherited upon the untimely death of his brother...
She glanced at Jack, but he seemed absorbed by the foreign news section so she read on.
The nuptial service was attended by a large congregation of the most fashionable in society...
Virtually everyone seemed to have been listed. She skipped over the names.
