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Once they were back across the water, Evelina watched as the orchestra played on. From so far away, the festivities looked like quite the fine time, despite Evelina’s previous reluctance.
Admittedly, she felt differently about the prospect of the party following her encounter with the handsome stranger.
Stop thinking like this, she berated herself.What happened between the two of you was inappropriate, accident or no. Besides, Mother had taken ill!
“It is quite late,” Jerome said after some time, though only a few other families had re-crossed the Thames to return home. “Perhaps I misunderstood the situation. My Lady, I think it best if I simply take measures into my own hands and escort you home.”
Jerome spoke as though he were a saint in the making, going above and beyond to cater to Evelina’s best interests.
She did not feel as such. Jerome, for some reason or another, had forced her to miss the remainder of the party. She had not been allowed to properly enjoy time with Diana, or her parents. And the handsome stranger—
Oh, she thought, horrified at herself.
She had never asked his name, nor had she given her own.
* * *
“I simply wished the Marquess had paid more attention to what wasactuallyhappening,” Evelina said innocuously.
They were back in the same dress shop on Bruton Street where Diana had been fitted for her gown a week previously. This time, however, it was Evelina who was to be fitted. She did her best to hold still as the seamstress bent over the hem, pinning a circle around Evelina’s feet. Her neck hurt from keeping her posture so straight.
“Oh, fie. Lord Wilmore was being a true gentleman, looking out for your interests when he thought I’d taken ill.”
“But you hadn’t taken ill. Lady Horwich had.”
“And even a gentleman can sometimes mishear. If Ihadbeen the one to fall ill, he did exactly as he should have, collecting you from the party so that the family might leave together.”
Evelina was tempted to point out that the familyhadn’tleft together, but from Mother’s increasingly cross expression, she knew it would be unwise to continue arguing.
Even so, Evelina’s irritation remained. Because Jerome had somehow confused Lady Horwich’s allergy to shellfish with Mother’s allergy to…well, nothing…she missed the latter half of the Vauxhall Gardens outing.
Not to mention what may have been her only chance to learn the handsome stranger’s name.
“I like the movement of the skirt,” Diana said from her spot on the settee, apparently thinking it wise to interject before Evelina and Mother could devolve into actual bickering.
The seamstress looked up. “Ah, yes, I’m glad you noticed! You’ll see that comes from the way the pleats are stitched at the bodice…”
From there, the conversation re-centered itself around the dress, a snow-white number with blue accents that suggested a certain innocence of its wearer. Evelina allowed her thoughts to drift as Mother and Diana continued picking apart the details of the fitting, notfeelingparticularly innocent at all. She couldn’t get the handsome stranger out of her head. The engaged way he’d spoken with her…his interest in her thoughts and questions…the pressure of his strong hands around her waist…
“Evelina, are you quite all right?” Diana asked, leaning in close to her face. She had come over to examine a bit of detail on the dress’ sleeves. “Your complexion has gone quite pink. Is the gown too tight?”
Evelina felt her face color further. “No, no.”
The seamstress looked up. “Are you certain? We can have it let out at the waist if it’s causing you difficulty breathing.”
“Trust me, I’m more than all right. The dress will be perfect, I’m sure.” Then, because Diana was still looking at her with concern, Evelina added, “You were right about the importance of these preparations, Diana. Thanks to you, I will be able to take pride in looking my best at the first ball.”
The note of praise made Diana look positively buoyant. Evelina was pleased and humbled that such a small word could have such an effect on her little sister.
The fitting finished up not long after that, once it was established that the dress was sufficiently comfortable, while still showcasing Evelina’s trim waistline. The three women gave their compliments to the seamstress, then departed together to finish their errands.
Evelina was having a much better time shopping with her mother and sister now than she had last week. Yes, she was frustrated with Mother’s fixation on Jerome, and dress fittings in and of themselves were not what she would consider exciting. But now that she’d crossed paths with a gentleman who could actually keep her interest, Evelina was able to better appreciate such outings as necessary means to an end.
The handsome strangerhadbeen a gentleman, after all. That much had been clear from the way he’d carried himself, and the educated lilt of his speech. If he was the sort of gentleman to attend the Vauxhall Gardens fireworks, perhaps Evelina might meet him again at one of the balls to come.
She would not miss her chance again.
The three Talbot women had just stepped back onto the street after purchasing several bottles of scented hair oils when Mother snapped to attention. “Why, look there! It’s Lord Wilmore!”
