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Chapter Eight
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Miss?” Mary paused fretfully in the middle of lodging a crystal hairpiece into Kitty’s honey blonde hair.
“It will be fine. I have a mask that covers most of my face. No one will recognize me.”
“It’s not you being recognized that I worry about.” She finished setting the hairpiece with a frown and turned back towards the bed to grab the mask.
“I’m perfectly safe. Ashford will be with me, after all.”
“And that, I’m afraid, is exactly the problem,” Mary replied with a sigh as she placed the black satin mask over Kitty’s face and tied the ribbons in place.
“You’ll remember that I am the one making untoward advances and not the other way around.” She turned her head from side to side, satisfied with Mary’s work. The accessory hid nearly half of her face, and the dark fabric served to obscure the coloring of her eyes. Thankfully, her hair was a common shade of blonde. The chances of anyone recognizing her were slim.
“I just worry that you are biting off more than you can chew in regards to him.”
“Weren’t you the one who was initially pleased with his presence in my life.”
Mary tsked. “As a suitor, not a lover. It’s not too late to try for a match with someone, you know. Everyone seems to have mostly forgotten about your ill-begotten trip to The White Heather in the wake of this whole Wardely fiasco. I daresay opinions have changed in your favor. Many see you as a poor victim.”
“Yes, a poor, impoverished, and supposedly ruined victim. They may pity me, but that will not result in any offers.” While it was true that the malice towards her had softened, the fact remained that she would continue to be unsuitable marriage material to any man with sense.
“And you are sure you don’t want to try and bring His Grace up to scratch?”
“Considering that he won’t even humor my attempts at flirtation, I doubt I could get anywhere in that regard. He has made his feelings on the matter quite clear.” Even if a quiet part of her wished it to be otherwise. A very quiet part. “You were right by the way,” she said softly.
“About what?”
“My feelings for James weren’t quite as deep as I initially thought, much like you said.”
Mary gently stroked her head. “You were right to scold me on the matter, but I am glad you came to such a realization on your own.”
“Sometimes, I think you know me more than myself.”
“Well, that’s only natural,” she said with a small smile before almost immediately frowning. “That is, I am your personal attendant and have been since you were born. Of course, I have good intuition where you are concerned.”
“I am happy to have you, especially since Mama is gone.” Kitty couldn’t remember a thing about her mother, the woman having died when she was only a babe.
“And I am happy to be with you, dear.” Mary replied gently as she made the final adjustments to Kitty’s hair and mask.
Kitty stood and made a cheerful circle, surveying her appearance in the mirror with satisfaction. The pink gown and black gloves she wore complemented her mask almost to perfection. The bodice was lower than her other dresses, as the modiste had made a measuring error when she’d first ordered the gown a few months ago. The item being too costly to return, Kitty had planned on discreetly selling it for some pin money, as the amount of cleavage the garment displayed thanks to the ill-fit was far too improper for polite events. Not so for a scandalous trip to Vauxhall. Kitty eyed her ample figure with a grin. “How do I look?”
“Like your about to get in a terrible amount of mischief.”
Kitty nodded in satisfaction. “That’s the plan.” She had to look ravishing tonight if her plan to get Ashford willingly alone with her would at all be able to come to fruition.
“I daresay the lad won’t know what hit him,” Mary replied with a defeated sigh.
“Perfect.”
**
Sebastian leaned back into the squabs of his carriage with a yawn. It was nearly nine o’clock, and Kitty would come flying in at any moment now. He had parked at the end of her street for her to find him, so as not to arouse any suspicion, and could only hope that she would manage to be sneaky enough not to draw too much attention to herself. Thankfully, most of the residents of Mayfair were likely too busy attending the proper entertainments of the season, or even visiting Vauxhall themselves within the respectable confines of a group outing. The gentlemen going alone and on the prowl for mischief, usually of the female variety, were the reason he was accompanying her in the first place. A lone female would be considered fair game to such types, as it would be ludicrous to think that a proper lady of their class would traverse the scandalous gardens without a chaperone. He would have to be sure to keep her close to his side tonight and steer clear of anyone they may know. The last thing he needed was Amberwood catching wind of him frolicking about with his wife’s best friend. The man had already made a few probing comments regarding his visits to Kitty’s home in the wake of the scandal, and Sebastian wasn’t keen on drawing any further suspicion.
The door lurched open, and Kitty rushed in with a flurry of pink skirts and vanilla perfume. He suppressed a shudder at the scent of her as it cloyed around him. Vanilla was his favorite and made her smell like confection just waiting to be devoured. And my, did she look appetizing. His throat went dry at what he could see of the dress she wore under her black cloak. The fabric was a becoming pink color that went well with her fair skin and pink cheeks, and the empire waistline hugged her bosom in a way that convinced him her ample breasts would pop from her bodice at any moment.
Kitty lowered the hood, revealing her black mask and tastefully bejeweled hair. “How do I look?”
“Ravishing,” he replied and cursed inwardly at being so honest. He wasn’t sure how well he would keep his wits about him once the cloak came off and revealed more of her elegant neck and creamy shoulders. The chit had done this entirely on purpose, he was sure, if the pleased grin she donned at his response was any indication.
