“No, no! Not growing on me. I mean…well, I…I don’t like hats! Not at all!”
Helaine stared at him as if he had lost his mind. As did, coincidentally, everyone else in the room. He didn’t dare look behind him to see what the maids thought.
“That is, er…”
Thankfully, Helaine was able to help. “I believe his lordship is saying that as a rule, gentlemen don’t like hats on ladies. They’re usually taller, you know. And so spend a great deal of time avoiding the feathers and such.”
“Yes,” he said much too enthusiastically. “That’s it exactly.”
Then, lest he feel he had successfully navigated the treacherous waters of female fashion, Gwen was there to puncture his ego. “Oh, leave off, Robert. You have said quite enough, thank you.”
Robert turned at his sister’s sharp tone. It wasn’t unusual for her to poke fun at him, but there was an extra bite to her words. “Gwen,” he began, but she waved him away.
“Go, go. You have no business being here anyway.”
“I…,” he began. He could hardly say that he wanted to talk to Helaine. That he wanted to see her again, then whisk her away to another glorious night of exploration. In the end, he executed a stiff bow. “Ladies, I can see that I am de trop.”
Meanwhile, the baroness turned back to him, her eyes as tragic as her tone. “Do you truly not like
He glanced back to Helaine for guidance, but she was occupied with avoiding the flop of what he believed were ostrich feathers and so could not guide him. In the end, he opted for simple honesty.
“Baroness, your skin is clear, your eyes quite pretty. And even your mouth, if I may be so bold, is very expressive. Without you even saying a word, I can tell when you are happy or sad or disapproving or delighted. Why ever would I want to look at ostrich feathers or lace or bows when I could see your face?”
The baroness gaped at him. Helaine, too, straightened up with a look of shocked gratitude on her face. And even Gwen released a gasp of surprise. He didn’t know if he had stuck his foot in it again or not, but he had done his best. So with another bow he took his leave, only to be called back a moment later by Helaine.
“My lord!”
He stopped and leaned back in the room. Nothing on earth would induce him to walk farther inside. “Mrs. Mortimer?”
“I’m afraid I was occupied last night and so missed our discussion. Would you perhaps be available tonight? I am, of course, at your service whatever time you need.”
He almost grinned. Was there ever a more perfect woman? “Oh, yes. Directly after dinner would be ideal. Thank you for reminding me, Mrs. Mortimer.”
Then he bowed again before escaping with all the other men in the household. Indeed, he found them all downstairs with Dribbs, discussing the latest horse races. Thank heaven at last for rational conversation!
Chapter 23
But now it was done, the fabrics were put away, and unlike Wendy who now had to sew all those dresses, Helaine’s work was finished. She could have her discussion with Robert, and was already thinking about other things they might do, when she was stopped cold in the hallway.
She was leaving the upper parlor, passing by what she was sure was Gwen’s room. The sound was muffled because the door was shut, but some noises were hard to miss. The sound of a girl sobbing was quite distinct and all the more alarming because it was probably Gwen in there. Gwen of the sunny disposition. Gwen who was filled with love for her fiancé and excitement about their coming wedding. Gwen who was now sobbing as if her heart would break.
Helaine hesitated, unsure whether or not to intrude. But who else could the girl talk to? Not her mother, who was right now back in her bedroom and, by all accounts, had stopped bathing again. Not any of the future in-laws, who were well-meaning but as dense as rocks. Which left no other female but her or perhaps a maid. So Helaine took a chance and knocked on the door.
The gasping sobs stopped immediately. Then there was a long pause. And just as Helaine was tapping again, she heard Gwen speak.
“I’m fine, Robert, really. Just let me rest.”
Well, if that wasn’t a lie, then Helaine was deaf, blind, and dumb. The girl’s voice was stiff with false cheer and had none of the life Helaine was accustomed to hearing from her. So, taking the risk, Helaine turned the knob and was pleased to find that it wasn’t locked.
“Forgive me,” she said as she entered the room. “But as your dressmaker, it’s part of my job to make sure you’re looking your best in my gowns. And right now, it sounds like you’re not quite feeling the thing.”
Gwen regarded her from the bed. The room was dark, but enough light spilled in from the hallway to illuminate her swollen nose and red eyes. And her hair was all askew, as if she had tried to pull out the pins and ended up grabbing the hair instead.
“Helen! Oh, shut the door! Quickly, before Robert sees.”
Now, that wasn’t at all what Helaine expected, but she did as she was told, stepping inside the room and quietly shutting the door behind her. Meanwhile, Gwen lit a lamp, and soon the room was bathed in a warm glow. Sadly, the golden color did very little to aid Gwen’s looks. If anything, she appeared all the more miserable.
Helaine crossed to her side. “Oh, sweetheart, what has happened? Has Robert been pompous or dictatorial again?” It was a joke of sorts. Nothing could bring out a smile in Gwen faster than poking fun at her brother’s high-handed ways.
It worked. Gwen released a snort that was almost a laugh. “Better to ask when he hasn’t been an ass.” Then her smile faded. “But that’s not it.” She waved at the closed door. “It’s a game of sorts that he and I have played since we were children. Whenever something terrible has happened, I shut the door and sob so that he can stand at the doorway and listen in misery. Then he has the maids bring me treats and the like until I come out. I did much the same thing for him, too, until he became old enough to disappear for days on end. Jack was the only one who could comfort me, but that was only because he was so young. He would come into my bedroom and just curl up beside me. Something about having a little brother sleeping beside me always eased the pain. But then he went away to school, and I’ve barely ever seen him since.”
Helaine nodded slowly, knowing a little something about needing to cry one’s eyes out. “But Robert would do anything for you. Surely you know that.”
“Of course I do. But so many things cannot be changed. We could do nothing when Mother had one of her spells or Father was dunned for debt.”
Helaine didn’t answer. She’d never had a brother or sister to share such burdens with. But if she had, she couldn’t imagine shutting them out. Gwen must have read her expression, because she simply shrugged.
“I know it’s silly. Truly, I do. But it’s the way it’s always been. Besides, why make him see my tears when there’s nothing he can do about them?”
“I suppose that makes sense,” she said, though she wasn’t sure it really did. “But what has happened to cause all this?”
That was obviously something Gwen wasn’t as eager to share. Her gaze dropped away, and her hands began twisting in the pillowcase. Then she began biting her lower lip, but she didn’t speak. In the end, Helaine did the only thing she could think of. She put her arm around the girl and hugged her tight. Gwen didn’t resist. In a minute, she had wrapped her other arm tight around Helaine and the tears were flowing along with a few words, not that they made much sense.
“I c-can’t do it! I j-just can’t!”
“Can’t do what, sweetheart?”
