“I like it,” she said to Lilian, who was watching her reaction.
“Me too. I’m going to lend you my green cloak to keep you warm, and if you keep your hair up, I think you’re nearly there. Do you have rouge or kohl?”
“No.”
“Of course you don’t. Well, I’ll see if I have time to do those for you too. It really does enhance the way you look, you know—” Lilian was interrupted by the sound of a male voice, shouting her name from downstairs. “That’s James! Excellent. I have to show him Frank’s letter. And introduce you, of course. If you don’t mind, I’ll talk to him first—it’s bound to be a surprise, you see. You just keep on getting ready, there isn’t that much time. Come downstairs in about thirty minutes, that should do it.”
“I will do. Thank you, Lilian.”
“Welcome. See you in a bit.” Lilian left the room, the crystals and silver thread of her dress glistening and shimmering. Such a gaudy outfit seemed entirely inappropriate for the sombre memories she went to share with her brother, but Evelyn guessed that James was used to his sister.
Left alone, Evelyn did as she was told, reaching for the hair ornament Lilian had given her. It was a beautiful filigree pattern of silver metal, decorated all over with pearls and sparkling white stones, at once delicate and ostentatious. Evelyn held the decoration against her hair as she looked in the mirror. It sat very well, her chestnut hair the perfect background for the silver and white. She could not help a smile. Reaching for the pins holding her hair on her crown, she removed them one by one. Her naturally curly hair tumbled down onto her shoulders. Thick and lustrous, her hair was one of the attributes she’d been complimented on since she was a child. To see it tumbling down, loosed from its restraining pins, was remarkably freeing. She shook her head slightly. She lifted a lock of her hair and twisted it, before sliding the silver and pearl ornament in, feeling the cool metal slide along her scalp. She let it rest there and examined her appearance again. She looked like a different woman or, at least, a woman she’d only ever seen in the privacy of her own room. Her hair cascaded below her shoulders, showing all of its autumn tones of brown, chestnut, and auburn. It curled luxuriantly, as if enjoying the freedom. And, to one side, the ornament glistened and gleamed, perfectly positioned to lift her hair from her face. Her eyes seemed darker and larger somehow, the way her hair framed her face accentuating its shadows and planes. Yes, Lilian had told her to keep her hair up, but Evelyn had decided. This was the face she wanted to present to fashionable London, if present a face to it she must.
To give her confidence a physical representation she went to her suitcase. In a pocket sewn into the lining nestled her grandmother’s butterfly brooch. She watched the diamonds and rubies sparkle for a moment, then carefully pinned the brooch to her dress, over her heart. See me fly.
Smiling to herself now, Evelyn found her shoes and slipped into them. They were a neutral cream, perfectly suitable for her outfit, although Evelyn was sure they weren’t decorative enough to meet Lilian’s approval. She even thought they looked a little dull herself, in the light of Lilian’s loans.
Dressed and ready, Evelyn checked her wristwatch. It had not been thirty minutes yet. She opened the door of her room gently and listened. She could hear Lilian and a male voice, but she could not make out any words. What would James Grainger be like, she wondered. Would he welcome her in his house the way Lilian had done? Her situation was still really rather precarious. How ridiculous it was to be dressed for the evening, in borrowed pearls, in a house half-owned by a man she’d never met. Though she should have been distressed by it, now Evelyn laughed at herself. She laughed at what Edward would say, how surprised anyone in West Coombe would be to see her now. Life would go on there without her. Things would be the same one day to the next. But here she was, in London, with complete strangers, with a silk scarf around her waist, pearls hanging heavy between her breasts, and her hair caressing her shoulders. The laughter came again, so Evelyn closed the door and perched on the side of the bed to gather herself. She suspected this was only the beginning of a night of surprises. She rather hoped that would be the case.
Chapter Six
Evelyn allowed thirty-five minutes to go past before she ventured, a knot of apprehension in her stomach, down the stairs to meet James Grainger. Lilian heard her coming and opened the sitting room door to admit her.
“Excellent, Evie! What a splendid idea with your hair, even I didn’t think of it. Now, let me introduce you to James.” She took hold of Evelyn’s wrist and pulled her into the centre of the room. “Evelyn Hopkins, this is my brother, James. James, this is Evie.”
Evelyn smiled awkwardly at James, unsure how to respond to an introduction which was both formal and startlingly casual.
“And now, my darlings, I have to finish beautifying, so I will leave you to it.” With that, Lilian left the room. Evelyn wanted to call her back, but found she did not really have a choice.
James was almost a foot taller than his sister, though Evelyn knew him to be younger. He was broad-shouldered and possibly a little too plump for a man still in his prime. His neatly cropped and Brylcreemed hair was auburn, but not as fiery as Lilian’s. He had similar green eyes, already showing signs of
