02 Bath Charade by Amanda Scott

Author:Amanda Scott [Scott, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0451169948
Publisher: Signet
Published: 1991-07-04T23:00:00+00:00

X

FEELING SYDNEY’S ANGER, AND believing despite his words that much of it must be aimed at her, Carolyn had no wish to encourage him to say more. She knew she was behaving in a cowardly fashion and despised herself for it, but for the first time in her life, she was a little afraid of him and therefore grateful for his silence as they walked. When they came to her bedchamber door, she braced herself for his reproof.

He said, “I’ll find Neall now.”

She nodded, watching him, waiting, but he merely opened her door for her and suggested she dress quickly. “It will not do for us to be late,” he said.

A moment later he was gone, and Maggie was hustling her out of her dress, exclaiming over its damp skirt and insisting that she make haste. “Her ladyship rang for her woman more than an hour ago, miss, and I’ve been just a-waiting and a-waiting.”

“I want a bath,” Carolyn said as she let the maid help her into her dressing gown. “Is such a thing possible in this ill-managed house, Maggie?”

“Oh, yes, miss, for Ching Ho saw to it earlier. There’s the tub all ready behind that screen there, and I’ve only to ring for a man to bring hot water. I don’t know how that Chinaman managed it, miss, but perhaps the master took a hand.”

Carolyn’s mind promptly provided her with a mental image of Sydney’s elegant, well-tended hands and the thought that he must have sent Cumberland flying with little more than the flick of a finger, at most a wrist, for he had not done anything more violent. Impossible, she told herself. No one could have done such a thing. Certainly not the languid Sydney.

“Miss?”

Startled, she realized that Maggie was staring at her, waiting for some sort of response, but Carolyn had no idea what else the maid might have said to her. Collecting herself, she said, “Ring for the water, Maggie. We have no time to waste.”

“But I did, miss. Just now. I told you.”

“Good,” Carolyn said, adding with forced calm, “Now, tell me, shall I wear my back hair in a twist tonight or curled into ringlets?” When Maggie voted for ringlets the awkward moment was gone, and there was no time for anything after that but the preparations for the Princess Charlotte’s ball.

Carolyn was no sooner attired in her pink satin ball gown than Miss Pucklington arrived to inform her that the dowager was waiting, impatiently. Carolyn snatched up her gloves and lace reticule and, gathering up her demi-train, hurried to accompany Miss Pucklington, telling that lady that she looked as fine as fivepence in her pale-lavender silk gown with its matching gloves and reticule. “Although Godmama will no doubt cast us both into the shade,” she added with a chuckle.

“She is magnificent, as always,” Miss Pucklington agreed.

And so it was, for Lady Skipton was draped from head to toe in emerald satin and diamonds. Raising her gold-rimmed lorgnette to her eyes, she surveyed Carolyn critically.

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