72. The Impetuous Duchess by Barbara Cartland

Author:Barbara Cartland
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: M-Y Books
Published: 2013-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Seated on the box of the travelling carriage, Jabina realised with interest that she could see so much better than if she was a passenger inside.

They had set off from the General’s house at eight o’clock in the morning and she felt as if she had already done several hours’ work before the trunks had finally been strapped and carried downstairs.

A multitude of small packages of articles that had been forgotten had been bundled into baskets and bags at the last moment and stowed away somewhere in the coach.

It certainly looked an impressive vehicle and one that could achieve the speed the General required of it.

From the moment Jabina and the Duke had met the General they had realised that he behaved like a despot accustomed to getting his own way in the shortest possible time.

Armed by the Royalists with their papers, they had walked from the narrow dirty street where the cavern was situated to the better part of Paris where they were to present themselves for employment.

If Jabina had not been so frightened at the thought of what would happen if they were exposed, she would have found their appearance amusing.

In the cavern she had undressed behind a screen and the ladies had redressed her in the clothes befitting a femme de chambre.

They were insistent that every detail should be correct.

The close-fitting black serge dress would have been ugly on anyone who had not such a perfect figure as Jabina’s. A white collar and small silk apron relieved its severity. A dark coarse straw bonnet covered her hair.

Her hair had given them quite a problem.

“The red is too alluring!” declared one of the ladies who was addressed by the others as ‘Comtesse’ and there was a touch of envy in her voice.

“That is true!” another agreed. “No good housekeeper would engage you if there were men in the house.”

They all laughed, but Jabina said anxiously,

“I suppose I could dye my hair?”

“There is no time,” the Comtesse replied. “Besides dyed hair always looks unnatural.”

Eventually after some discussion they had dragged Jabina’s hair back from her forehead and arranged it in a bun on top of her head.

They then dusted it with a dark powder that dulled the brilliance of the colour and left her looking definitely more subdued.

“Her skin is too white for a Frenchwoman!” the Comtesse complained and again Jabina thought her voice was envious.

The others said that this was ridiculous.

“Josephine Bonaparte has a white skin,” they said. “The English are not the only people in the world with fair complexions!”

It was then decided to concentrate on Jabina’s attire and hope that the General’s wife, in her hurry to reach Le Havre with her husband, would not notice her too closely.

Her shift was of thick calico, which was rough and tough. Her stockings were of black wool, and they had some difficulty in finding a suitable pair of shoes that were both sensible and small enough.

Finally the rest of the clothes she would have to wear were

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