Knight of the Jaded Heart by Thorne Margaux

Author:Thorne, Margaux [Thorne, Margaux]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2023-02-22T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The Earl of Sinclair’s ball was the crowning send-off for the tournament. Indeed, just as Mr. Pratt had said, it seemed everyone who was taking part in Eglinton had come to show off their fancy dress for all those less fortunate in London who couldn’t make the journey.

And what fancy dresses there were! Georgiana had been so excited about her own outfit, deciding to go simple with a thin emerald gown, embroidered with yellow and navy flowers along the bodice and sleeves. The only embellishments were her bell sleeves, which hung halfway to her feet, and the gold belt she wore loosely at her hips. Her hair had been the ultimate coup. After fighting with her mother, she eventually won out and was allowed to wear her curls unleashed down her back, with only a golden circlet across her forehead keeping everything tidy and in check.

Though odd at first, it felt marvelous to wear clothes with such few restrictions. No corset, no unlimited petticoats, no layer upon layer of fabric—Georgiana only wore a long cotton chemise under her gown. The ease with which she was able to move made her feel like a completely different person—free.

Minnie, on the other hand, wasn’t experiencing the same emancipation.

“It’s like I’m wearing a house,” she groused, rearranging the boxy hooded gable on top of her head. Authenticity had been her aim, and she’d hit the bull’s-eye, looking as regal and stiff as Anne Boleyn before she met the axe. “How could women wear these all the time?”

Standing on the outskirts of the crowded ballroom, Georgiana empathized with her friend while watching partners pair up for another waltz. “I suppose one gets used to it. Women of that age would probably think the same way about how tightly we cinch our corsets.”

“At least those serve a purpose,” Minnie replied bitterly, clawing at the pearl choker at her throat. “They are for our health.”

Georgiana grunted. Their health? One night without a corset and she could safely say she felt just as supported by her own body muscles as she did wearing her silk and bone corset.

She wondered what Edward would say about that. She did that a lot lately. Most of the time Georgiana didn’t even like what he had to say. But his opinion was always different, always kept her on her toes, and forced her to contemplate something from another view. Frustrating as it was, he never failed to make her think.

A rush of laughter burst from the opposite side of the room, where a group of finely dressed ladies gathered in a circle. With all their glittering jewelry and ermine capes, it didn’t take Georgiana long to identify them as the Queen of Beauty and her ladies-in-waiting. Lady Seymour stood in the middle of the group, directing most of the lively conversation. Many whispered that Lady Seymour was only chosen to be the queen of the tournament because her husband was such good friends with Lord Eglinton. Some even whispered she was too good of friends with Lord Eglinton, but Georgiana put no stock in that.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.