The Pink Parasol: A clean and sweet Regency Romance by Sheila Walsh

Author:Sheila Walsh [Walsh, Sheila]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency, Romance, handsome hero, second chance, Georgian, Nineteenth Century, Historical Fiction, 1800s, Vanessa Gray, Alice Chetwynd Ley, Dorothy Mack, Elizabeth Hewitt, Megan Daniel, Judith Harkness, Barbara Hazard, Gayle Buck, Laura Matthews, Mary Balogh, Barbara Cartland, Stella Riley, Louise Allen
Publisher: Wyndham Books (Regency Romance)
Published: 2018-03-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Hester’s bal-masqué was destined, from the arrival of the very first carriage at her door, to be one of the most outstanding events of a glittering Season. Like most indolent people, when she made up her mind to do something, she devoted every ounce of energy to making it successful. Everyone of note had been invited, including the Prince Regent and the Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, sister to Czar Alexander ‒ a potential pairing that made Sir Timothy blench when he heard it.

‘It won’t do, m’dear ‒ oil and water, y’know, oil and water! Not like you to overlook a thing like that!’

Hester explained that she had had no choice. The Prince was already invited when the grand duchess had let it be known that she would be pleased to attend. ‘But I have it all worked out, dearest! The Prince will not come until late ‒ he never does. And should the grand duchess still be here, which I take leave to doubt ‒ for she can be relied upon to find the evening so tedious that she will hardly stay above an hour ‒ then you must take Prinny off to the Wedgwood room to play hazard until she is gone.’

The scheme seemed fraught with pitfalls to Sir Timothy, but in the end Hester was proved right. The grand duchess arrived early ‒ fair, vivacious, and outspoken, scorning mask or domino, her only concession to fancy dress being the diamonds which weighed down her petite figure. She made scathing remarks about some of the more outrageous costumes in a harsh, overloud voice and finally called for her carriage a full half-hour before the Prince Regent was due to arrive ‒ though the crush of vehicles in the square outside brought a confrontation uncomfortably close.

Lady Wigmore observed with a permissible degree of partiality that there wasn’t a woman, young or old, who would rival Cecily that night. Hester, more than content with her own Grecian draperies, was happy to agree. Cecily’s gown, fashioned by Madame Louise, was in the very palest apricot-coloured brocade. The tightly laced bodice ornamented with ruched ribbons and full skirt made her waist look tiny, while the loose pleated back accentuated her slimness, giving her added height.

Signor Franzioni had arranged her pretty hair in the semblance of a wig and with a lacy mask to complete the picture, together with a fan of lace and ivory, and a string of pearls given to her by Lady Wigmore, she looked as though she had stepped from an earlier age.

Lady Wigmore, for all her talk of remaining at home, could not in the end resist the blandishments of Sir Timothy Lambton. He prevailed upon her to travel by way of his own sedan chair ‒ a vehicle designed for his own not inconsiderable proportions ‒ in which she could be carried with the minimum of discomfort to her leg. She was feeling so much more the thing that when Cecily added her own entreaties the matter was settled and they were both invited to dine in Grosvenor Square before the ball.

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.