Wedding Her Christmas Duke: A Regency Romance by Collette Cameron

Author:Collette Cameron [Cameron, Collette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Seductive Scoundrels
Publisher: Blue Rose Romance
Published: 2021-01-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Bristol, England

December 15, 1810

Brushing a hand across her forehead, Justina sighed for the umpteenth time. Eyebrows furrowed and her bottom lip clamped between her teeth, she considered the gowns laying upon her bed’s light blue coverlet, trying to decide which she’d take to the Sutcliffes’ house party.

None were new, but both she and Aunt Emily were gifted with a needle and thread and gowns from two Seasons ago had been reworked quite satisfactorily. A scrap of lace here, a ribbon or braid there, or a new ruffle, and the garments were hardly recognizable. That was one practical means implemented to stretch coin.

Well, that was stretching the truth, but the frocks were near enough in style to the current fashion to pass haut ton inspection at first glance. And since Justina rarely drew a second glance, except from her friends, she wasn’t concerned about her revamped wardrobe. That business of requiring new garments from the skin out each Season was positively wasteful.

Head tilted, she considered two additional morning gowns.

The mint green or the rose?

Both perhaps?

Justina wasn’t above wearing a gown more than once at a house party. After all, budget and wardrobe restraints already required her to do so with other attire.

She slanted a glance at the nearly full trunk. It already contained three morning gowns, a riding habit, two walking ensembles, six afternoon gowns, and another half dozen evening gowns. Justina had also managed to fit a ballgown, a fichu, her unmentionables, a nightgown and robe, two each of spencers, pelisses, and shawls, and, lastly, a heavy cloak in case it snowed again.

Then there were gloves, shoes, stockings, her sewing kit, and various other necessary fallalls and fripperies. She almost envied servants their simple uniforms. Almost.

She’d wear her redingote and one of the three bonnets she intended to take with her in the coach.

Puffing out an unladylike sigh that ballooned her cheeks in a childish manner, Justina shook her head. Really. This would be so much easier, not to mention less costly, if women weren’t required to change their gowns multiple times a day.

As neither she nor Aunt Emily employed a lady’s maid, they acted as one another’s Abigail, as well as packed an unpacked their own trunks. Theadosia, Duchess of Sutcliffe, would assign them a maid to share for the duration of the house party, but it wasn’t the least necessary.

For months, Justina had anticipated the Christmastide gathering, but now a shadow marred her earlier joy.

Baxter hadn’t come knocking on her door.

He hadn’t written either—not a single letter in over three weeks.

That isn’t so very long, she tried to console herself.

True, but if Baxter had written promptly upon returning to Bath—

But—drat the man—he hadn’t.

Deciding there was room for both gowns, she picked up the green muslin.

Nose scrunched, Justina mentally calculated, again, how long it took to travel to Lancashire and back while allowing a week for him to attend to whatever urgent business had required his attention.

Bristol was but thirteen miles from Bath. A trip he could easily make on horseback in an hour and a half, depending on how much he walked or galloped his mount.

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