“Aunt Sarah? Would you like some tea?”
“No, thank you, dear,” she responded without glancing away from her book.
They settled onto the settee. “Have you decided what to wear to the Paddon ball?” Anna asked.
“Well, I only have three ball gowns, and I don’t want to wear the same gown twice in a row, so my choices are limited to a pale pink gown that Elizabeth wore before she married my brother and an unadorned light blue gown.” Charlotte fiddled with the fringe of the pillow next to her. Elizabeth would be enraged that she was sharing her circumstances with Anna, but she didn’t see any point in trying to hide them.
“I’m being terribly forward, but would you be willing to let me see your gowns? Perhaps we could come up with a plan to make them more stylish. It only takes a few accessories to transform a gown.” Anna tilted her head and widened her eyes in an imploring look.
Charlotte laughed. “All right, you’ve convinced me.” As if it was a hardship for her. She glanced toward the duchess, who was engrossed in her book. “Would you like to come to my bedchamber, or shall I have the gowns brought down here?”
“No need to inconvenience anyone else. Let’s go to your chamber.” Anna glanced at the duchess. “Aunt Sarah, we’re going to Charlotte’s bedchamber to inspect her gowns. Would you like to join us?”
“No thank you, dear. I’ll be fine here by myself. You go ahead.” She waved them away.
Charlotte took Anna up the back staircase to her bedchamber. Her chamber was located away from the other family apartments, in a corridor that led to the chambers belonging to the butler and housekeeper. Perhaps she should have insisted the gowns be brought to them in the parlor, but it seemed pointless to think that Anna wasn’t already aware of her circumstances. She led Anna into the chamber and removed her three gowns from the wardrobe. “This is the blue silk.” She unfolded it and laid it on the bed.
Anna ran her fingers across the fabric and studied the bodice. “All it needs is a few embellishments. We want the men to notice you, not your gown.” She tapped a finger to her chin. “You have the snood… What we need is a sash that coordinates with the flowers in your hair. Yes, that’s it. Simple, but elegant.” She turned to Charlotte. “Do you have any sashes?”
Charlotte mentally ran through the contents of her wardrobe, which didn’t take long. “No, nothing that would match this gown.”
Anna’s tilted her head to the side. “What color flowers will you use in your hair?”
While chewing her bottom lip, Charlotte considered the flowers currently blooming in the garden. “What do you think of yellow? We have some lovely jessamine.”
Anna smiled. “I have a gold sash that will complement the flowers. I’ll have it delivered to you first thing tomorrow.”
Charlotte started to object. Elizabeth might have a yellow sash that would complement her dress, but she would never let Charlotte borrow it. In any case, it would be impolite to turn down Anna’s kind generosity. She tucked the gown she held back in the wardrobe.
Anna folded the blue gown. “Is there anyone in particular you’re hoping to dance with at the ball?”
“No.” She wanted to tell Anna about her predicament, but she was afraid sharing too much about her circumstances might frighten her off. “What about you?”
Anna placed the gown in the wardrobe. “No. There is no one in particular who has caught my attention.” She perched on the edge of Charlotte’s bed. “My father sent my sister and me here to live with my aunt and uncle because he believes Napoleon plans to invade Russia. I’m not certain I want to marry an Englishman and commit myself to staying in England forever, but if the war continues for several years, I cannot very well wait until I return to Russia to marry either.”
Charlotte put the last gown away and sat next to Anna on the bed. She did not envy her
“No, thank you, dear,” she responded without glancing away from her book.
They settled onto the settee. “Have you decided what to wear to the Paddon ball?” Anna asked.
“Well, I only have three ball gowns, and I don’t want to wear the same gown twice in a row, so my choices are limited to a pale pink gown that Elizabeth wore before she married my brother and an unadorned light blue gown.” Charlotte fiddled with the fringe of the pillow next to her. Elizabeth would be enraged that she was sharing her circumstances with Anna, but she didn’t see any point in trying to hide them.
“I’m being terribly forward, but would you be willing to let me see your gowns? Perhaps we could come up with a plan to make them more stylish. It only takes a few accessories to transform a gown.” Anna tilted her head and widened her eyes in an imploring look.
Charlotte laughed. “All right, you’ve convinced me.” As if it was a hardship for her. She glanced toward the duchess, who was engrossed in her book. “Would you like to come to my bedchamber, or shall I have the gowns brought down here?”
“No need to inconvenience anyone else. Let’s go to your chamber.” Anna glanced at the duchess. “Aunt Sarah, we’re going to Charlotte’s bedchamber to inspect her gowns. Would you like to join us?”
“No thank you, dear. I’ll be fine here by myself. You go ahead.” She waved them away.
Charlotte took Anna up the back staircase to her bedchamber. Her chamber was located away from the other family apartments, in a corridor that led to the chambers belonging to the butler and housekeeper. Perhaps she should have insisted the gowns be brought to them in the parlor, but it seemed pointless to think that Anna wasn’t already aware of her circumstances. She led Anna into the chamber and removed her three gowns from the wardrobe. “This is the blue silk.” She unfolded it and laid it on the bed.
Anna ran her fingers across the fabric and studied the bodice. “All it needs is a few embellishments. We want the men to notice you, not your gown.” She tapped a finger to her chin. “You have the snood… What we need is a sash that coordinates with the flowers in your hair. Yes, that’s it. Simple, but elegant.” She turned to Charlotte. “Do you have any sashes?”
Charlotte mentally ran through the contents of her wardrobe, which didn’t take long. “No, nothing that would match this gown.”
Anna’s tilted her head to the side. “What color flowers will you use in your hair?”
While chewing her bottom lip, Charlotte considered the flowers currently blooming in the garden. “What do you think of yellow? We have some lovely jessamine.”
Anna smiled. “I have a gold sash that will complement the flowers. I’ll have it delivered to you first thing tomorrow.”
Charlotte started to object. Elizabeth might have a yellow sash that would complement her dress, but she would never let Charlotte borrow it. In any case, it would be impolite to turn down Anna’s kind generosity. She tucked the gown she held back in the wardrobe.
Anna folded the blue gown. “Is there anyone in particular you’re hoping to dance with at the ball?”
“No.” She wanted to tell Anna about her predicament, but she was afraid sharing too much about her circumstances might frighten her off. “What about you?”
Anna placed the gown in the wardrobe. “No. There is no one in particular who has caught my attention.” She perched on the edge of Charlotte’s bed. “My father sent my sister and me here to live with my aunt and uncle because he believes Napoleon plans to invade Russia. I’m not certain I want to marry an Englishman and commit myself to staying in England forever, but if the war continues for several years, I cannot very well wait until I return to Russia to marry either.”
Charlotte put the last gown away and sat next to Anna on the bed. She did not envy her
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