Auntie wants to launch me … look at me, Babs … I am
too tall, too thin, nowhere as exquisite as you—”
“Stop!” Babs exclaimed, making her sit up. “Listen
to me—you are beautiful! Just look at your hair … a mixture of
auburn and this tawny color, quite unique … all it needs is a
snip and a curl. I shall have my own dear Bess, who is very handy
with such things, put it right. Your figure is delicious—and tall
is what I have always wanted to be. We are going to Bond Street
tomorrow and set off your height and figure with just the right
things. I don’t think they knew what they were doing in New
York … with such clothes …” Babs chin swept the air in
the direction of Corrine’s traveling ensemble.
“Oh, these are not from New York but from a small
town near my finishing school … and I haven’t shopped for
gowns in ages …”
“Never mind all that. We shall set it to rights, and
there is also the fact that you are an heiress to catch the eye of
the beau monde—”
“I am not!” said Corrine hurriedly and with a
shocked expression.
“You have inherited, have you not?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“But nothing— we are going to set the ton on fire!”
“Yes, but I don’t want men to chase me for my
inheritance!” Corrine wailed.
“They will, but you will lead them a dance, and you
will see through them all to the one man you must have …”
Corrine laughed. “I see now why Aunt is here—you do
need a controlling hand.”
“I do, I really do.” Babs laughed. “However, I shall
leave that to you, for I already adore you, Corry.”
“Corrine,” corrected Miss Bretton.
“No, Corry … ’tis so very familiar, and that is
what we will be from now on.” Babs got to her feet. “To
sleep … both of us. Tomorrow will be ever so exciting.”
“Babs … what about you … how is it you
haven’t … you aren’t …”
“I am Lady Barbara Waverly. I am expected to
marry … or rather, sell my name to the highest bidder, but I
have this little dream about marrying for love. And I shall, as you shall , but in the mean time, a little rumor to open the
lazy eyes of the haute ton is just what we need, do you
see?”
“No … no I do not …”
“Well, Corry dear, you shall …” Babs giggled
and left her newfound friend and cousin to her dreams.
Seven
BABS THOUGHT OF her new friendship with her cousin
Corry as putting the lyric to the tune. They shared a kindred
spirit, a sense of humor, and an appreciation of the ridiculous.
She found that they were from the start able to view life from the
same height, to turn to one another and laugh, or cry, and always
see the other’s mind.
Babs knew she tended to do the outrageous, the
bubbling, the naughty, and the impulsive, while Corrine would
observe it all from her seemingly placid exterior and thoroughly
enjoy herself. Babs also realized that her newfound friend wielded
a gentle hand of control over her. Babs was no fool—she knew she
needed a calming hand—and so did not mind in the least; in fact,
she welcomed it.
Babs also did what she had promised she would. A
word here, another there, never overstating, never doing more than
hinting, and the rumor began, so that when she told Otto her cousin
‘had something of an inheritance’, it grew upon itself in their
circle.
Thus it was that the rumor came back to her that the
lovely Miss Corrine Bretton was not only one of the season’s new
beauties, but she was an heiress !
And that was all that was needed.
Corrine’s dance card was constantly filled, and the
two cousins fluttered throughout society most enjoyably.
Babs did not see very much of the Duke of Barrington
that first week after their first dance together. She did, however,
bump into him briefly on two occasions in the park. Their first
accidental meeting allowed her to introduce him to her cousin.
After the second of those meetings, she turned to Corry and sighed.
“Is he not … the most handsome devil
too tall, too thin, nowhere as exquisite as you—”
“Stop!” Babs exclaimed, making her sit up. “Listen
to me—you are beautiful! Just look at your hair … a mixture of
auburn and this tawny color, quite unique … all it needs is a
snip and a curl. I shall have my own dear Bess, who is very handy
with such things, put it right. Your figure is delicious—and tall
is what I have always wanted to be. We are going to Bond Street
tomorrow and set off your height and figure with just the right
things. I don’t think they knew what they were doing in New
York … with such clothes …” Babs chin swept the air in
the direction of Corrine’s traveling ensemble.
“Oh, these are not from New York but from a small
town near my finishing school … and I haven’t shopped for
gowns in ages …”
“Never mind all that. We shall set it to rights, and
there is also the fact that you are an heiress to catch the eye of
the beau monde—”
“I am not!” said Corrine hurriedly and with a
shocked expression.
“You have inherited, have you not?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“But nothing— we are going to set the ton on fire!”
“Yes, but I don’t want men to chase me for my
inheritance!” Corrine wailed.
“They will, but you will lead them a dance, and you
will see through them all to the one man you must have …”
Corrine laughed. “I see now why Aunt is here—you do
need a controlling hand.”
“I do, I really do.” Babs laughed. “However, I shall
leave that to you, for I already adore you, Corry.”
“Corrine,” corrected Miss Bretton.
“No, Corry … ’tis so very familiar, and that is
what we will be from now on.” Babs got to her feet. “To
sleep … both of us. Tomorrow will be ever so exciting.”
“Babs … what about you … how is it you
haven’t … you aren’t …”
“I am Lady Barbara Waverly. I am expected to
marry … or rather, sell my name to the highest bidder, but I
have this little dream about marrying for love. And I shall, as you shall , but in the mean time, a little rumor to open the
lazy eyes of the haute ton is just what we need, do you
see?”
“No … no I do not …”
“Well, Corry dear, you shall …” Babs giggled
and left her newfound friend and cousin to her dreams.
Seven
BABS THOUGHT OF her new friendship with her cousin
Corry as putting the lyric to the tune. They shared a kindred
spirit, a sense of humor, and an appreciation of the ridiculous.
She found that they were from the start able to view life from the
same height, to turn to one another and laugh, or cry, and always
see the other’s mind.
Babs knew she tended to do the outrageous, the
bubbling, the naughty, and the impulsive, while Corrine would
observe it all from her seemingly placid exterior and thoroughly
enjoy herself. Babs also realized that her newfound friend wielded
a gentle hand of control over her. Babs was no fool—she knew she
needed a calming hand—and so did not mind in the least; in fact,
she welcomed it.
Babs also did what she had promised she would. A
word here, another there, never overstating, never doing more than
hinting, and the rumor began, so that when she told Otto her cousin
‘had something of an inheritance’, it grew upon itself in their
circle.
Thus it was that the rumor came back to her that the
lovely Miss Corrine Bretton was not only one of the season’s new
beauties, but she was an heiress !
And that was all that was needed.
Corrine’s dance card was constantly filled, and the
two cousins fluttered throughout society most enjoyably.
Babs did not see very much of the Duke of Barrington
that first week after their first dance together. She did, however,
bump into him briefly on two occasions in the park. Their first
accidental meeting allowed her to introduce him to her cousin.
After the second of those meetings, she turned to Corry and sighed.
“Is he not … the most handsome devil
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