Gowns...
When they were served fish for lunch, Angel was reminded that this was Good Friday. She looked up toward Geoffrey.
“Are there special plans sir, for Sunday?”
“We shall attend the morning mass, Angel. You’ll get to meet Father Michael and the rest of the parishioners. And we’ll need to discuss the plans for our public vows and set a date for the ceremony. I don’t wish it to be too far in the future. After that, we shall host the Ball here at Pembroke.”
She took a deep breath, and he reached over, tilting her chin upward to face him. “Relax, it will be all right. I have no doubt that everyone will adore you.”
Her eyes dropped to the table. She was not at all convinced. Taking up her fork and finishing what she could, she finally set it down beside her plate.
“Are you finished, Angel?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then I shall take you upstairs for a nap. Don’t argue. I can tell by your eyes you’re tired.”
Geoffrey finished unbuttoning her gown after making their trip up the stairs. He opened the door into Angel’s set of rooms and handed the gown in to Hannah, saying. “Angel is in need of a nap, Hannah. When she awakens I shall send her in to you to discuss her need for gowns—and a wedding gown as well. Have you had a chance to work on some sketches?”
“I have, my lord.” Hannah smiled and curtsied.
He returned to Angel and lifted her on to the bed. “And now, little girl, you shall sleep for a while.”
“I am not,” she tossed back, “a little girl.”
Geoffrey flicked a gaze over her. “I can see that. Clearly,” he said, grinning, as she felt her cheeks turn scarlet. “Even so,” he pushed her gently back onto the pillow and turned her to face away from him. “You shall do as I say, sweetheart.” A light swat was planted on her bottom, and he pulled her back against him closely. She gasped slightly in surprise, but didn’t attempt to pull away.
“Come here, child,” he said, softly, as he pulled her back against him, “and sleep.”
With her head on his shoulder, she sighed and relaxed.
And slept.
* * *
When a hand caressed her cheek Angel opened her eyes. He was watching her, his eyes crinkling at the outer corners.
“The bruise is almost gone,” he said softly. “Do you feel better?”
“I feel… rested,” she said, smiling up at him.
“Hannah is waiting for you. She has drawn out some gowns for you to see. Pick as many as you like--but at least eight. After you look at them,” he grinned, “and get some clothes on that beautiful little body, I’ll be waiting for you in the study. I need to figure out how much lumber is needed for the dormitory—and how long it should take to build it.”
But she was still thinking about what he had said several sentences ago. “Eight, sir? Are you sure? I think surely that must be too many.”
“Yes. I’m sure. And I shall decide what’s too many, my love.” He took her hands and drew her to the side of the bed and he helped her down to the floor, putting her nightgown around her shoulders.
She opened the door to her suite, peeking in. “Hannah?”
A giggle came from the small study that led off her bedroom, and Hannah came out to meet her with a curtsy. “You need not ask permission to enter your own rooms, my lady. They are yours, after all.”
“I’m not used to having anything but a bedroom, and certainly not this many. Lord Wellington said you have some things for me to look at?”
“Yes, my lady. I drew them out in your study so I could set them all out to compare. They’re in here.”
Angel drew near the desk and sat down in her chair. “Oh my. You are so talented.”
“Shall I describe what I thought of using for the materials?”
“Please.”
There were fifteen sketches in all. Fourteen gowns, and a riding habit stared back at her from the sheets of paper lining her desktop.
“This one,” Hannah handed her a sheet. “I thought, perhaps for your celebration of vows. Lord Wellington wanted one especially for that. The one you brought with you is so lovely. However, the material is fragile, and since it was your mother’s, he thought you might want to protect it rather than use it again. And most of the sketches, my lady, have high necklines. Lord Wellington was adamant about that.”
Angelica laughed. “Show me, then.”
They spent the afternoon going through the selections Hannah had drawn out in her lovely sketches. There were so many different styles and descriptions, and Angelica found herself piling them all into her favorite stack. She stopped when she reached eight. One, she held up to examine more closely. It was colored in green, and showed a gown just slightly off the shoulder.
“Lord Wellington might well disapprove of this one,” Hannah warned. “I think I got carried away.”
“Oh, but they are all so delightful,” Angel remarked.
Last of all, Hannah brought out some of the gowns Angel had brought with her.
“These were my mothers,” Angel said softly. They don’t quite fit me but I thought they were beautiful, and I couldn’t bear to leave them behind.”
Hannah’s smile held sympathy. “Perhaps I can alter them to fit. Pick one out for Resurrection Sunday, and I’ll try to have it ready for you.”just before Angelica took the sketches in to show them to Geoffrey.
Angel chose one and left it with her. A moment later she peeked into the study to find Geoffrey sitting at his desk, and then stopped. When he looked up, she smiled. “Should I knock, sir?”
“No, my love. It will always be open to you. Come in. Have you made some choices?”
“I have. They are subject to your liking, sir, although I think this is too many.”
“Show me.”
She came forward a few feet and stopped. “You cleaned off your desk.”
“I promised I would. And you need a place to work on the plans for the dormitory.”
“I know, but…” She paused before moving forward.
Geoffrey took them from her and reached down before lifting her and settling her on his lap. He said little, but put them in two stacks. “These,” he said, “are lovely and perfect as they are. On these, however, I’m not entirely comfortable with the neckline. Especially,” he added, sifting through them until he found the green one with the low-cut neckline, “this one.”
A giggle escaped her lips. “Hannah said she got carried away with that one. I’m prepared to pass it over, but I wanted to see what you would say.” She looked up to see that his brows were raised.
“Ah. Testing me, I see.” His mouth curled slightly at the corners. “Although they are the fashion, my love, I shall not allow you to reveal quite so much.” He watched her expression and tilted her chin up to face him. “I can be persuaded to share many things, Angel, but when it comes to you I intend to guard jealously what is mine. And you, my darling,” he added, “are mine.” His eyes darkened as he gazed into hers. He glanced down at the papers. “Leave them here. I shall explain to Hannah more about my preference.” He picked them up again, counting. “This is all you picked out? I thought I saw many more than this on the desk in your study.”
“You said to pick out eight.”
“I said as many as you like, but at least eight. There may be a need for changes throughout the day.”
“Oh. I see.” She peeked down at the plans for the dormitory. “Are you finished with your calculations, sir?” She leaned forward to look at it more closely.
“Nearly. I hope you’ll be pleased with the final plans. I can hire men to begin working on it next week. And I’ll take you by regularly to make sure it’s going as you wish. You’ll need to hire a lady to stay there, to oversee things. I actually know of a lady in town who might be perfect for the position.” He was lacing his fingers through hers as he spoke. “Hopefully we can have it finished within a month. And,” he said frowning thoughtfully, “I suppose you may need to plan the classes for the ladies to attend who stay there.”
“Yes sir. I am thinking perhaps Hannah could do one on sewing clothes.”
“Are there any you could teach?”
She giggled. “A manners class might be useful but I can’t teach it. Mine are dreadful.”
He grinned. “If you can find someone to teach a class in proper language for a young lady, I shall require you to take it.” His grin turned to a chuckle at her rueful expression and he tugged on a curl.
“What, sir, are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking you constantly amaze me. Do you realize that?”
She met his gaze and took a deep breath. “I’m so afraid, sir,” she whispered, her eyes large, “that I’ll fail you. I lack so much.” Tears were trying to form at the back of her eyes, and she blinked.
Geoffrey moved her in his lap to face him, taking her face in his hands. “Dearest Angel,” he said quietly, “All that you need, you have, including a soft, kind and sympathetic heart. Don’t doubt yourself, my love.” He held her in front of him, inches away. His mouth took hers, possessing her totally as she felt herself melt into his arms. Large hands slipped down from her shoulders, moving downward and cupping her bottom. His pupils were dark and dilated now, and his voice was almost a growl when he spoke. “Angel...”
The Grandfather clock interrupted with a single sound, and Angel blinked. Geoffrey took his eyes from hers only briefly, looking up at the clock on the mantle. Two-thirty. It took only a second for his expression to go from annoyed to furious.
“Damnation. I swear, I’m going to find a time when no one’s looking and dismantle that clock piece by piece.”
Angel let out a giggle. “Geoffrey! Such language!”
“I know. But somehow it knows just when I plan to take you to bed.”
“Will they be expecting us for tea downstairs?” she asked in a whisper.
The mutinous look on his face finally changed to one of resignation as he spoke again. “Yes, unfortunately.” He pulled her close and held her a few more moments before lessening his grip and standing her to the floor on her feet. Giving her bottom a gentle pat, he said quietly,
“Come, my love.”