Tempted by Curiosity

by Angeleke Kaldis

  Lady Emilia seemed to be a free-spirited individual, and a daring social butterfly. It was rare for an English woman to speak so freely, and get away with it too. Then again, her father was a Duke, her cousin a Prince, and her brother a Marquess.

  No one would ever dare go against her.

  Lady Emilia walked closer to bridge the gap between them, “Please do just call me Emilia. My maid Tess over there by the back counter has overdone the “Lady” bit for me.”

  Marcella smiled, “Of course, Emilia.”

  Marcella always thought the “Lady” bit, as Emilia called it, was quite overplayed as well. Lady Emilia was now Emilia in a private and informal setting, and that was a step in the right direction towards a true friendship between them all.

  The ladies were all smiling at one another when a large bolt of lightening flashed from outside, and then the thunder shook the building with extreme force.

  They had begun talking about the severe turn of the weather, when the door to Ms. Janice’s studio opened up. Everyone turned to see whom the new entries into the shop were.

  It was an older woman, followed by a younger woman. Marcella deduced that they must be mother and daughter.

  Marcella observed the daughter first.

  She was a petite brunette hiding behind her bonnet, and Marcella could tell that the lady had a rather shy demeanor. After all, she had walked in behind her mother, almost as if she was scared to venture out on her own.

  Rachel’s face gleamed as she started walking in the direction of the newly arrived ladies. She began a delightful word exchange with them right away.

  Marcella wanted to know more about what was going on between Rachel and the new entries into the studio, so her curiosity won her over, as it tended to do, and tried to listen into Rachel’s conversation.

  Was she being nosey?

  Of course, but she wasn’t bothered by it.

  “What a wonderful surprise to see you Lady Dover, and Lady Charlotte. It seems as if Ms. Janice’s studio is becoming a far more popular place than we had all originally thought it would become. A true hidden gem. She happens to be quite busy today.”

  Marcella watched as Lady Dover looked up at Rachel and took her hands timidly in hers as she said, “It is always lovely to see you my dear. Now that the mourning period is over, you can finally wear brighter colors again. You always looked exceptional in lavender. That light shade of purple goes so very well with your unique complexion and your angelic eyes. Wouldn’t you agree Charlotte?”

  The younger lady nodded and replied boldly, “Oh yes Mother, I recall Lord Robert mentioning to us several times how beautiful Lady Rachel looked in lavender.”

  Rachel blushed so hard that it looked as if she had applied too much rouge to her cheeks that morning. Marcella looked to Emilia and Louisa, who had also been eavesdropping on the Dover conversation now. They were all a bit nosey, and none of them cared.

  Louisa whispered to them, “Lord Robert Dover of Hampshire has inherited the Dover estate in Winchester. His father, Lord Clark, fell ill and passed away a couple of years ago. Lord Robert happens to be an identical twin, his younger brother Lord Andrew Dover, is quite the rake in London. The young lady over there is their younger sister, Lady Charlotte, and that older woman is their mother, Lady Beatrice Dover.”

  Marcella had been write to assume, then Emilia added, “This is Lady Charlotte’s first season. She declined to attend the last couple of years because of her dear father’s passing. The whole family took it very hard, as any of us would, but my brother Gabriel told me that Charlotte has taken it the hardest.”

  Marcella watched as Rachel escorted Lady Dover over to speak with her mother at the front counter, and then before she knew it, Rachel was ushering Lady Charlotte over to them for a proper introduction.

  Rachel smiled as she announced, “Ladies, let me introduce to you Lady Charlotte Dover. This happens to be her first season as well, just like you girls. Do treat her with the utmost respect.”

  The ladies all curtsied to one another as Rachel walked on back to speak with her mother and Lady Dover at the counter. That’s where Rachel’s priorities were.

  Lady Charlotte was a true English rose. She had dark chestnut brown hair, with a fair complexion, rosy cheeks, and twinkling hazel-blue feline eyes.

  She’d never seen a pair of bewitching eyes like those before, it was as if they were staring right into her soul. They also seemed to be changing back and forth between a bright blue and a greenish-yellow.

  Marcella always looked into someone’s eyes first before she looked anywhere else. It was something that her Grandfather had told her to do. The eyes were the windows to the soul, and you could learn everything you needed to know by looking at someone’s eyes. You could sense their true emotions, and most importantly if they were telling you the truth or spewing a lie.

  Emilia spoke first in hopes of bringing Lady Charlotte some comfort amongst the rest of the group, “Please do not be taken aback by us Lady Charlotte. We do not bite. At least, I don’t. Unless you wager against me, in which case then I would prove you utterly wrong.”

  Lady Charlotte giggled, “I promise you that I’ll not make the same mistake my brother Lord Andrew made at the Graves picnic all those years ago.”

  Emilia gasped, “Oh good lord, that was your brother wasn’t it? It’s been awhile, how is Lord Andrew?”

  Lady Charlotte nodded trying to hold her laughter in, “He’s very well, thank you for asking.”

  Marcella snorted as she looked down at Emilia, “You bit a Lord of the realm?”

  Louisa tried not to laugh but after she heard Charlotte’s slight giggle slip from her mouth, she too could not help herself. They all laughed and Emilia looked appalled at first, but then she too also took part in the giggle-fest.

  Emilia finished laughing and then sighed out, “I’d almost forgotten that my brother Gabriel went to University with your brothers Lady Charlotte. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  Charlotte nodded in agreement, “Likewise my lady. I see that Ms. Janice is quite busy today. I’ve come to pick up my gown for the Stanton’s Ball. It’s a royal blue, my favorite color. Are you ladies attending the ball as well?”

  Louisa nodded enthusiastically, “I’m Lady Louisa Pinkerton by the way. I’ll be attending the ball, and for some reason I’ve been given a yellow gown to wear. I don’t know if it’ll look nice on me, but it’s a bit too late to change that now.”

  Charlotte smiled politely and then looked over to Emilia who quickly said, “Let me properly introduce myself. I am Lady Emilia Hamill, but you knew that. I’m the lone and infamous Duke of Oxford’s daughter. I have three brothers. Gabriel is the eldest, followed by me, than there’s Jason and little Michael. I’ll be wearing a dark emerald green gown. I seldom wear bright colors anymore.”

  Charlotte smirked, “Quick and concise. The gentlemen are sure to appreciate your talent for conversing Lady Emilia. I on the other hand, lack in that area. I’ve always been on the quiet side, that’s what happens when you have two twin brothers who are constantly yapping.”

  Emilia smiled, “I know how you feel. Who says that I want to converse with all of those half-witted oafs called gentlemen out there anyways? I just need one.”

  They laughed at Emilia’s joke, but Marcella had a feeling that Emilia was being serious. Charlotte then looked over to her and waited for Marcella to introduce herself.

  Marcella complied, “My apologies. I am Lady Marcella Stansfield of Hertfordshire. I am not sure which color I will be wearing to the Stanton Ball, but I presume that my mother, Lady Pinkerton, and apparently Ms. Janice have already chosen a gown for me. The latter of whom I’m told has apparently never met a natural redheaded woman before, which means that I will most certainly be wearing some sort of red. Oh, and I have four younger sisters. Lydia, Lucinda, Bernice, and Flora.”

  Emilia and Charlotte’s mouths both dropped open in an unladylike manner.

  Emilia look
ed at Marcella in shock as she said, “There are five of you? Good Lord, if we do not find husbands this season ladies we are all doomed to spinsterhood. Do all of your sisters have red-hair as well?”

  Marcella simply nodded and Emilia huffed dramatically, “Well, you heard it here first ladies. We need to find husbands quick before all of these Stansfield younglings come and take them from us.”

  They all laughed at Emilia’s over-dramatic joke, and for the first time ever Marcella was starting to feel like she was finally making some real friends.

  Ms. Janice finally made her presence known as she strutted her way to the front of her modish studio. She was a bold creature, to say the least. The infamous seamstress stopped at the corner of the room and motioned for Emilia to come to her side. Ms. Janice clearly knew that it was not proper to keep a Duke’s daughter waiting.

  Ms. Janice took Emilia to a secluded corner of the shop and motioned to a large white box with excitement written all over both ladies faces.

  The seamstress then gave Emilia a rather large toothy grin as Marcella heard the older woman say to her new friend, “It’s just as we sketched it my lady. You should see what else we have ready for you to wear, but that’s for another day.”

  Emilia haughtily laughed, “I can’t wait.”

  Marcella wondered what Emilia and Ms. Janice had sketched together. It must have been something scandalous obviously, even though Marcella had just met Emilia she deemed her to be a unique sort of individual.

  Sure, Lady Emilia Hamill appeared to be intrepid in her ways, but there just seemed to be something far more beneath this lady’s extroverted façade.

  Ms. Janice handed off the large white box to Emilia’s maid, who took hold of the box tightly and made her way towards the studio door.

  Emilia followed her maid to the front studio door, but then stopped quickly to look over to her new friends.

  “I’ve loved meeting every single one of you today, and I’ll most definitely be seeing all of you at the Stanton’s Ball. I have a feeling that it’ll be a very eventful evening.”

  With that said, Emilia winked at them and exited the studio door with her maid.

  Marcella turned around slowly to see that the notorious seamstress was staring right up at her. She didn’t know what to do, so she just stood there staring back.

  Ms. Janice was a rather short woman with long black hair that was pulled into a long braid over her left shoulder. Marcella noticed that Ms. Janice had green eyes just like hers, but Ms. Janice’s were of a yellow-green color. Marcella thought that the seamstress resembled a prying tabby cat.

  Ms. Janice took a monocle from her dress’s left breast pocket, and put it up to her left eye as she examined Marcella, “In all of my years I’ve never seen such a tall woman before, and with red hair too! I’ve always dreamed of dressing a lady with red hair, and I can tell that your hair color is natural just by looking at the roots.”

  “Then it must be your lucky day.”

  Ms. Janice started chuckling at Marcella’s reply and then said back, “I like you my lady. I’ve just the dress for you, and the color should do you much justice. Your first step into society will be in one of my dresses. Come along now ladies!”

  The Pinkerton ladies all followed Marcella and Ms. Janice back into one of the fitting rooms that was situated in the back right side of the studio. Lady Rachel and Lady Pinkerton sat together on a couch the color of the Tuscan sun, which was settled right in the middle of the fitting room.

  Louisa was about to join her family on the couch when Ms. Janice pulled her to the side, “I have your gown in that fitting room over there on the right my lady. I think the color will suit you for now, but you’re a light blonde with light brown eyes and that is quite an unusual mix for me to work with. So, we’ll test this color out first and then we’ll go from there in order to find your true color match.”

  Louisa nodded with understanding but then she put a small polite smile on her face, and Marcella knew that her friend had felt a bit offended by that remark of being an unusual person.

  Marcella saw that the other Pinkerton ladies had been in their own fully animated conversation with each other, so they had missed out on what Ms. Janice had stated to Louisa. With a shoulder shrug in Marcella’s direction, Louisa sighed with defeat and went into her fitting room without even the slightest glance towards her family on the couch.

  Marcella was most certainly out of her comfort zone here, she hadn’t even been told which fitting room to go to because Ms. Janice had left the room in a rush to retrieve something of importance.

  Marcella just stood there awkwardly at the threshold of the fitting room awaiting some sort of direction from anyone. She wanted to be told where to go and what to do, but no one said a thing to her.

  So, Marcella did what Marcella did best. She listened to the extremely curious soul within her, and that led her out of the fitting room and back into the main studio room.

  Chapter 7

  Marcella made her way back into the front room, but she stopped venturing out further when she heard the bell on the front door sound. She wanted to see who the new entry into Ms. Janice’s studio was, but before she could see who it was, she instantly smelled the new studio entrant.

  It was a clear combination of rosemary and musk. It smelled like the perfect woodsy dream. Marcella inched out of her hiding spot to see who it was, and she was amazed to see a very tall man, built just like a Viking god ready to take on Ragnarok.

  His baby-blue eyes summoned her as they twinkled like a star from above. His hair was black as night, longer than was in fashion, but he was still an amazing sight to behold nonetheless.

  She had never seen a man command a room like he did, and without a word too. Simply by a strong aroma, and a hard look on his face.

  He looked dangerously tempting.

  Marcella realized that she was staring at him, so she tried her best to look away from him, but she just couldn’t do it.

  His bone structure was divine, his jawline strong, and he was clean-cut. He must’ve shaved this morning to still look so smooth and touchable. She could see that he was a bit tense, the muscle below his jaw was twitching.

  He looked like he meant business, or perhaps he was here for business. The man sauntered up to the front desk and knocked on the wooden bureau in a specific way.

  Ms. Janice was making her way back to Marcella when she heard the knock and then saw the man. She dropped everything that she was holding in her arms and then rushed to eagerly greet the man.

  This man was important after all.

  Ms. Janice spoke with a rushed breath, “Lord Westbrook, what an honor to see you so soon. How’s your dear mother doing? I’ve not seen her in a long while, we must have tea soon.”

  The man replied with ease, “Ms. Janice, my mother is well enough. I’m positive that tea with you will most definitely brighten her spirits. Now, to why I came so soon, I’ve business in the area and I thought I’d collect the rent myself. Consider this a personal errand.”

  Ms. Janice nodded and looked over to the see the Dover’s patiently waiting for her. She smiled at them, then said to Lord Westbrook, “Of course my lord, just one moment please.” Then she rushed off to the Dover’s.

  With the Dover’s conversing with Ms. Janice about gowns, Marcella decided to look over at the man once again. He had a name, and he was a lord! Lord Westbrook.

  Now that sounded like a strong family name. She smiled nervously in his direction, and then she realized that he was smiling as well, but just not at her.

  Lord Westbrook walked on over to Lady Dover, who in return looked at him and took his large hands in her small ones, “Dear Alexander, it’s such a pleasure to see you again. Thank goodness this time we meet on a happier occasion. The twins are here in London as well, they will be attending the Stanton’s Ball for Charlotte’s debut. Will you also be attending?”

  Lord Alexander Westbrook was about to reply to Lady Dover when a spark of sud
den movement caught his attention. He looked over by the fitting room entrance and saw what he assumed was the most glorious creature ever created on this earth.

  Marcella had resolved in her mind that a man who looked like Lord Westbrook would never look in her present direction.

  After all, what could a man like that ever want with a girl like her?

  She decided to make herself useful by bending down to collect the fabrics that Ms. Janice had dropped on the floor earlier.

  One by one, Marcella settled them over her long arms. As she continued to do so she heard heavy steps coming towards her.

  Never in her wildest dreams had Marcella expected for a man like Lord Westbrook to excuse himself from his conversation with proper ladies in order to help her out with such a mundane task.

  As he bent down to pick up a few fabrics that she had not yet reached, and then Marcella looked up at him. She looked directly into his eyes, as he looked directly into hers.

  Lord Westbrook had never seen such large green eyes before. They were a rich green, like the grass after a long rain in the springtime. To him, Marcella looked as if she’d crawled out of a fairytale book, and he’d fallen hard under her beautiful spells and enchantments.

  As their eyes connected, fireworks went off in all directions, time stopped for a moment and all they could do was smile at one another like lovesick fools. The room became empty, tunnel vision ensued, and all that they could see was each other and no one else in sight.

  The Dover Ladies looked on and beamed with delight from their corner of the room. Who didn’t love witnessing a love at first sight moment? After all, there moments were rare and full of real magic.

  Both Alexander and Marcella knew that they could not stare at each other, or kneel on the floor of a busy dressmakers studio all day long, so Lord Alexander Westbrook made the first move. He held out his right hand to help Marcella up.

  A shock went through him as she accepted his help, and willingly placed her left gloved hand into his hand while still holding onto the draped fabrics over her right arm.