Chapter 6

Chapter Six

T he next couple of days passed in an agony of waiting for Eva. She did not even know what it was that she was waiting for, exactly, but the anxiety of it was making her peevish and restless. She took solace in walks, frequenting the lending library simply because it was a destination. Anything was better than remaining in her mother's home, which was steadily becoming less and less. Candlesticks, paintings, family heirlooms were slowly going missing without a comment from her mother. Eva was not sure if she was pawning them, or paying the few remaining servants in the only way left to her.

The other trouble with staying indoors was that her mother took every opportunity to impress upon her the importance of this coming season. Eva was honestly not sure how many more lectures she could tolerate on the importance of duty to family, how there was no one left to provide for them. She did not know how dire things were, but she suspected that they were very close to being ruined.

Part of Eva's irritation was borne of guilt; if she were a more dutiful daughter, she would have married the first wealthy bachelor that her mother had unearthed at sixteen. Things had been better then; though her father had died when she was only fourteen, their standard of living had not changed much. She simply took it for granted that she would be able to run about the town as she wished, visiting galleries and theatres and the modiste. Her mother had encouraged her, forgoing her own pin money so that Eva would be fashionably attired.

And then the money began to dry up. Eva couldn't pinpoint the exact moment that she knew it was occurring; it had simply creeped up on them, like a frog that does not know it is being boiled until it's too late. Lady Stanton refused to alter their situation, however: The official policy, as laid out by herself, was that they would maintain appearances to the bitter end. This was the only way in which Eva would net herself a good husband.

But Eva had refused, preferring the illusion of her independence to the boring security of marrying a country squire. Now here she was, four-and-twenty years old, and the ton no longer was willing to forgive her caprice because of her lovely face. Her mother had warned her from the time she turned twenty that her good looks would not last forever; the blush would be quite gone from the bloom before she was down the aisle if she didn't act quickly. Eva knew this was a constant fear of her mother's, who had been the great beauty of her own generation. Even now, Lady Stanton slept with her face bound up tightly in rags to keep it from sagging any further, and slathered herself in every unguent and tincture known to womankind in an attempt to keep her skin smooth and supple.

So while Eva was excited, eager even, for whatever may lay ahead, it was tampered by a sizeable portion of guilt. The days passed slowly, with Eva pacing about the small rooms. Lady Stanton remained stubbornly convinced that if Eva could receive lessons from such an accomplished master, then she would have the advantage over other young ladies. Nevermind that those other young ladies came with considerable dowries or parcels of land. Eva was not about to disabuse her mother of this latest notion, however, because she was quite eager to try something new.

When at last the note from Patience arrived, explaining that the time had been fixed, Eva was nearly beside herself. The timing was fortuitous: Lady Stanton had been obliged to pay a call out of the house, and Eva half-suspected that the footman had been instructed to wait for just such an opportune moment. Eva had immediately sent the footman back with her eager acceptance of the invitation.

The real trouble was how to attend said tea without having to drag her mother along. For this, Eva decided to enlist the help of one Kitty Johnson, her dearest and nearest friend, and the closest thing that Eva had to a sister.

Eva had discovered a long time ago that a young lady was frequently in need of a true companion, preferably one who was loyal and amusing, and most importantly, could keep a secret. Luckily for Eva, Kitty was all of these things, and also possessed the invaluable quality of not minding being roped into schemes and plots.

Eva summoned Kitty with a note, who arrived in good time that very same day. Fortunately for all involved, Lady Stanton was still out. Once the two young ladies had greeted each other with airy kisses in the French manner, Eva wasted no time in dragging Kitty up to her room. They arranged themselves in their customary manner, Eva sitting and Kitty arranging and rearranging her hair while she stood behind.

After Eva had explained her predicament, Kitty stared at her, blinking in incomprehension. "I'm not sure I understand you," she said at last. "You wish to go to Lady Patience for tea tomorrow, which is a perfectly normal and respectable thing to do?"

"That is correct," Eva confirmed.

"And while there, you will be speaking with a dancing master, who has an untarnished reputation, about undertaking some lessons?"

"Also correct," Eva agreed again.

"And your mother is not only in agreement with taking said dancing lessons, but also the one who insisted upon them in the first place?" When Eva nodded, Kitty continued. "And for some reason, you do not wish your mother to be at this tea, where you will be discussing the dance lessons that she wishes you to have, and that you, yourself, are quite eager to have?"

"Well when you say it like that, of course it sounds ridiculous," Eva protested weakly.

"Very well," Kitty said mildly, " you say it so that it makes sense."

"The problem is not the dancing lessons themselves," Eva explained, searching for the words as she was speaking. "It's that if Mother is there she will…you know how she is, she will take over everything."

Kitty gave a knowing nod that Eva saw in the mirror's reflection. "Ah, that is true; Lady Stanton can be a touch overbearing."

"Precisely. I want this to be something for me, on my own. I want to be able to speak to the dancing master without Mother simply stampeding the conversation like a runaway carriage. She will demand that he teach me the same old dances, and I want to try something new, something I've never done before." Eva paused, feeling Kitty grow thoughtful in the way that her fingers slowed in braiding a lock of Eva's hair.

"But…why?" Kitty asked simply. It was clear that she was not questioning Eva, merely asking for an explanation so that she might better understand.

"I am resigned to my fate; I know that I must marry, and soon, preferably to a wealthy gentleman who will take me simply for my handsome face. Before that, however, I just want to do something for myself—I want to know that I am capable of more than just following along the plan laid out for me."

Without quite knowing why, Eva found herself suddenly at the mercy of sentimentality. Tears threatened, which she blinked away furiously. Kitty, knowing Eva for nearly her whole life, could immediately sense that something was the matter. She dropped the hair that she had been weaving into a complex chignon, and threw her arms about Eva's neck, nearly bowling them both over.

"Oh Eva, you really do belong in a pond," she sighed, squeezing Eva tightly.

Eva laughed a watery laugh. This was Kitty's customary way of telling Eva that she was being nonsensical. "And why is that?"

"Because you truly are a silly goose."

Eva reached up and grasped Kitty's arms affectionately. "Does this mean that you'll help me then?"

Kitty sighed and released Eva, resuming her brushing and styling. "Of course I will—don't I always? I may not understand you, but you are my dearest friend. You know that I am always going to assist you."

Eva smiled, not just because she got her way and would be able to have the meeting that she wanted without her mother's interference; she also smiled because Kitty really was the dearest creature, and never failed to gladden her heart.

While Eva had been blessed with a countenance that was deemed a work of art by all who saw it, Kitty had been graced with a face that was so adorable, so innocently cute that no one could ever suspect her of duplicity. Thus, when she had taken Lady Stanton's hands and tearfully told her that she needed her assistance, that worthy lady had no reason to doubt her. It was in the most tremulous of tones that Kitty told her that she needed to be escorted to the modiste, preferably as soon as possible.

When Lady Stanton questioned Kitty as to why her own mother could not simply take her, Kitty had very gravely said, "Oh but Lady Stanton, my mother doesn't understand! You have such an eye for fashion, and you know what will catch a man's eye better than anyone I know. Why, it's all that you talk to Eva about, so I know that you're an expert."

Lady Stanton, naturally, had been flattered, and flattery always worked wonders on her. She may have also been swayed by the knowledge that Kitty still had a credit with the modiste, and she may reasonably expect a new pair of gloves at the very least for her troubles.

When the hour for their trip arrived, however, Eva found herself unable to accompany them: A sudden and terrible headache had come on, and she was confined to her bed with the curtains drawn. Of course, if anyone had cared to look closely, they would see that beneath the blankets, Eva was fully dressed.

No sooner had they departed than Eva sprang up, quickly donning her winter spencer and bonnet. She paused long enough to look over herself briefly in the looking glass, hoping that her hair wasn't too frightfully mussed by having to lay in bed. As quietly as she could, hoping not to alert the few remaining servants, she tiptoed down the stairs. She paused at the foot of the stairway, listening; when she was satisfied that she was alone, she slipped through the front door, latching it quietly behind her.

It wasn't until she was out on the street, the cold wind biting at her cheeks, that Eva realised exactly what she was doing. She was out, walking the streets of London, without a chaperone or maid. It was daringly independent, strutting about like this without a companion of any sort. Despite the trepidation this realisation brought on, it also filled Eva with a kind of pride and independence. Both were new sensations, but she found that she quite liked them.