17. Shopping

Chapter seventeen

Shopping

L ouisa agreed to accompany the Trafford sisters on their shopping trip, but only after it was determined that the gentlemen would not be included. She could not risk further proximity to Gyles Audeley—not after the way he had looked at her so searchingly in Hatchard's.

Once again, she wore a close-fitting bonnet that would screen her face, and then keeping quiet as befit a governess, she let the chatter of her charges carry her all the way to Pall Mall. Mrs. Audeley led the bevy of young beauties into Harding Howell & Co. Louisa had shopped here on many occasions before, but from the raptures that Penny and Ginny went into, it was clear that they had never seen such a profusion of lace, fans, gloves, and furs.

Penny, with her characteristic enthusiasm drew a pair of pink silk gloves onto her hands. "I must have these," she declared, "for my ball. "

"I do think white gloves would be more the thing," said Mrs. Audeley, her brow puckered with consternation. But Penny would not be dissuaded. The silly girl wanted to stand out like a circus performer.

"Attracting notice is not always for the best," warned Louisa. It needed to be the right kind of notice. A lady strove to be classic. Elegant. Evocative. Penny might be pretty as a faerie princess, but vulgar taste would not serve her well in the ton.

"I will get these gloves," said Penny, ignoring the unsolicited advice.

Louisa shot the fractious Penelope a look of unadulterated disdain. "I should warn you, Miss Trafford, that you will never be considered an Incomparable with such outlandish taste."

"But at least I will also never be a governess." Penny's eyes sparkled with triumph as if she had pinked Miss Lymington with a fencing foil.

"I do not think you would qualify for the position," said Louisa acidly. The girl had no accomplishments, no education, no talent—except for clutching Gyles Audeley's arm whenever he entered the room.

"Girls," said Mrs. Audeley, using a voice of command that seemed incongruous coming from her kindly face. "We will not speak so to each other."

"Yes, Mrs. Audeley," said Penelope, but Louisa made no response. It stung, more than she liked to admit, to have her behaviour critiqued by Gyles' mother.

And yet, why should you care? The Audeleys mean nothing to you.

The Trafford sisters became distracted by all the scents in the perfumery section of the shop. Louisa's eyes narrowed as she saw Penny recklessly dabbing bergamot, vanilla, and musk on Milly's wrists. The girl would smell like a gentleman's club when her sister was done with her.

Mrs. Audeley, who had hung back beside Louisa, took the opportunity to commence a quiet tête-à-tête. "You are very young to be a governess."

"How old do you think I am?" said Louisa defensively.

"I should be surprised if you were more than one-and-twenty."

If only you were one-and-twenty, then you would not be in this impossible situation!

Louisa felt far more guilty lying to Mrs. Audeley than she had to Lord Kendall, so she kept silent on the subject and made no protestations about her advanced years.

"How did you gain the position teaching the Misses Trafford?"

"I answered an advertisement Lord Kendall had placed and took the post to Yorkshire."

"And yet, you do not seem to have been born a governess or even to be enthusiastic about the position. Had you no other options?"

"No, Mrs. Audeley." Louisa could see the soft sympathy in the older woman's face, but she had no wish to be pitied. She turned her shoulders to look the other way and end the conversation. Through an iron application of her will, she had not shed a single tear over her situation since bolting to Yorkshire. But if she were not careful now, Mrs. Audeley's kindly consideration would undo her. She would turn into a watering pot, and tears would draw all the attention that she needed so desperately to avoid.

Louisa felt Mrs. Audeley press her hand before moving on to gather up the strongly scented Trafford girls. She swallowed hard to subdue the rise of any further emotion before rejoining the group herself. Tears were a luxury she could not afford until she came into her inheritance.