CHAPTER 3
“Madame Louise, is it possible to have the silver gown for tomorrow? I would like Henrietta to wear it to the annual Mangrove Musical.”
Madame Louise’s dress shop was highly favored of the crème de la crème of London’s finest houses. When Henrietta returned with Aunt Genevieve that was the first place that her mother had taken her.
The Dowager fingered a length of ribbon, “And if you could include three yards of this silver satin?”
Madame Louise turned from where she was pinning a hem, “Of course, Lady Moberly, I have arranged for delivery in the morning. There will be at least a third of your order completed and the rest should be finished by next week.”
The Dowager eyed Hetty favorably, “You have filled out nicely, dearest. I knew you would be a late bloomer, much like myself.”
Hetty tried to smile, but dress shopping had to be one of her least favorite things to do. “Do you suppose we are finished with alterations for today?”
The Dowager looked to Madame Louise who nodded her assent.
With a sigh of relief, Hetty endured the final pins and pucks needed for the gown she was wearing. Once finished, she was able to put back on her day dress. Hetty straightened her hat and joined her mother in the front of the store.
“You, stupid woman, I said cream—not eggshell!”
Hetty looked over to the young woman who was berating one of Madame Louise's staff. She was reasonably pretty, with blond ringlets and alabaster skin. But the look of superiority she was giving while condescending to the poor seamstress quite spoiled the effect of a beautiful lady.
“I am terribly sorry, Miss Darlington,” the shop girl was doing all that she could to placate her angry customer.
“I will not stand for this, nor will I pay for such insubordination. If you cannot get the order right, I shall go elsewhere!”
The shop girl rushed to assure the lady that they would fix the mistake.
The Dowager had been standing rather close to the volatile buyer. Glancing over at Hetty, she inclined her head towards the door, indicating that she was ready to leave.
Hetty too wanted to be aware from the drama, it was one thing to be upset when something terrible happened. But from what Hetty could see, the colors were almost interchangeable. The sense of entitlement and rude behavior was something that didn’t sit well with Hetty.
The blond woman shook her ringlets in disgust, “This is not the establishment it once was.”
Madame Louise came out from the back, “Miss Darlington, what can I do to help you?”
Hetty suddenly remembered her meeting with the Bluebells. So, this was the lady that Hazel did not want to become too friendly with her older brother Miles. As much as Hetty disliked Miles, she wasn’t sure she could wish this termagant on him.
Then again, he had humiliated her.
“Come along my dear,” the Dowager prodded and Hetty realized that she had been lost in thought.
Gathering her belongings Hetty went to pass by where Miss Darlington was standing. The young blond woman gave her a fake smile.
“I do hope that you have better luck than I have with this shop. It is simply deplorable! I shall be sure to tell simply, everyone.”
Hetty didn’t know what possessed her to fire back. And yet, the look of dejection in the shop girl’s face fueled her response.
Hetty returned her insincere smile with a real one. “I find that when I go looking for problems I find them. And when I look to be pleased I find that as well. I suppose your ill-gotten luck might be because you are looking for the wrong things.”
The Dowager snorted and tried to cover it with a cough, “Come along, Henrietta, we must be off. It is lovely to see you, Miss Darlington. Please send my regards to your mother.”
Miss Darlington looked as if someone had placed something rather nasty under her nose. “I shall, thank you, Lady Moberly.”
Hetty followed her mother out of the shop and across the street to where their coach was waiting. “I suppose I shall have to apologize for my comments to Miss Darlington?”
Hetty’s mother laughed, “I should think not. Rose Darlington is a spoilt, know it all. Any fool could see that those colors were the same. I am glad that you said something, Hetty. You are certainly growing up right before my eyes.”
Hetty laughed, “I have been trying to tell you for quite some time that I am no longer a child.”
The Dowager smiled kindly at her daughter, “You are my last one. I just don’t want to let go. But it is obvious that you are a fine young woman, Hetty. I am proud of you.”
Hetty felt a surge of warmth for her mother. The petty squabbles that they had once had seemed so childish now.
“I do feel inclined to warn you though, my love. Rose Darlington is a formidable foe. If you end up making enemies with her, you may find that she does not adhere to the customary polite society rules. Her mother was much the same. They are unscrupulous and think they are superior to everyone. Tread lightly, and keep your chin up, Hetty.”
“I have no desire to be enemies with her. I just wanted her to stop speaking to that poor girl in such a horrid fashion,” Hetty glanced out the window. “There are things about London that I have missed tremendously over the past year. But there are other things, I could go my whole lifetime without. The nasty backstabbing and hateful ways that some of the girls employ is a large dose of what I could do without.”
The Dowager nodded, “You and me both, dearest.”