“I’ll be ready,” she told him.
He lifted a brow. “So Madame Caron has already sent the dress to you?”
“She said she would have it delivered first thing in the morning.”
“Very good.” He nodded. “And the special order shoes are done?”
“Yes. I added the finishing touches today.” They had taken Pleasant a bit longer to complete, but she was quite sure they were the finest that she had ever made, and certainly they were the finest she had ever seen. With the delicate, glass beads and gold silk, they were fit for a princess. She hoped whoever purchased them would love them as much as she did.
“Then I will see you tomorrow.”
Pleasant walked out the door and had to admit that she was rather looking forward to seeing how the other half of London lived when she dined at Haverton House in Mayfair. No doubt she would enter a Palladian mansion with black and white marble floors and servants dressed to the highest degree. Priceless paintings and decades of ancestors would line the walls, and the carpets and tapestries would be of the finest quality.
Not for the first time, she thought of what Mr. Reed had told her earlier that week. She’d mulled it over every day since and couldn’t help but wonder what he would think to walk into a house that might have been his, other than an accident of birth. As it was, he would always be denied the life of an aristocrat, although he didn’t appear to harbor any ill will, and at least he was allowing his brother a chance to make amends for their father’s behavior.
Either way, she would be with him to help ease the sting of what might have been. And before she could pretend to be Cinderella, she would need to help her stepmother with the mending.
Bright and early the next morning, two packages from Madame Caron were delivered by messenger. Both her stepmother and her siblings gathered anxiously around Pleasant as she untied the string of the first and lifted the lid off of the box. Inside were several pristine, white undergarments, including a new pair of stays, a chemise, and a petticoat, along with a pair of gossamer thin silk stockings with gold thread and little red bows at the top.
While her brothers scrunched up their noses, Pleasant touched the delicate material with tears in her eyes. She had never even washed something so fine, not to mention actually claiming it for her own.
But as her mother and Fiona urged her to open the other package, she reluctantly set aside the intimate items and unwrapped the second box. She instantly gasped when a lovely, emerald green satin was revealed.
Pleasant slowly lifted the elegant gown and held it up to her form. With ruched, cap sleeves and a gold ribbon about the empire waist, it was lovely in its simplicity. “I’m sure I couldn’t have made its equal,” Aine whispered as she admired the handiwork. “You’re lucky to have a custom Madame Caron creation.”
“There’s more!” Fiona squealed in delight, as she held up a green velvet pelisse with a fur-lined hood and a silver clasp, along with a pair of lined, white kid-leather gloves.
At this, her stepmother looked at her with a pair of raised brows. “It seems Mr. Reed has indeed, fitted you out in high fashion.”
Pleasant could only agree, but what would be the price for his generosity?
After the morning’s excitement, the day passed infinitely slow, as each tick of the clock caused Pleasant to groan.
Finally, the hour grew near, and Pleasant sighed as she donned the soft, new garments. It would be rather easy to grow used to such delights, but she reminded herself that it was only for one night.
However, of that one night, she intended to enjoy every minute.
Without anything else at her disposal, Pleasant slipped on her nicest pair of boots, the black leather scuffed and worn, which paled in comparison to her gown, but thankfully, the dress reached the floor. She would just have to be careful how high she lifted the hem.
After Aine helped her put the finishing touches on her simple chignon, she reached into her pocket and handed Pleasant a pair of simple pearl earrings. “These were my mother’s. I fear they are only paste, but it’s all I have to offer you.”
Pleasant was moved by the token of affection, and she reached out to hug her stepmother. “They are beautiful. I will wear them with pride. Thank you.”
“The carriage is here!” Connor called from downstairs.
Instantly, Pleasant’s stomach began to flutter with nerves, but she lifted her chin and walked downstairs.
Mr. Reed was standing by the door and talking to Niall, and for a moment, her footsteps faltered. He was in profile to her, but the elegance of his own attire was unmistakable. She was used to seeing him in trousers, boots, and an apron over a simple, cambric shirt, with the sleeves rolled up slightly. It was just enough to tease her senses with the sight of his muscular forearms.
But tonight…
He looked every inch the gentleman, garbed in black and white formal attire with a starched collar and a gold cravat tied about his throat. The shoes on his feet were polished to a high shine and as he turned to her, even his eyes seemed to sparkle with a hint of that arrogant blue blood that ran through his veins.
However, his expression quickly changed to something…darker as he took in her appearance. The desire she read there caused her knees to weaken, for she wanted to answer the call.
In an attempt to lighten the moment, she held out her arms. “Do I pass inspection?”
His lips curved upward, and he pretended to ponder her query. He held up a finger. “It’s only missing one thing.”
With that, he pulled forth a package and handed it to her.
Her brows drawing together in a frown, she took the box and lifted the lid to reveal…
The gold shoes.
She instantly looked up at him. “You can’t mean for me to wear these, surely?”
“Why not?” He shrugged. “They’re yours.”
She was suddenly at a loss for words. She couldn’t do anything but stare at the creation that she had made, believing them to be for someone else, when all along he’d intended to give them to her.
“Do I need to put them on your feet?” he teased, although when she glanced up at him, his green eyes were smoky.
Pleasant moved to a nearby chair, still stunned by the gesture, and removed her boots. When she slipped the gold shoes on her feet, she couldn’t help but admire the way the light from the tallow candles reflected the design.
“Shall we go, my lady?”
