“And the man has a few pieces of clothing for you.”
“Clothing? I don’t understand.”
“Go upstairs and let Elsie get you dressed. I can explain everything later. Your sister is gone, isn’t she? I don’t want ink on this dress, and I don’t want her burning your hair off.”
“Terel didn’t—”
“Scoot!” he ordered, and Nellie obeyed him, hurrying up the stairs, the two servants behind her.
Houston’s maid was quick, efficient, and very good with hair. “Such beautiful, thick hair,” she said as she coiled Nellie’s hair expertly and pinned it into place. “And what perfect skin!”
Nellie felt herself blushing under the woman’s compliments. It was when she saw the dress that Nellie was speechless.
“We must remove your ruined gown and—”
“I can’t wear that,” Nellie gasped. “It’s too beautiful for me.” The dress was of a heavenly silver satin and it was embroidered all over the skirt with seed pearls. The low, square-cut bodice had sleeves of silver lace. It was the most exquisite, divinely beautiful dress Nellie had ever seen.
Houston’s maid didn’t put up with Nellie’s hesitations. Within minutes she had Nellie out of her ruined dress and into the silver one. Nellie stood before the mirror looking at herself. She could not believe that the reflection she was seeing was her own.
“And now for the jewels,” Elsie said. She fastened a necklace of three tiers of diamonds around Nellie’s neck, and then more diamonds in her ears. Three diamond clusters went into Nellie’s hair.
“Is that me?” Nellie whispered at the mirror.
“Stunning,” Elsie said, smiling. “You will be the most beautiful girl there.”
Nellie looked away from the mirror. “I am not a girl, and, at this size, I am not beautiful.”
“Mr. Montgomery doesn’t seem to believe anything is wrong with your size.”
“He doesn’t, does he?” Nellie said in wonder, looking back at the mirror. Tonight she could almost believe that she wasn’t an old maid, wasn’t a fat woman past her prime.
“That’s better,” Elsie said, laughing. “I hope you have a wonderful time tonight.”
“I do, too.” Nellie smiled and thought of Terel. Now Terel wouldn’t have to feel bad about the accident with the ink.
Downstairs, any doubts she had about the way she looked vanished when she saw Jace. For the first time in her life Nellie experienced how beautiful a woman can feel when her beauty is reflected in a man’s eyes. Jace looked at her with some awe, and Nellie felt herself change. She swept down the stairs, basking in Jace’s admiration.
“Are those flowers for me?” she asked when she was standing before him. He was gaping at her, unable to say a word.
Nellie laughed and took the flowers from his hand as Elsie slipped a mink cape about Nellie’s shoulders.
“Go on,” Elsie said, urging them out the door.
In the carriage, driving up to the Taggerts’ house, Jace kept looking at her as though he’d never seen her before. By the time they reached the ball, Nellie was feeling as though maybe Elsie had been right—as though she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
They were the last ones to arrive at the ball, and when a footman started to help Nellie off with her cloak Jace possessively pushed him away.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life,” Jace whispered. “I’m not sure I want any other men to look at you.”
Nellie smiled at him. “I’m sure you’re the only man here who will think a fat old maid like me is pretty,” she said, but for the first time she didn’t believe the words. Tonight, in this dress, she didn’t feel fat or old.
Inside the ballroom, other men looked at Nellie in much the same way that Jace had.
“Is that Nellie Grayson?” one man asked.
“That is Terel’s sister?”
“Terel who?”