Emma laughed, but her eyes grew widened. “It’s just like one of Mrs. Lewis’ stories again! Oh, what was the name of that one?”
“Emma, just answer the question.” Louisa had lost patience with her sister’s flair to compare her issues with Harry to some story of romance.
“Ainsley is the duke’s friend. If you were to marry Lord Ainsley, then the duke would see you all the time. And quite honestly, Ainsley is a very handsome man. You might come to love him.”
Her mouth gaped as she realized Emma was right again. Louisa’s intellect was nothing compared to her sister’s ability to figure out relationships. Harry would be miserable if he truly loved her and had to see her falling for Ainsley. Perhaps there was still hope.
However, it still didn’t explain who paid Collingwood.
“We need to determine your costume,” Emma said, opening the linen press. “We need something...special.”
“Isolde,” Louisa whispered.
Emma glanced back at her with an arched blond brow and a smile. “Isolde it is. Though many might mistake you for Guinevere.”
Harry would not. He would expect her to dress as Caroline Herschel or Elizabeth Fulhame or even Joan of Arc. The last lady he would expect her dressing as was one of ancient legend. “Do I have anything that might work?”
Emma shook her head. “Not really. To be authentic, you would need handspun wool. It’s doubtful that the Irish would have had much else back then.”
“She was the daughter of the Queen of Ireland. Surely some muslin would work. How about the sage? We could rework it to lower the waistline. Add a few strands of pearls, a mask, and perhaps some curls in my hair.”
Emma laughed. “Curls? In your hair? I shall never manage that.”
Louisa missed Lily’s touch with her hair. Harry’s maid had been magical, putting curls in Louisa’s hair that stayed the entire day. No one had ever matched Lily ability with Louisa’s hair.
Emma pulled out the green muslin and stared at it. “I don’t believe it would be that difficult. But we will need Mary’s assistance. She’s a far better seamstress than either of us.”
“True.” While Emma rang for Mary, Louisa prayed this would work. She had to avoid Harry until she knew for certain. Her shoulders sagged. You should trust him. Her damned conscience poked her. Deep down, she did trust him. She didn’t actually believe he’d paid Collingwood, mostly because he’d admitted his part with Ainsley. But she had to discover who had.
After conferring with Mary, Emma sketched a few enhancements to give the gown an older look.
Two days later, Louisa stepped into the ballroom of Lady Holcombe’s Berkeley Square home. Masked ladies and gentlemen filled the room, leaving Louisa awed by the costumes. She felt dowdy in her simple green low-waisted gown. Mary had managed to give her hair a bit of curl, but Louisa knew it would be straight by the time she left tonight.
Emma dressed as Anne Boleyn in red silk.
“You do realize Anne had dark hair, not blond,” Louisa said as they followed their mother into the room.
“Hush. Isolde most likely had blond or red hair,” Emma shot back. “Where is he?”
No need to ask which he that she was speaking of. For once, Emma wasn’t thinking about her fiancé. Now that Louisa thought about it, her sister had barely said a word about Bolton in days.
“I don’t see him yet,” Louisa replied. “But it is a crush in here.”
Spying a tall man with brown hair, Louisa assumed it was Harry dressed as King Arthur, but wasn’t positive it was him. At least not until she noticed a man with black hair dressed as Lucifer speaking with him. Her heart pounded. She wondered if he’d spotted her yet.
They were both moving toward her position near the entrance to the room. But instead of stopping to speak to her, they continued out the door as if they hadn’t even seen her. What was that about?
“Wasn’t that the duke and his brother?” Emma whispered.
“I believe it was,” she answered flatly.
“Where are they going?”
“I have no idea.” She released a long sigh. Once again, she’d been thwarted in her quest.
“WHY TONIGHT, SIMON?” Harry asked again as he followed Simon out of Lady Holcombe’s home. “Louisa had to be in there.”
“Because I happen to know that Collingwood is at the ball tonight. And that the back window to his house will be left unlocked.”