Scandalous Miss Brightwells [Book 1-4]

he has only herself to blame.”

Thea shrugged and Antoinette said roundly, “Oh, Cousin Thea, don’t be so tender-hearted or spend a moment thinking about Aunt Minerva when it’s yourself you should be looking at how to protect. Now here, I was going to wear it myself but it’ll be just the thing for you.” She’d jumped up and withdrawn something from her wardrobe. “Isn’t it alluring?”

“Lord no, Antoinete!” Fanny squeaked as she stared at the revealing piece of silk and feathers her sister held up. “Do you want Thea to gain a reputation for being fast and loose?”

“No, that’s only the way I’m supposed to pretend to act.” Thea blushed as she met with defiance her cousins’ shocked looks. “Clearly I’m supposed to appear demure but behave in quite an altogether different way.”

Fanny nodded admiringly as she also stood up and withdrew something from the trunk at the end of the bed. “That’s exactly right, Thea. And now here is what I propose you should wear in order to strike just that well-balanced note.”

So Antoinette did wear her daring little ensemble and Thea trembled to think her cousin had thought it suitable for her. Beneath Antoinette’s dark satin cloak lined in scarlet, she wore…

Thea died a little death inside. What if the breeze was to flap it open causing the whole assembly to see the tiny sparkles that covered Antoinette’s nipples? As for the rest of her, only a tiny white swansdown triangle nestled at the juncture of her legs.

Even Fanny had been scandalised.

“You are not wearing that!” she’d raged, but Antoinette had been unmoved. “No one shall know except the man who is answered in the affirmative when he asks what everyone asks at a masquerade: ‘Do I know you?’ ”

Now, as the music grew louder as they proceeded up the steps of the grand venue for that night’s entertainment, she touched Thea’s arm. “Fanny was right,” she conceded. “You make a very lovely milkmaid. Your innocence is like a halo and a lot of men are attracted to that. Not the ones I like, though.”

“Indeed, Lord Quamby—” Thea began before realising her mistake.

Antoinette gurgled, “Oh, silly girl. No, I’ve the loveliest gentleman I met last week with whom I have a secret assignation, so I’m afraid Fanny will have to keep you in check.” She levelled a mock-severe look at Thea then giggled as they were ushered through the front door. “Oh, do make sure you have fun, Thea. If you don’t, it won’t be our fault.”

And then suddenly she was gone, swallowed up by the crowd, while Fanny and Thea, flanked by Lord Fenton and Aunt Minerva, made their regal entrance; meanwhile Bertram, who’d arrived having greased himself with more than a thimbleful, stumbled in their wake.

“You will promise me a dance, Cousin Thea?” Lord Fenton asked. Thea recognised the kindness in his voice, which was in such contrast to the slavering longing Thea saw in his eyes when he beheld his wife.

And Fanny had only just had a baby. They’d been married a year and he still looked at her like that. Thea’s legs felt wobbly just thinking about being married to such a handsome man who looked at her like that.

The ballroom was already well populated by the time they elbowed their way into the centre of the room. Aunt Minerva, dressed in black with a sweeping white ostrich feather in her white toque, cut quite a dramatic figure. In fact, Thea had never seen her look so imposing. And the glint in her eyes was something she’d never seen before. For once her aunt carried herself like a sashaying coquette, her chin raised and her glance expectant as she scanned the room.

Looking, no doubt, for a handsome elderly gentleman with greying hair and a monocle: Mr Granville, the rejected suitor whose heart she’d supposedly broken.

“How will he know you, Aunt, if you’re wearing a masque?” Thea had asked, but her aunt had told her not to be stupid.

“He said I must give him a sign,” she’d said.

“A sign?”

“He wrote another letter. Now please don’t be so impertinent as to quiz me further.” Dismissing Thea with a wave of her hand, Aunt Minerva scanned the crowd. “I’m sure Fanny needs you more than I do, my dear. I can look after myself perfectly well.”

Fanny and Thea exchanged looks at that and Fanny quickly took her wrist and pulled her away. “Now you must make sure you and Aunt Minerva don’t cross paths again, for I can tell that the moment your aunt finds herself disappointed she’ll need you to bolster her sense of superiority.”

Obediently, Thea followed Fanny through the throng, which parted to let them by, many of them, Thea noticed, looking more than interested at the unusual contrast they made, for Fanny was dressed as an exotic creature from the orient, in voluminous orange chiffon pantaloons with matching tunic, her dark hair cascading down her back.

“I believe I’m quite scandalising everyone here but you’ll be my foil. Oh look, here’s someone who wants to pay their respects. Good evening, Mr Bramley.” Fanny nodded and fluttered her eyelashes. “Goodness, how original, you must be the tenth domino I’ve seen tonight.”

“I am here to observe, which is what dominoes do.” The young man looked haughty and as if he wished to pass on by, but was compelled to remain. “You cut a daring figure as ever, Lady Fenton.”

“I do, don’t I, Mr Bramley?” Fanny simpered and Thea was struck by the artificial merriness of her reception. “We haven’t seen you in a while. Lord Quamby was saying it just the other day. But I’m very much looking forward to seeing you at the christening of Lord Quamby’s heir. Little George is a fine, robust little chap, like my Katherine. I’m sure you’re dying to see the babies.”

“Simply dying to, yes, Lady Fenton.”

Thea stared. Good Lord, were those beads of sweat that had popped out on his forehead? Remembering what the cousins had told her, she felt Fanny was treading a fine line with her taunting. She tugged at her sleeve to go and Fanny relinquished the fun she was having and nodded in dismissal.

“Have a pleasant evening, Mr Bramley. Miss Huntingdon is here, I noticed. I’m sure she’d be only too happy to be asked to dance.

“Oh, she’s already danced two sets with Mr Grayling. I don’t think I’ll get a look-in.” Pushing his chin into the air, he bowed and left while Fanny turned to reassure Thea.