Page 32 of Love and Other Disasters

Once buttoned into her gown, she released her hair from the pins that had held it back all day. She brushed the long lengths, twisted them together and allowed them to drape over one shoulder.

Then she went to her mirror. She had always kept cosmetics, a gift from her time with Madam Clover. Although the creams and powders were getting old now, it was the work of a moment to make them usable again. She dabbed at her face with a powder and then brushed most of it off again. She rouged her cheeks sparingly and applied dark kohl around her eyes, as well as a touch more to her eyebrows. And then stood back to consider her changed appearance.

She still looked like herself.

Sophie took up the length of black lace next and stitched it to a headpiece. She used pins and a comb to hold the lace across her face. Finally satisfied, she nodded to her reflection in the mirror.

Sophie had become someone who turned heads, was listened too, and maybe earn a little more approval from Lord Jasper. He thought she disapproved of anyone having fun, and that was hardly the case. Since becoming a governess, she had worked hard to present a respectable image. She enjoyed caring for children very much and had wished to keep her position with Lord Nash. But she also was a woman with an understanding of the scandalous world.

Lord Jasper was about to get the second shock of his life where she was concerned.

The first had been, of course, the moment she’d somehow aroused him. That had shocked her, too, but not enough to end the encounter before she’d won a small victory over him. He’d almost tried to keep her there with him, she suspected. Sophie would not have allowed that. She knew how to defend herself from the persistence of rakes’ unwanted advances, if necessary, now.

Governess she might be, but every woman wanted proof that no matter their age, they could still turn a man’s head even if they never thought they’d want to again. Sophie wanted a chance to change Lord Jasper’s low opinion of her. She wasn’t just a dowdy governess. Sophie could be just as captivating as any other lady he might know.

She just would never do anything about those unwanted thoughts or feelings. They always got her into trouble.

Sophie picked up a fashionable beaded reticule she’d also found—a size perfect for carrying money—and hurried out of her room.

At the top of the stairs, she paused to look down, her stomach clenching with tension. But she was committed, and Jasper expected her. Needed her in a way no one else ever had for a long time. She couldn’t disappoint him now or abandon those girls.

She started down. Hardly any of the guests could have laid eyes on her before tonight. She’d have to be careful about that in the future, too. She was being paid to pretend to be a madam, though no amount had been specified. Lord Jasper didn’t need to pay her for this, but it obviously soothed his conscience to offer compensation. If she was dismissed over this, he might feel bad about it later. She had to think of her future, too. Hers was not to be a governess forever.

She too often thought of returning to London, to her scandalous friends and a less restricted lifestyle. She missed her old life, the one she’d taken up after her ruin. Meeting Madam Clover had opened her eyes to a wealth of possibilities and exciting new experiences. Moving to the countryside, even a grand estate such as this, had been vastly disappointing. It was not at all the idyllic life that had been described to her by Lord Nash.

There was also the worry that Lord Nash had developed feelings for her that she did not and could not ever share.

The extra money Jasper offered could go a long way in her hands if she was ever without this position. And there was always Isabelle. Sophie would not mind helping Jasper care for the little girl for a while, either, though she would not let him know about that just yet. He was too used to getting his own way. Isabelle was a sweet little thing, all told. Hardly more trouble than her current charges had ever been.

All things considered, what could it hurt to help this particular rake? At least Lord Jasper was honest about his nature, his interests, where another had not been so forthcoming. He did not pretend to be something other than what he was unlike some she could name.

She would simply have to ignore that little voice in her head that suggested he was entirely too handsome and kissable.

Sophie moved downstairs, passing no one, and turned away from the dining room where she could hear the voices of Lord Jasper’s guests. They were not her concern just yet though.

The ladies had been sequestered in the morning room nearby, and she let herself in without knocking. Six mouths ceased speaking immediately, and six pairs of eyes looked her up and down with deep suspicion.

Only one woman rose and came forward. The woman from the staircase last night. The one she’d helped with getting her gentleman back down safely. She approached Sophie, bold as brass, clearly the leader of their little group. “Are you the madam?”

“Yes.”

The woman laughed. “We told him we don’t need a madam to take our money while we do all the hard work, do we, ladies?”

Sophie winked. “I’m not here for your money. I’m here for you. To protect you.”

The woman frowned at her, taking her seat, and the other ladies looked just as confused. She noticed one of them sported a bruised cheek and went to look at the injury. “One of the guests did that to you last night.”

The woman pulled away. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing.” Sophie gently captured the woman’s face again to see if she was bruised on the other side as well. She was relieved to see her other cheek was clear of any injury. “A bit of cosmetic will hide that blemish, but remember—what you allow is what will continue.” She addressed the room. “Did any of the men give you trouble last night?”

“Of course they did,” the first woman informed her.

Sophie turned her gaze on her. “Might I know your name?”

“It’s Giselle,” she told Sophie smugly.

“Is that your real name?”