Match For Melissa (4 page)

Melissa crossed the room to give her stepsister a hug. “You must assume the best possible outcome, that no one will commit a blunder tonight and all will be well.”

“Perhaps you are right.” Regina did not sound as if she were convinced. “In any event, the Season will go on as it always does.”

“Will you tell me why it is so distasteful to you?”

“Yes.” Regina nodded. “Then perhaps you will understand why it would please me above all things were I not forced to take part.”

Melissa settled down for a comfortable coze. Her stepsister seemed inclined to converse and it might serve to put her mind at ease.

“I must caution you, Lissa. Others do not regard the Season in the same manner as I do. There are some young ladies, Dorothea among them, who actually profess to enjoy it.”

“I understand, Gina. Do go on.” Melissa gently encouraged her stepsister.

“Doro and I will be expected to compete with the other young ladies to attract the attention of the eligible gentlemen. The whole thing is shameless, Lissa, and it reminds me of nothing so much as Market Day.”

“Market Day?” Melissa was confused. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Mama will commence to put us on display, like prize piglets in a stall, to be sold to the highest bidder.”

“Gina!” Melissa did her utmost not to fall into a fit of the
whoops at the visual picture that her stepsister presented. “Surely it is not as bad as all that!”

“But it is. Remember that the object is to make an exemplary match. We shall be groomed within an inch of our lives and gowned in the finest the London modistes can offer. Our hair shall be dressed in the latest fashion and we shall perform our prettiest manners and assume our most attractive poses while the gentlemen peer at us through their quizzing glasses and put us through their tests.”

“What comprises these tests?” Melissa noticed that Regina looked exceedingly blue-deviled and not at all impressed with the inner workings of London society.

“Dancing, beauty, conversation, and comportment. What may be in our hearts and our minds does not signify in the slightest; they are solely concerned with our appearance, our breeding, and whether or not our families have adequate means for a generous dowry. They will discuss us behind the closed doors of their private clubs and decide whether or not we are to take. If we meet with their approval, we will receive the appropriate offers of marriage, but if we do not, we will be placed on the shelf to be tortured again, the following Season.”

“Surely you are bamming me, Gina!” Melissa was shocked. She had anticipated her own Season with a great deal of pleasure, but perhaps she had been misled. If Regina’s description was accurate, she was not at all certain she would choose to experience the social whirl in London!

“Every word I’ve spoken is the truth, Lissa, and it’s all so terribly unfair. The most disturbing fact of all is that we have no choice but to comply with their silly rules. If an eligible gentleman should declare for me and gain my mother’s approval, there is little I could do to discourage the match.”

Melissa nodded. What Regina had described had the ring of truth. Perhaps a Season
was
like Market Day.

“It is the very reason I pray every night that no one will offer for me.” Regina’s voice was low and she raised stricken eyes to Melissa’s face. “Do you think badly of me for that, Lissa?”

“No, I do not. I should feel the same, Gina. If I am to marry, I should prefer that it be for love.”

“By virtue of your birth, you have that luxury.” Regina cast her an envious glance. “Since our mother is but your stepmother, she cannot force you to marry a gentleman of her choice.”

“She cannot force you to marry either, not if you refuse to do so. You
do
have a choice, Gina.”

Regina looked sad as she shook her head. “No, Lissa. If I refuse, Mama shall wear me down with her continual harangues. She’ll make my life a misery if I fail to do her bidding. She’ll tell me I’m a ninnyhammer, that she knows what’s best for me, that’s it’s my duty to marry well and provide for her. Rest assured, I shall hold to my principles for as long as I am able, but you know how persuasive Mama can be. When she sets her heart on something, she simply won’t take no for an answer.”

Later that afternoon, when the altering of the gowns had been accomplished and Regina, Dorothea, and Jane were engaged in looking over the invitations and cards that had awaited them, Melissa spent a few quiet moments in the garden that adjoined the townhouse. A high brick wall confined the beautifully planted area and provided privacy from passersby in the street. The garden was accessible from both the Breakfast Room and the Drawing Room and provided a pleasant aspect to view when one was seated in either chamber.

The garden wall fence was planted with ivy that effectively hid its structure on two sides, but the surface that faced the street had been recently cleared and the area beneath it was planted with hawthorne that had not yet reached waist-height. There was a tall wooden gate, marred by several large knotholes and Melissa pressed her face to the largest of these to peer out.

The house was situated in a residential area and there was no sign of the bustling traffic that had so astounded Melissa when they had driven through the busier districts of London.
She had enjoyed the constant stream of carts, carriages, and coaches that had been much too numerous to count. Sedan chairs, borne by sturdy carriers, had inched slowly forward and footmen dressed in the fine livery of their masters had strolled along proudly, looking down their noses at the common servants. There had been beggars holding out their cupped hands in the hope that a more-fortunate citizen might be drawn to an act of charity, and ragamuffin urchins chasing each other along the streets. The windows of the stores had displayed wares for all to admire and delicious smells had drifted out of pastry and confection shops.

Now, as Melissa peered out at this quiet street, only one coach rumbled slowly past. The absence of noise was a virtue for those who were resting of an afternoon, but Melissa sorely missed the excitement of the wondrous sights she had seen.

The park was directly across the street, and Melissa spied two young children at play. Their young nurse, who looked barely more than a child herself, had taken a seat on one of the benches and was gently rocking a baby.

Melissa smiled as the children ran through the grass, enjoying a lively game of make-believe. The older boy, who appeared to be about six years of age, was chasing his younger brother. His expression was fierce and his arms were waving wildly. Growls and howls, faintly audible even at this distance, were emanating from his throat and Melissa surmised that he was pretending to be some sort of dragon. His younger brother was squealing in glee as he ran from the pretend monster. From his occasional burst of laughter, it was readily apparent that he was not frightened, and both boys seemed to be enjoying their romp.

The baby began to cry and the young nurse lifted the child to her shoulder. At that exact moment, the two boys reached the edge of the park, but their nurse was so intent on the care of her smallest charge, she failed to notice that the younger boy was much too close to the street.

Melissa gasped as she saw a carriage rounding the corner. She called out a warning, but she was too far away for either
the boys or their nurse to hear her. The younger boy was perfectly oblivious of the danger, running out into the path of the approaching equipage before his brother could do more than shout out for him to come back.

It was at this point that a gentleman on horseback appeared, riding neck-or-nothing toward the disastrous event that was only scant seconds from occurring. As Melissa held her breath and prayed for the child’s safe deliverance, he leaned dangerously low in his saddle and snatched the young boy from certain tragedy.

Melissa gave a glad cry of relief. The danger had been averted. The young boy seemed no worse for wear as the gentleman walked his horse up to the bench and lowered the child onto the bench where the nurse sat. Though Melissa was too far away to hear his words, his countenance was fierce and she suspected that he was admonishing the nurse for failing in her duties.

From their respective expressions, Melissa surmised she could imagine their conversation. The gentleman wore a grim look and he was undoubtedly cautioning the nurse that if he had not happened upon the scene, her young charge could now be requiring the services of a surgeon. The young nurse appeared most penitent and as Melissa watched, she began to cry. This caused the man’s grim expression to fade, and it was clear he was now offering words of comfort, vowing that he could appreciate the difficult task of supervising two healthy active boys and a baby.

The nurse gave him a timid smile and the gentleman smiled back. It was apparent that now that the danger was behind them, they were speaking of more mundane matters. Melissa studied the gentleman as he spoke and her heart began to beat more rapidly in her bosom. He was exceedingly handsome with a lean, rugged face whose color testified to his love of the outdoors. His hair was the color of ripe wheat and it was cut in a natural manner, a far cry from the affected
a la Brutus
which Melissa had noticed on several young pinks they had passed on
the London streets. He was well dressed for an afternoon ride through the park, and his clothing was exquisitely tailored to his tall, athletic frame. His horse was the finest that Melissa had ever had the pleasure to observe, a noble beast of apparently impeccable breeding that appeared to be a full sixteen hands high to accommodate his master’s size. Taking into account the man’s appearance and manner, and the obvious value of his magnificent steed, Melissa had no doubt that he must be a wealthy and titled gentleman.

The older boy tugged at his hand and the gentleman turned his attention towards him. A moment later, he had picked up the child, placed him securely in front of him on his saddle, and was treating him to a ride astride his powerful horse. Melissa smiled with delight at the sight. Being no stranger to the ways of children, she was sure that the older boy had argued that since his younger brother had gone for a ride, he should be given the same consideration.

In a few moments, the gentleman was back and he lowered the boy to the ground once again. He smiled at the nurse and spent a few moments conversing with both children before he took his leave.

Melissa sighed as he rode away. He had undoubtedly been the finest gentleman she had ever seen, not to say the bravest. A cow-hearted rider might have let the child run under the wheels of the coach, rather than risk his own skin by attempting a rescue.

The image of the fine gentleman remained in Melissa’s mind as she quit the garden and entered the house. She greatly desired to see him again so that she might compliment him on his selfless act, but the chances of that meeting coming to pass were so slim as to be nonexistent. He was the type of gentleman to attend the best
ton
parties, but Melissa would not be present. She would come into contact only with the gentlemen who came to call upon her stepsisters, and it was extremely unlikely that either Regina or Dorothea would attract such a distinguished suitor.

As she climbed the staircase to her bedchamber, Melissa smiled wistfully. The gentleman she’d seen was the pattern card of her fondest dreams, the perfect match she’d imagined that someday she might be fortunate enough to make. But if such a perfect gentleman were unmarried, he would not remain so for long, and even if Jane permitted her to have her Season next year, he would be gone, brought up to scratch by some beautiful young lady and firmly caught in the parson’s trap. She would never set eyes on him again and the best Melissa could do was to tuck his image close to her heart and be content to let him live on in her memory.

Melissa turned away from the window with a smile of satisfaction as Jane and her daughters pulled away in the carriage. Regina had looked much prettier than usual in the pink gown that Melissa had altered and Dorothea had been lovely in the white with the green ribbons that Melissa had used to trim it. True to her word, Jane had given her youngest daughter a set of her jewels to wear, but exactly as Regina had predicted, they had been the pearls, not the emeralds.

“Begging your pardon, miss, but where would you want me to begin?”

Melissa turned to smile at the timid maid that the owners of the townhouse had left behind for their convenience. “Begin what, Mary?”

“The unpacking, miss. Her ladyship said that I am to help you with the trunks. She told me that everything must be put in place before they return.”

Melissa’s face mirrored her disappointment. She was exhausted from their early-morning journey, the altering of the gowns for her stepsisters, and the time she’d spent helping her stepmother and stepsisters dress.

Regina had been at her most obliging, admiring the gown that Melissa had altered and confessing that she thought it much too grand for a person such as herself. She had pleaded with Melissa not to bother any further with her, insisting that she had no wish to appear any other than her own plain self. It had
taken Melissa several minutes to convince her dear stepsister that the fashioning of a complimentary hairstyle would not cause her any undo effort and, after she had dressed Regina’s hair in a style that added height to her diminutive stature, Regina had been ready for the evening’s engagement.

Dorothea had been impressed with the trim on her plain white gown, declaring it quite the most elegant thing she had ever seen. She had wished for additional ribbons in her hair and perhaps a few clusters of curls, but Melissa had managed to convince her that she appeared much more sophisticated without them. When Dorothea had declared that she was most pleased with Melissa’s efforts, Melissa had gone to Jane’s dressing room to attend to her stepmother.

Jane had been at her most demanding, setting standards for her appearance that had been impossible for Melissa to achieve. She had been critical of everything that Melissa had done for her, complaining that Melissa was clumsy and unskilled at enhancing a lady’s appearance, and bemoaning the fact that they had no funds with which to engage a proper dresser.