Free The Roguish Miss Penn by Emily Hendrickson

Ramsey said dryly.
    “Costumes,” reminded Teddy, eager to leave a subject fraught with potential difficulties.
    “We had best make our way to the attics, I suspect,” Gisela inserted smoothly. “Katherine, since you know the characters, you shall have to dictate the choices and we can only hope to alter as needs be.” Rising from her chair by the window, she took Katherine’s hand and led her toward the entrance hall. “Come along, gentlemen,” she commanded in a very nice way. “We shall have need of your assistance, for costumes can be very heavy.”
    “Not to mention dusty,” Lord Ramsey said in an aside to Teddy that was clearly heard by the ladies who marched up the stairs ahead of them.
    When they reached the attics, Katherine thought she had never seen such a well-ordered place of storage. Neat trunks lined part of one wall and stored furniture was arranged in another area. Leather hatboxes intrigued her, as did a large box labeled “feathers.”
    While Lord Ramsey and his sister discussed which trunk might be the best to open, Katherine sought out her brother.
    “Teddy, how do you happen to turn up here?” Katherine inquired in a dulcet tone that did not fool her sibling in the least.
    Theodore Penn had been most aggrieved when he found himself left out of the visit to Fairfax Hall. More than anything he longed to make the acquaintance of his lordship. He had heard Lord Ramsey was a splendid rider to the hounds. Teddy had contemplated an invitation to join that select group that Ramsey rode with, and had cast caution to the winds. Never one to stand at formalities—at least not outside the university—he had saddled his horse and ridden off to seek his sister and the entrees he desired.
    “Well, you see, I thought you might have need of me,” he replied with an ingenuous smile.
    “See that you say or do nothing to give his lordship a disgust of you,” she admonished, not having the heart to scold Teddy when she knew full well how he enjoyed anything to do with the theater and production.
    “Papa is safely occupied in the library, is he not? We must contrive to keep this from him if we can.” Teddy may have intended to speak softly. He failed.
    Ramsey had overheard this last remark and frowned. “Do you anticipate trouble from that quarter?” He knew the attitude of the university all too well; he had to listen to the prosing of the various professors far too often.
    “Well, actually we have never approached him on this particular matter, sir. We felt prudence to be the better course, if you follow our thoughts,” Teddy replied earnestly.
    Turning to Katherine, Lord Ramsey gave her a concerned look. “Does this present a serious problem? I’ll not have you placed in jeopardy.”
    “Philip,” Gisela cried in dismay, “you will not frighten the girl. She has written a play—which I hope to read this evening— and intends to produce it during the fair. It is hardly a situation of enormous difficulty.” She thought a moment, then added, “If you like, I can sound out her father. He will likely tell me more than the rest of you.”
    Lord Ramsey rubbed his chin, thus getting a smear of dirt across it. “And how is that, pray tell?”
    “I shall use my feminine wiles,” Gisela declared triumphantly. She then chuckled at the face her brother made, and turned to the chosen trunk.
    Within an hour they had selected a variety of gowns and coats suitable for the characters in Katherine’s play. She was ecstatic at the richness of fabric, the beautiful lines of the garments. They would have cost an enormous sum of money had she tried to purchase or make them.
    “I vow the actors and actresses will wonder ere they see this bounty,” Katherine declared to Gisela. “Such elegance is not often seen, especially where they must supply their own costumes, as is sometimes the case, so Teddy tells me.” She studied her brother while he helped to gather the clothing in neat piles for the servants to