Free Dangerous Escapade by Hilary Gilman

inquired softly.
    “He is, I fear,
a weak and vicious young man,” responded Lord Debenham. “Indeed, if it were not
that the closeness of your relationship makes it impracticable, he is precisely
the kind of man I would wish you to avoid.” The Earl regarded his ward
thoughtfully. “You see, my dear, you are not only a supremely attractive young
woman, you are a very considerable heiress, and when you appear in town there
is no doubt that you will have many suitors. You are very young and, though I
do not desire to impose restraint upon you, I must ask that you consult either
myself or Lady Horatia before forming any friendships or attachments. Can I
depend upon that, Kitty?”
    It is not to
be supposed that a young lady accustomed to roaming the cities of Europe with an
indulgent father would submit readily to such dictatorship. However, she had
learnt quite enough from Lady Horatia to know that this was a case for feminine
guile rather than the open rebellion she would have made a few months ago.
Therefore, she smiled sunnily upon his Lordship, secretly, however, reserving
the right to be friends with exactly whom she chose. My Lord, who was falling
momentarily more deeply under the spell of his ward, was unsuspicious of a
docility that would certainly have warned him had he been regarding the young
lady objectively.
    Observing that
they had left his good aunt alone for quite long enough, the Earl offered his
arm to his companion, and together they made their way down the shady paths
that led them back to the house.
    Lady Horatia was
on the watch for them and immediately rustled forward to draw them into the
morning room, where a cold collation had been laid out for their refreshment.
    The meal was
passed very merrily, for Kitty kept them laughing with her naughty account of
her recent trials and drew laughing protests from Lady Horatia in describing
that good lady's first arrival.
    The remainder
of the afternoon was spent in showing her guardian the skills she had acquired
over the last three months in order that he might assure himself that she was
quite ready to appear in Society. As he was able to praise everything he saw,
from her court curtsies to the fluttering of her pretty fan and the placing of
her patches, he pronounced himself very satisfied and announced his intention of
taking his ward to the fashionable city of Bath within a month.
    Debenham
returned to town early the next morning, the bearer of a good many commissions
from his affectionate aunt concerning all the little trifles indispensable to a
young lady making her first appearance. Within a very few days, a constant stream
of packages began to appear, containing, besides such entrancing articles as
fans, shawls, muffs, slippers, and stockings, the even more important lengths of
silk, satin, brocade, and lace that were to furnish Kitty with a wardrobe worthy
of the Brabington heiress.
    The great Celine
herself journeyed down from London and stayed long enough to render herself
odious to the local seamstresses, whom she bullied unmercifully in order to
produce her exquisite creations in time.
    Debenham had
signified that he intended to hold a ball in honour of his ward upon her
arrival in Bath, and, naturally, the gown to be worn on this important occasion
was the subject of long and delightful discussions between the three ladies.
They decided finally upon an open robe of figured brocade in palest pink worn
over a petticoat of silver net. Lady Horatia grew quite tearful when she saw
her charge arrayed in this creation and, when questioned, could only mutter direfully
against poor Amelia Henshawe, who was quite unconscious of the uncharitable
feelings she had aroused in the gentle lady's breast.
    Kitty grew
tired of being fitted for her new gowns long before her wardrobe was complete; but,
eventually, all was finished, packed up, and sent on before them to Bath, and
they were able to step into Lord Debenham's well-sprung coach on the first
stage of