Free An Impetuous Miss by Mary Chase Comstock Page B

sions, but found that she, too, was caught up in the thrill of the moment. Since it was still early in the day, despite the setback of the morning's adventure, Cat directed her coachman to take a more scenic route to the house of Lady Montrose, and the little party was treated to their first splendid sight of Westminster Abbey. While those in the first carriage were able to maintain their dignity with some little effort, an observer of the second carriage would have witnessed the sight of four countrified noses pressed eagerly against the windows.
    As they made their way toward their destination along the blossoming borders of Hyde Park, all of the travelers made mental notes about the current fashion scene. The angle of hats, style of cravats, and presence or absence of walking sticks were noted by the masculine portion of the party, while the ladies remarked on shawls, sleeves, and, with a good deal of dismay, the sheerness of fabric of some cos tumes. Here, the reaction in the first carriage was no less shocked than in the second.
    The afternoon had therefore begun to darken into dusk when the two coaches finally arrived at their destination. As the servants' carriage made its way to the side entrance, the other pulled up in front of Montrose House, a lovel y brick town mansion facing onto a pretty square. The wide front doors were flung open to receive the little party, and they were met at the door by a tall, elegant, if somewhat aged, butler. Smiling pleasantly, he politely hid his dismay and overlooked the energetic antics of Caesar and Brutus who took immediate advantage of the central staircase to run an impromptu relay race.
    “ Good evening, Miss Mansard,” he greeted her. “I hope your journey has not been too taxing. Lady Montrose is resting just now, but she has left instructions for you to be shown to your rooms. She will receive you in the drawing room before dinner. Would you care for some refreshment now?”
    “ Just some tea,” Cat told him. “We shall be glad of a chance to collect ourselves before we meet Lady Montrose. Also, my terriers appear to be in need of exercise. Would you ask my Martin to collect them and take them for a good run?”
    “ Of course, Miss Mansard, I shall have them seen to immediately. Now, this way, please.”
    If Cat had entertained any commonplace notions of what to expect at Montrose House, these were soon shattered. As she, Eveline, and Felicia left the foyer and made their way up the staircase and through the halls, it became increasingly apparent that the furnishings were, if any thing, extraordinary. The décor, Cat decided with growing alarm, defied classification. It represented not only a range of historical periods and taste, but a number of distressingly exotic cultures as well. Indeed, the ladies noted with growing trepidation a number of items, the purposes of which both invited and forbade conjecture.
    Upon entering her appointed chamber, Cat stopped and held her breath. The room was lavishly draped with silks and brocades of various brilliant shades of rose and violet. In the center of the room stood the most unusual bed Cat had ever seen, intricately carved of some light wood, complete with sliding doors. The scent of jasmine hung heavily in the air. Cat turned to Eveline and Felicia, whose features reflected her own dismay. This house, she thought to herself with increasing alarm, is where I must make my debut as a model of propriety?
    As the footmen carried in the trunks, the three women stood silently , maintaining expressions of frozen civility. As soon as the last footman had made his exit, they released their breaths simultaneously, sounding very much like three tea kettles about to boil.
    “ What in heaven's name do you make of this, Eveline?” Cat exclaimed as soon as the three were alone together.
    “ It is somewhat uncommon,” Eveline returned judiciously. She cautiously opened the door to her adjoining chamber, stood for a moment taking in its