Heiress in Red Silk, Hunter, Madeline [good beach reads TXT] 📗

She leaned down so her face hovered mere inches from his. “It is not common among my sort. Not at all. I assume that if this is how it will be for me, it is how it will be for you too. Right? I wouldn’t want a lover swaying your thinking either.”

That had not been his meaning at all. He sought a way to make a distinction. “I’ve already told you that women do not influence my thinking. You are in no danger of that.”

“Never enthralled, you said. Still, there is always a first time. And fair is fair.”

“Fine. I accept that I also will not have lovers.”

“Nor mistresses or impulsive liaisons.”

“Agreed.”

“Nor courtesans or whores.”

He just looked at her. She met his gaze with very knowing eyes.

“I expect, if you remain agreeable and willing, I could accept that,” he said.

She returned to his embrace and yawned again. “We can talk about what agreeable and willing means later.”

He decided that later would be a good idea. He still didn’t want to scare her off.

Chapter Sixteen

Rosamund hopped out of the carriage, too excited to wait for the carriage man’s help. She strode to the window of her shop and examined the display. Then she stepped back and admired the new sign that had been raised in her absence. She hoped the color, a violet gray similar to her pasteboard boxes, held up to the sunlight.

She entered to find Mrs. Ingram sewing some silk flowers onto a cream-and-rose bonnet. At her footstep, Mrs. Ingram hurried over to embrace her. “You are back. I’m so glad. We have been far busier than I expected. Once the sign went up, women decided we were open.”

Rosamund strolled over to the counter where the hat in progress rested. “A commission, or something for display?”

“A commission, I’m proud to say. For a young chit enjoying her first Season. From the sound of things, she only wears hers once and must have new ones every week. If she likes this, maybe there will be more.” Mrs. Ingram handed over the bonnet, then stood back and eyed Rosamund’s own headdress. “Did you buy that in Paris?”

“I did. The pleating intrigued me. I couldn’t study it in the shop, so I bought one to have here.” She unpinned the hat and set it down. Together, they poked around the pleating to see how it was sewn. “We can do this. I think it is very handsome. Now, see my drawings.”

The carriage man brought in a trunk. After he left, they spent the better part of an hour discussing the drawings, sharing ideas on how to implement them.

“Did you find a girl?” Rosamund asked.

“She starts on Monday. You can examine her then. She sews well but has no experience, so she will be an apprentice. She wore a nice bonnet that she had made herself, though, so I think she may have the makings of a good one.”

Rosamund toured the whole shop, now set up for production and sales. Mrs. Ingram had not disappointed her, and trailed along, informing her of the state of things in Richmond. Finally, they sat in the back room.

“Tell me about Paris.”

Rosamund described the city, the food, the gardens, the buildings. Mrs. Ingram peppered her with questions. When the topic waned, Mrs. Ingram reached across the worktable for a little stack of cards.

“Now, allow me to inform you of matters here.”

“You said they were going well.”

“They are indeed. There has been a peculiar interest in this shop, however.” She set the cards on the table between them. “We have had some visitors who came not to examine our wares, but to welcome you. Some left their cards. I think doing that is an invitation for you to call on them.”

Rosamund flipped through the three calling cards. “People are being extremely friendly. I know none of these names. I wonder why they seek a friendship with me.”

“Forgive me for being suspicious, but those are all men. Two of them have shops in this area.” She set them out and pointed at each in turn. “Haberdasher two doors down. The jeweler around the corner. Unmarried, both of them.”

Rosamund set the cards aside to take home. “You are very suspicious. I don’t think they are doing more than being friendly.”

“Perhaps, but think about being friendly in turn. You may decide you want to make a pursuit of your own later.”

“If I do, it will be in the hopes that their relatives buy lots of expensive hats from us.”

“You might see if one is of any interest. It can’t hurt. You are still young.”

“I don’t think so. There are many reasons to ignore those cards. Most importantly, I began a liaison with Mr. Radnor while in Paris.”

Mrs. Ingram’s face fell in surprise. “I confess that I worried about you, what with traveling with him, but in my years of knowing you there has never been any interest on your part for . . . that. Not for lack of men with ideas, or even suitors. You just never seemed to notice them.”

Mrs. Ingram knew nothing about Charles, and Rosamund did not want to be explaining that long, sad mistake. She just shrugged and smiled. “And yet, here I am.”

“Are you going to marry him?”

“We have talked about that. It might be useful to solidify our partnership in that business of his that I inherited. It would be a practical union. The biggest benefit to me is his station, of course. It would mean a different life for my sister Lily, to be associated with that family.”

Mrs. Ingram’s mouth pursed, drawing those tiny lines down to her lip. “It would not be the first time such as he traded his position for a beautiful woman.”

“It isn’t a beautiful woman he wants. There are plenty of those among his own kind. He wants to be sure I don’t go selling my share, or having my head turned by some other man, or losing control to a husband. All he thinks