Page 7

AN AMERICAN ALIGHTS IN LONDON

Corinna led Eliza up the stairs. ‘I apologise for Lord Purfoy’s remarks. He’s teasing about the time I came to London looking for my father and could only travel alone disguised as a young man.’

‘Did you find him?’

Corinna paused on the landing and turned to her young guest, her face soft with the memory. ‘I found him just in time, in this very house. Having a father was all I had dreamed of.’ She led the way into the master bedroom. ‘This used to be his room when he was in Town.’

Eliza looked at the grand canopied bed, surmounted by a coronet, facing two full-length windows spilling light. The silk-hung walls spread their sea-green calm over the space. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said in wonder.

‘It is. It’s a continual delight to me that it is now my family home when for so long I feared I’d have neither family nor home.

’ Corinna gestured to the bed. ‘That is where my father died and it’s where his granddaughter Emma was born.

It’s where this baby will be born.’ She put her hand protectively on her stomach.

Eliza felt emotion rise in her throat and clasped her hands together as she said, ‘Oh, how I’d love to have a family too.’ Her voice faltered. This was the first time she had ever said this out loud.

Corinna looked at her, her face puzzled. ‘But you’ll recover your memory and will be able to find them, won’t you?’

‘I fear I’ve never known my family.’ Eliza’s voice was a whisper.

Corinna stifled her curiosity and instead of more questions, put her arm around the girl. ‘Let’s manage what we can control and let the rest fall as it may. Come into my dressing room.’

Having lived in the most makeshift places for as long as she could remember, Eliza’s short time in the Wolfes’ house was providing undreamed of surprises and delights.

Corinna’s dressing room was a treasure trove of every kind of sartorial luxury; there were shelves of folded snowy white linen chemises, racks of hanging gowns for all occasions, matching silk stockings and gloves in every hue, and a special rail for her ball gowns, shimmering and gauzy in the morning light.

Corinna led her to the end of the rail. ‘Here are the clothes I no longer wear.’ She smiled as she pulled out a selection of day and afternoon dresses, holding them up to Eliza’s cheek.

‘I think these will suit you very well.’ She looked at her guest’s high plain gown and said gently, ‘You’ll need stays, so I will give you some of my smaller ones.

They are very comfortable. I’ll ask Polly to help you lace them. ’

Eliza coloured. No woman had ever helped her with feminine dress and she felt singularly incompetent about how to wear it. ‘That’s very kind, Mrs Wolfe.’

‘You seem to have led a sheltered life,’ Corinna murmured as she laid out a wardrobe of chemises, stays, stockings and muslin and cotton gowns.

She added a couple of spencers and pelisses, one in pearl grey and so elegantly trimmed in ermine it would enhance every outfit.

‘You love horses too? So you’ll need my old riding habit.

’ She reached out for a very smart riding coat and a matching full skirt in a fine woollen broadcloth of deep burgundy red.

Eliza’s heart quickened. All these lovely clothes for her to wear, and a riding habit too; she would be able to ride with Taz tomorrow after all.

Corinna reached up to the shelf where a series of bonnets were arrayed, wrapped in tissue paper.

‘Of course as a young lady in Society you will need a bonnet for every occasion. I have so many I’m sure I can spare you a few.

’ She laughed as she placed three neat straw hats on the bed, each trimmed in different coloured ribbons and embellished with fabric flowers.

‘And here’s one to wear with your riding habit.

’ Eliza took in her hands the prettiest headwear she had ever seen, a small curly-brimmed top hat with a short black veil and a jaunty cockade of dark red feathers.

‘Mrs Wolfe. I haven’t the words to convey what your kindness means to me. I’ve never had such beautiful clothes to wear. I’m sure I’ve never even seen such lovely apparel. Thank you.’ Eliza put her hand to her heart.

Both women carried the clothes up the next flight of stairs to Eliza’s bedroom.

They could hear the sound of men’s talk and laughter from the library where the old friends were discussing the latest political gossip, horse racing results and gaming news.

It warmed Eliza’s heart to hear such conviviality.

Although the bond between the performers was strong, circus life was stressful and tempers volatile, with much swearing and shouting.

But this ease and bonhomie she supposed came from privilege and wealth which saved men and women from the daily struggle to survive.

Corinna left, saying over her shoulder, ‘I must attend to my friends but will ask Polly to come and help you put these away. Come down when you’re ready.’

Eliza sat on the bed feeling dizzy; her heart and mind had not yet caught up with the extraordinary change in her circumstances.

Having always been a good mimic, she had found it less of a strain to talk in a ladylike manner but was still getting used to the luxury of this life into which she had stumbled.

Polly knocked, entered and started folding and hanging Eliza’s borrowed clothes. With a pretty blue muslin in her hands, she turned and asked, ‘Miss Eliza, would you like to put this on? I think it will suit you and I can help you with the stays.’

Eliza stood up and, feeling self-conscious at being dressed by another, took off her calico gown and the maid quickly slipped a freshly laundered chemise over her head.

Eliza stroked the lawn that felt like silk against her skin.

Then Polly held out the stays for Eliza to put her hands through the arm holes, the cotton cups fitting round her small breasts, making them more pronounced than she had ever seen them before.

As Polly laced the stays up the back, Eliza looked down at her newly revealed shoulders and bosom and was suddenly shy.

The dress fitted her well and the maid secured the waist with a blue silk sash.

Eliza caught sight of herself and blushed.

Having grown up in the circus knowing she was only valued for her acrobatic riding skill, Eliza had never paid much attention to her looks and now, for the first time, thought herself attractive.

Polly picked up a brush. ‘Would you like me to dress your hair, miss?’

Eliza put her hands up to unpin her plaits and sat down on the chair in front of the looking glass.

Under Polly’s deft fingers and with care not to disturb the healing wound, Eliza’s fine pale blonde hair was brushed out, reaching in waves to her waist. Then it was quickly coiled into a soft chignon with loose tendrils round her face. ‘Now that’s better, isn’t it, miss?’

Eliza peered at herself and was not sure what she thought.

In just fifteen minutes she had been made into a fashionable lady, but she knew herself to be far from the demure young woman who gazed back at her from the mirror.

She did not want to seem ungracious so smiled and said, ‘Thank you, Polly. You are very clever.’ Tucking her ringlets behind her ears, she descended the stairs with some trepidation and, drawn by Corinna’s voice and male laughter, she entered a different part of the house.

Eliza stood tentatively on the threshold. The room was large and lined with more books than she had ever imagined existed in the world. The sight of such a library excited her greatly; to be able to read anything, openly, was an unimaginable pleasure she hoped she would stay long enough to enjoy.

Her gaze turned to the occupants of the room who troubled her more. Everyone’s eyes were on her and Alick Wolfe came forward, smiling. She felt more at ease when he said, ‘You’re back, Miss Eliza, and looking well in your new clothes.’

‘They’re lovelier than anything I could imagine. I’m honoured indeed to borrow them.’

Lord Purfoy’s eyes had not left her face and he drawled, ‘Our little Miss Mysterious gives us all kinds of clues that we have to piece together until the miraculous day when she recovers her memory.’

Eliza wished her skin weren’t so fair that every emotion was writ large on her face for she felt her cheeks colour, but Corinna was quickly by her side.

‘Come in, my dear. We were just discussing Lady Bassett’s ball.

’ She led Eliza to a seat by the fire and offered her a cup of tea.

‘I shall look forward very much to starting your portrait this afternoon, if you’re still agreeable? ’

Ferdinand Shilton looked up from The Sporting Magazine . ‘I was the first person to have my portrait painted by Corinna and it’s so high-flying that I’ve hung it over my drawing room fireplace. In fact, she’s so famous now, I boast about being her first and greatest patron.’

Corinna smiled across at him. ‘You know I owe you more than I can say.’

Raven Purfoy was swilling a glass of whisky, his dark eyes watching Eliza over the rim. He caught Corinna’s eye. ‘Immortalise her as the hoyden girl who nearly lamed my best horses. I prefer her in her natural state.’

Ferdy Shilton objected to his friend’s lack of courtesy and leapt up. ‘Rav! You forget you’re a gentleman. Have some care with your talk!’

‘Oh Ferdy, calm down.’ Lord Purfoy patronised him as if he were a younger brother. ‘Methinks our little Miss Mysterious has had to deal with many ungentlemanly gentlemen before now.’ He flashed a knowing smile.

Before Eliza could speak, Alick also sprang to her defence. ‘Rav! I won’t have you talking thus about any young woman under my roof!’