How to Become a Lady: Book One of the London Ladies Series

by Hannah West

  “Is it truly you?” Emma asked softly. “Are you really here?”

  Cassie put her hands over Emma’s and nodded. “I am here, Emma. I am real.”

  Unable to believe her eyes, happiness welled within her as the desperate feelings that had clawed at her insides eased. She flung her arms around Cassie and pulled her close as she burst into uncontrollable tears.

  “Can you ever forgive me for letting you go,” Emma whispered into her ear.

  Confused Cassie asked, “Whatever do you mean?”

  “I simply let you go after father tossed you out. I did nothing to stop him.”

  Cassie shook her head. “You were a child, there was nothing you could do to stop him or change his mind. You were a young girl, Emma; there was nothing you could have done.”

  “But I-” she started.

  “But nothing,” her sister finished for her. “I cannot forgive you for the actions of our father. I hope he burns with them. Now let me introduce you to someone very special to me.”

  Wiping away her tears, she nodded.

  Cassie pulled her by the hands to stop in front of a tall, kindly looking man who was next to Mr. Martin.

  The tall blonde stranger was indeed handsome with almond shaped dark brown eyes; a lock of hair fell over his brow and was well dressed in cream breaches with a crisp white shirt and waist coat. He smiled warmly at her.

  She smiled back at him.

  “This is my husband, Lord Wenbrooke,” she sister said looking at the man with eyes filled with warmth.

  “You may call me John, Lady Emmaline,” he said kindly.

  She liked this man very much. She could sense nothing but kindness from him and that made her glad her sister had found a man such as this.

  “Well, you can all me Emma. No need for such formality if we are to be family,” she agreed warmly.

  He gave her a low bow, but after he had straightened Emma gave him a hug on impulse.

  She looked back to her sister. “Am I to come with you? Truly?”

  Her sister nodded. “Yes, we will go back home to London.”

  Chapter Six

  How to Become a Lady ~ Rule Six: A lady must dress that part and play her part.

  It was three days later and Emma sat in the middle of a plush feather bed in a grand bedroom in her sister’s house.

  The last few days had been tiring and long. After getting back to London late the day after her sister had come to recuse her they had all rested. But her sister had surprised her by gifting her a pretty cream colored gown after she had seen the only two dresses that she had left.

  Those two dresses were ordered to be burned and Emma had been shown to a grand bathing chamber where she had cleaned off all of the dirt coating her. She had dressed in the gown and when a maid had helped her with her hair, she had looked in a floor length mirror not recognizing herself.

  She stood before the mirror seeing two kinds of women staring back at her. One was a beautiful lady dressed grandly much like her sister, a woman who looked as if she were unreachable from the girl she had been. But the other was a thin woman, while still pretty showed how worn she had become over time from worry, stress and too little food.

  The longer she stared the more flaws she noticed in the shining shell of the both. The dress was loose and baggy around her body when it should have fit snuggly; her long blonde hair was wild and untamed. She reached out to the mirror and smiled faintly.

  Emma was not sure she could grow use to having so much after living so long without. This world was foreign to her. All this fine glittering world surrounded her and she was reminded of her old room in her father’s dusty run down manor house.

  How odd it felt to be dressed as a lady when in truth she really wasn’t one. But she was grateful to her sister.

  Emma had not expected her sister to be this grand lady married to a powerful lord. She had imagined her sister as the governess to a fine family, not being the head lady for the fine family. She wondered how long she could stay before she would have to look for a job. She had no money, but she would need it to move on.

  There was a light knock on her door and Cassie ad let herself in. She paused next to Emma and smiled at her in the mirror.

  “You look wonderful,” she said softly with a small smile.

  “I thank you for taking me into your home, Cassie. I promise not to be a burden longer then I have too,” Emma said turning to her sister.

  “Whatever do you mean?” Cassie asked her.

  “I cannot stay here forever with you and your husband. I must find work so I can make a living,” Emma explained. “Such finery as this is very grand but I cannot live off of you.”

  “Why ever not,” Cassie asked. “I just got you back after eight years, Emma. John would give me anything to make me happy and you make me happy. I was hoping you would stay. We could go shopping for you and you could have a Season here in London.”

  This sent a trill of surprise through Emma. A Season? Why in the world would she need a Season?

  “What need have I of a Season?” Emma asked.

  “You would not have to work, Emma. You could find a husband, marry and be happy. You should have been given one by father a long time ago. I was lucky that I was given one by the lady of the family I had been a governess to for a short while. If you do not wish to marry then we could still have time together. That’s all I ask for, Emma, time together with you,” Cassie said hopefully.

  “You truly want me to spend time with you?” Emma asked doubtfully.

  Cassie nodded. “Oh yes. Just think of how it would be to be together again. We had always been the best of friends.”

  A thought made Emma’s brows furrow. “But even if I did wish to marry, Cassie, I have nothing to offer a husband, let alone a lord. I have no money. I am a poor daughter of a hated baron. Maybe if I was as pretty as I used to be I might offer that but over the last few years I have looked as I do now.” She waved a hand sadly at the mirror.

  Cassie’s eyes grew sad. “I am sorry you had fallen on such hard times. But after you start eating well again, I am sure your health will return and you shall look as you once did. Even as you are, you are still as beautiful as Mama was. You look just like her.”

  “You truly think so?” Emma asked looking once more.

  Her sister nodded. “Oh yes. Now may we cheer up and go get you some new things? I have ordered the carriage to be readied for us.” She grinned. “If there is one thing I like to do it is to shop and you are the perfect reason to do so. The Season will be coming soon we will have to ready you for it.”

  Emma watched as her sister moved gleefully to the door.

  “But I don’t know the first thing about balls and how to be a lady like you.”

  Cassie grinned. “Well then take this as your first lesson in how to become a lady.”

  Chapter Seven

  How to Become a Lady ~ Rule Seven: A lady must prove to be a catch, to attract the attention of the ton.

  Derek Ashford, the eighteenth Duke of Montrose, walked down fashionable Bon Street viewing the buzz of ladies go about their shopping getting ready for the upcoming Season without interest.

  He had gone out to walk off the boredom of doing his paperwork. Every man could only take sitting behind a heavy wooden desk all day for so long until they started to be driven mad. Lately it seemed his joy in doing such had diminished with the weight of his duty pressing down on him. His mother and sister wrote to him with increasing frequency asking when he planned on finding a wife.

  He had hoped to reach his thirtieth year before he must wed, but it had come time for him to at least find a suitable young lady who would make a suitable duchess.

  He had been present for the last two Seasons as his sister and Mother had come to live in town. She had yet to find a gentleman to suit her which gave Derek a headache. His mother was hopeful to marry off both of her children this Season.

  While Derek did not truly mind going to events and functions su
ch as balls and musicals, he would much rather be going about his own business and taking care of his investments such as his horses.

  He had only a few requirements in his future wife and duchess that he thought were important. She would have to come from a noble background, no heiress would be considered, a sizable dowry and finally she would need to have the practice manners suited to a duchess.

  Derek cared little for what she looked like beyond being pretty, he cared not for a lack-wit in a woman, but he would not like a bluestocking who would bore him with details either. He supposed an interesting woman would make him a good wife, but all of the young ladies he had come across in his years as a Duke all acted the same.

  They all simpered and fluttered their lashes, talking about the weather or their accomplishments that would make them an ideal choice. In other words they were all the same typical cookie cutter English ladies.

  If he were to be honest with himself who would really like a lady who drew his interest and was different then every other English lady. He wanted a little more of his marriage then most would. He would like to get along with his wife and even become friends with her. What he didn’t want was a woman who would take a lover the moment she bored of him.

  A flash of bright color caught his eye from across the street and he stopped to see just what had caught his eye.

  Across the street exiting a shop was the Countess of Wenbrooke stepping out in a bright green dress, followed by another lady in a simple cream colored gown the suited her body.

  He was momentarily stunned at the trail his thoughts had just gone and gave his head a shake to clear it, but his eyes still followed the lady with the Countess.

  Derek didn’t know her, for he had never seen her before in London during any of the Seasons he had been present for. But there was something about the simple grace of her walk and how her long hair was left to flow freely down her back in soft curls of honey blonde.

  The smile she gave the Countess struck him in the chest and made him feel as if he had stumbled.

  Before he knew what he was doing his feet started to follow them in the direction they had taken. They entered a clothing shop and he paused just outside the door. He came back to himself enough to wonder if he should go in, but the urge to meet this woman made thought go out the window, so he went in.

  The shop bell tingled as he walked in and the shop owner started to welcome him in and then stopped upon seeing who it was.

  He nodded to the woman and made his way through the shop toward the back. He spotted them making their way back toward where he was at so he focused on looking at what was in front of him which happened to be ladies gloves and ribbons.

  “Lord Montrose,” greeted Countess Wenbrooke.

  He closed his eyes and groan silently before turning to them. He smiled at the two ladies who came toward him.

  “Lady Wenbrooke, glad to see you are well,” Derek said kindly to her before he looked at the young lady behind her.

  Lady Wenbrooke smiled grandly as she moved out of the way. “Lord Montrose, please meet my younger sister, Lady Emmaline.”

  Emmaline, she name fitted her. Up close she was even more beautiful than he had thought from across a street.

  He took her hand, kissed her knuckles and bowed low over it. “A pleasure, Lady Emmaline.”

  She favored him with a sweet smile. “Pleased to meet you, my lord.” She looked around the little shop before frown slightly at him. “But may I ask what you are doing in a ladies shop?”

  Surprised by her question he was temporally speechless. No other lady would dare ask such a bold question of him.

  Even Lady Wenbrooke’s eyes widened in surprise, but he smiled after the shock wore off and even chuckled a little.

  He had no idea what to tell them so he said the first thing off the top of his head.

  “I wondered in here looking for something,” he said honestly.

  “Are you shopping for a present for your sister’s birthday,” Lady Wenbrooke asked.

  Snatching at the idea he nodded. “Yes,” he agreed, “I was hoping to find something for Anna. She is rather hard to shop for. What would you recommend, my ladies?”

  “Something simple,” Countess Wenbrooke said.

  “What does she like,” asked Lady Emmaline.

  She had surprised him again. “I am not sure,” he answered slowly, unsure of what his sister really did like.

  “Well does she enjoy anything in particular? Reading or walking? Does she go shopping a lot herself or does she stay home,” Lady Emmaline asked him.

  He thought for a moment and then said, “She does like to carry around a book so she write thing down.”

  “Then give me but a moment.” She walked away from them and he stared after her.

  She returned a moment later carrying a simple notebook with a white cover that had a simple lace design on the spine. She held it out to him and he took it from her. The moment his fingers touched her an electric spark happened between them. She quickly pulled her hand back.

  The brief warm touch of her bare fingers to his made his stomach clench.

  He broke his stare with her and looked down at the book. It was simple, but beautiful, it was perfect.

  She gave him one more smile. “Glad I could be of help.” “This shall work grandly, thank you, Lady Emmaline,” Derek said with feeling as he once again meeting her eyes.

  Countess Wenbrooke looked between them and then gave him a smile. “Well, I am glad that we could be of help, your grace, but we must be on our way. Plenty of shopping still to do.”

  Before they walked away he suddenly asked, “Will you be at the ball hosted for my sister’s birthday?”

  “We would not miss it, your grace,” Lady Wenbrooke gushed.

  Her sister eyed him and then shook her head. “I am not sure I can make it, but do wish your sister a happy birthday for me, my lord.”

  And with that she walked away from him and toward the front of the store where she placed her small items on the counter.

  Had she just dismissed him? He was shocked.

  “I am very sorry, your grace,” Lady Wenbrooke said, mortified. “She has spent her whole life in the country, she has never been around nobility before this Season.”

  He could not be sure if he was angry or interested over the fact she had just left him standing behind her.

  Never before had someone walked away from him. He had always been the one to finish and end a meeting.

  “Hmmm,” he murmured quietly.

  “Your Grace?” intoned Lady Wenbrooke.

  “It is fine, my lady. I wish you the best in your shopping and bid you a good day,” he said by way of parting before giving her a bow and going to the front counter.

  Lady Emmaline waited outside of the shop for her sister and once they were off he placed his item on the counter. Derek was not sure what had processed him to do what he had just done, but his interested was sparked for the Season.

  Chapter Eight

  How to Become a Lady ~ Rule Eight: A lady must never be rude or seem to be careless.

  “Emma, how could you do that,” her sister hissed.

  “Did what?” she asked Cassie as they walked along.

  “You dismissed Lord Montrose, which was badly done. You will be outed for the way you treated him. He is one of the most powerful people in town, Emma,” Cassie said seriously.

  Emma shrugged. “I meant no offence, but what is he? A baron or a vis-count? Titles mean nothing to me, you know this Cassie.”

  Cassie stopped her. “He is Derek Ashford, the Duke of Montrose. He is as rich as a king and welds much more power. He could make your life hell. He could make it where you were not allowed or invited anywhere this Season.”

  Emma thought about that for a moment. While titles did not mean a thing to her that did not mean that it did not mean something to other people. He was an important man it would seem.

  Maybe having him on her side would be a good thing. She h
ad much to learn about being a lady and part of society. It would seem she knew nothing at all.

  “I promise not to do so again. He seemed nice enough. But was it not odd for him to be in the store if he is an important man? Why not send a footman?”

  “It was quite odd, but he is the model of the perfect gentleman. He is someone everyone looks up to and I hear he might be in the market for a wife,” Cassie hinted.

  Emma laughed then, “Surely you do not mean I should be interested in him as a suitor?”

  Her sister was dead serious. “Why ever not? You would never have to work a day in your life again and you could stay near me. He is a kind man, he does not drink, gamble or visit nuns. And he is a duke!”

  “Cassie I don’t even know that man. And I do not know a lot about the type of ladies dukes marry but they are not the daughters of poor barons who do not know a thing about the world a duchess would have to walk in. He would also expect a dowry and I have not a single farthing to my name.”

  “John has given you a dowry,” Cassie said with a smile. “And if you chose not to marry it will still be yours to do with what you wish. It is not much but ten thousand pounds could go a long way.”

  “Ten thousand!” Emma exclaimed rather too loud. “That could last a few life times, Cassie. Not that much indeed!”

  Ten thousand pounds could let her live a comfortable life many times over.

  “John also set up an account for pin money for you as well. You will receive two hundred pounds a month for your use as you see fit.”

  Tears stung Emma’s eyes and she wiped them away quickly. The sudden sweep of emotions caught her off guard and she could not help herself.

  “What is wrong,” Cassie asked, worried.

  “All that you are doing is too much. I can never repay you and I’m not sure what to do about it,” Emma said feeling foolish as she wiped away more tears.

  Cassie smiled in understanding. “I felt the way before I married John, but there are people in this world that share their kindness without a price. I love you, Emmaline. You are family and I would do anything for you. I just want you to be happy, you have had a hard life.”