Betrayal at Lisson Grove - Anne Perry [69]
‘Certainly, sir,’ the woman agreed. She regarded Charlotte for no more than a minute, assessing what might both fit and suit her, then another mere instant at Narraway, perhaps judging what he would be prepared to pay.
Looking at his elegant, and no doubt expensive clothes, Charlotte’s heart sank. The woman had probably jumped to the obvious conclusion that they were husband and wife. Who else would a respectable woman come shopping with, for such intimate articles as a blouse? She should have insisted that he take her somewhere else, and wait outside. Except that she would have to borrow the money from him anyway.
‘Victor, this is impossible!’ she said under her breath, as soon as the woman was out of earshot.
‘No it isn’t,’ he contradicted her. ‘It is necessary. Do you want to draw attention to yourself by wearing the same clothes all the time? People will notice, which you know even better than I do. Then they will wonder what our relationship is – that I do not take better care of you.’
She tried to think of a satisfactory argument, and failed.
‘Or perhaps you want to give up the whole battle?’ he suggested.
‘No, of course I don’t!’ she retaliated. ‘But—’
‘Then be quiet and don’t argue.’ He took her arm and propelled her forward a little, holding her firmly. She determined to have words with him later, in no uncertain fashion.
The woman returned with several blouses, all of them beautiful.
‘If madame would care to try them, there is a room available over here,’ she offered.
Charlotte thanked her and followed immediately. Every one of the garments was ravishing, but the most beautiful was one in black and bronze stripes, which fitted her as if it had been both designed and cut for her personally; and one in white cotton and lace with ruffles and pearl buttons, which was outrageously feminine. Even as a girl, in the days when her mother was trying to marry her to someone suitable, she had never felt so attractive, even verging on the really beautiful.
Temptation to have them both ached inside her like a physical hunger.
The woman returned to see if Charlotte had made a decision, or if perhaps she wished for a further selection.
‘Ah!’ she said, drawing in her breath. ‘Surely madame could not wish for anything lovelier.’
Charlotte hesitated, glancing at the striped blouse on its hanger.
‘An excellent choice. Perhaps you would like to see which your husband prefers?’ the woman suggested.
Charlotte started to say that Narraway was not her husband, but she wanted to phrase it graciously, and not seem to correct the woman. Then she saw Narraway just beyond the woman’s shoulder, and the admiration in his face. For an instant it was naked, vulnerable and completely without guard. Then he must have realised, and he smiled.
‘We’ll take them both,’ he said decisively, and turned away.
Without contradicting him in front of the saleswoman, and embarrassing them all, Charlotte had no alternative but to accept. She stepped back, closed the door, and changed into her own very ordinary blouse.
‘Victor, you shouldn’t have done that,’ she said as soon as they were outside in the street again. ‘I have no idea how I am going to repay you.’
He stopped and looked at her crossly for a moment.
Suddenly his anger evaporated and she remembered the expression in his eyes only a few moments before, and she was very afraid.
He reached up and with his fingertips touched her face. It was only her cheek, but it was an extraordinarily intimate gesture, with a great tenderness.
‘You will repay me by helping me to clear my name,’ he replied. ‘That is more than enough.’
To argue would be pointlessly unkind, not only to his very obvious emotion, but also to the hope of success that they both needed so much.
‘Then we had better set about it,’ she agreed, then moved a step away from him and started walking along the pavement again.
The art exhibition was beautiful, but Charlotte could not turn her attention to it and knew that to Dolina Pearse she must have appeared terribly ignorant. Dolina