“A pretty girl with freckles from sitting out in the back portico at the townhouse. No one goes out there but me, it seems, and so the necessities of hat, gloves, and even shoes are unheeded.”
“How did you ever learn about it?”
“How do you imagine?” At Genny’s shrug, Charlotte clarified, “Grandmamma, of course. She only wants the best for me and my being beautiful is what makes her happy, so I even out my complexion during the summer months.”
Her cousin pulled out a circular tin that contained a heavy whitish powder.
“You can’t mean to put that on my face. It must be four shades lighter than my complexion.” Genny screwed up her eyebrows, unsure that this was the wisest course to take.
“It’s not opaque, silly. And I do have every intention of putting it on you.”
“I’m not sure I’m convinced.”
Charlotte laughed at her hesitancy. “It won’t matter. We’ll cover the whole of your face and no one will be the wiser.”
“What if I should perspire?”
“Then you blot your face. Never rub it, even if a drop of rain were to fall upon it, you must dab it, and it will blend in with the powder.”
Her cousin dabbed on the heavy powder beneath her eyes using a small flat puff.
“This is pure insanity.” Charlotte distributed the powder evenly and took her time to cover the dark circles beneath Genny’s eyes. When that was done, she took out a small brush with soft bristles and removed the excess powder.
“Perhaps, but we are supposed to always look our best, even if we feel ill. Covering the flaws so that only I know they exist makes passing the day a whole lot easier for you and invites far fewer questions about your tiredness when you look perfectly fine.”
“I swear, Charlotte, you sometimes sound like a wise lady beyond her years, and it tends to put me out of sorts.”
“You’d be bored if I didn’t keep you on your toes.”
Genny smiled at the reflection of her cousin in the mirror. Maybe her cousin did know her very well and Genny hadn’t bothered to give Charlotte any reason to prove that she was a capable young lady.
“You still have this incredible proclivity for surprising me. And in the oddest of ways.” Genny turned her face from side to side marveling at how the powder blended in and looked natural.
“I told you no one would be the wiser.” Charlotte perched herself on the edge of the vanity with a sigh.
Genny reached out to touch her slightly improved reflection. The powder was barely perceptible. “My face feels a little stiff.” Before she could press the backs of her fingers lightly against her cheek, her cousin pulled her hand away.
“You cannot touch it. Even a small rub or brushing of your gloves might displace the powder.”
Genny didn’t need coaxing to lower her hand. To be caught wearing a beauty product like this would label her as having the morals of a stage actress. “I promise to ignore the slightest itch.”
“Keep a handkerchief in your reticule in case it rains.”
“And then excuse myself to your room should I need to reapply it.” Everything made a little more sense now. Genny could recall the many times that had happened over the course of the season.
“You know you are quite beautiful without the artifice?”
“So I’ve been told. I don’t wear a great deal of it, only enough to cover my dreadful freckles.”
“You’ll have to show them to me now so I can tell you how undreadful they really are.”
“You wouldn’t dare say so on seeing them. That you’ll have to trust me on.”
“You can trust me with your secrets. But if you wish to keep your freckles hidden, then that is fine as well.” Standing from the stool, she leaned in closer to the mirror to see if the powder was detectable. If someone were to stand six inches from her face, they might see a hint of the makeup, but it was well placed and nearly invisible otherwise.
“Thank you,” Genny said. “Now, we had better find our way down to breakfast before everyone wonders where we are this morning.”
“If the sun comes out, do you think we’ll play a game out of doors?”
“It would be a great deal more fun than watching the gentlemen fishing in the stream. You would think after three hours that someone would catch at least one fish.”
They went arm in arm out the door and down to the breakfast parlor. “Yes, but I do believe Mr. Torrance was appalled at the very thought of baiting his line when he was handed the jar of worms. He said if the hook couldn’t snag something, then he was fine with not having a successful outcome.”
They were both laughing as they entered the parlor.
The morning sun peeked through the clouds outside and filled the whole room with its cheery appearance. The gentlemen, including Leo, stood on their entry. Genny gave him a brief smile before greeting the rest of the company at the table. She didn’t want to be too obvious in her attention to Leo. What if someone should notice that they were on much friendlier terms than when the house party had started?
Not that anyone would think to watch for changes in their relationship—which had been at the very least friendly, but then so had everyone else’s. Such things tended to happen when so many people were tossed together for an extended period.
A grand buffet was set up on the far right of the room, against the west-facing wall. Tiered silver platters, dishes, and large porcelain bowls were filled with kedgeree, poached eggs, and sausage. There was also a wide selection of fried tomatoes and mushrooms, scones and jellies, creams and syrups, fresh picked strawberries, and raspberries all enticing her closer. Not surprisingly she was famished this morning. But with a full room, it would be unseemly to fill her plate. Perhaps she could sneak away some scones in the deep pockets at the sides of her skirts. She couldn’t believe she even contemplated such a thing.
She took three eggs, knowing they would best fill her up and then a selection of everything else. There were three spaces left at the table once Charlotte took her usual spot next to Ariel. Genny definitely didn’t want to sit at the head of the table where Lord Carleton sat when he came down to breakfast, and she didn’t want banal morning conversation with Mr. Torrance. So she took the seat at the end of the long table next to Leo.
He was better at being unobtrusive than she was, for he continued his conversation with Lady Hargrove about their day ahead. He even allowed Genny to pull out her own chair, only offering her a droll, “How remiss of me not to assist,” as she tucked herself neatly under the table.
“We don’t follow all the formalities whilst here, and I must say, it’s a nice break from dinning around Town when you are expected to do everything by the book,” Genny said.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Lady Hargrove said, taking an indelicate bite of her eggs.
Everyone at the table laughed and tucked into their own meal. Genny focused on eating and tried to ignore the nearness of Leo, who didn’t seem to care for rules as long as no one could see that his leg kept bumping hers under the table.
When he pushed his plate away and set a cup of tea in front of him, a lemon floating on top, one of his hands disappeared under the table and found its way to her lap.
Genny froze, fork halfway to her mouth. He couldn’t be serious.
She moved her leg, attempting to shake him off, and make him understand that she did not want to do this here. Instead of her plan working, he hiked up her skirt, and settled his hand over her kneecap. He simply let it rest there, without attempting any more liberties.
She turned to him, raised one brow, gave an indiscernible shake of her head and turned back to focus on her food. Thankfully, he made no further attempt to put her out of sorts, nor did he lower her skirts again to let her resume the meal in false innocence. She’d have to find a way to get back at him for this. And she would. He had another think coming if he thought he could unsettle her and tease her at any given opportunity. Even if she did enjoy the clandestine attentions he heaped upon her.
Lady Carleton entered the parlor. “My steward has consulted his ever trustworthy farmer’s almanac and suggests it will rain later this afternoon. I think we should have our game of blind man’s buff sooner rather than later.”
Everyone put their utensils down with the announcement of a morning excursion. Breakfast would be rushed, since everyone was anxious to head out of doors into the beautiful, much cooler weather this morning.
“We could always play blind man’s buff indoors and use the whole lower level to hide from the one blinded,” Lady Hargrove suggested.
“I love the mazes here. I think we should have a go out of doors before we are trapped inside for the remainder of the day,” Charlotte responded.
“Who will be the blind man, Lady Carleton?” Mr. Torrance asked.
“An excellent question,” she said, sitting down at the head of the table in the chair her husband usually occupied. She poured herself a cup of black tea and took a small sip to test the temperature. “We can pick our names from a hat or pick straws. Shortest straw will have to be blindfolded. Now eat up everyone, we must get started.”
Since most had finished their meal already, they filed out of the room to retrieve their hats and shawls. Seeing that Charlotte was finished and ready to leave, Genny carefully dabbed her mouth with her napkin. Placing the cloth on the table, she reached for Leo’s hand clasped around her knee and tried to dislodge it as she commended Lady Carleton on the fine selection of breakfast food.