She had longed to hear news of Hugh but now, as his sister left to return home, Philomena wished Selena had told her nothing. Well, I have learned my lesson. She would make her own life, here in London. She would be perfectly happy with people of her own class. How foolish to ever imagine that Lord Thatcham, the head of a noble English family, could care for someone so lowly. The Dowager had been right to send her away. Wiping away tears, Philomena opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. Inside, she kept a drawing John had made. She planted a kiss on the picture and tucked it away, safe under a pile of linens. She would not look at it again.

Next day, true to her word, Selena sent a parcel containing two gowns, along with a note, full of innocent deception, childish delight and exclamation marks.

“My dear Philomena,

I am sending these to you as I promised, for you to alter them. I will leave you to plan the alterations because no one else has such good taste! I will be unable to visit for a few days, as Mama was very angry with me for venturing out alone in a carriage! I found myself hard pressed to prevent her from keeping me at home altogether! I declare, if Mama were not worried I would never find a husband she would prevent me from attending any entertainments at all! Hugh was horrid and agreed with Mama, just as I expected. I can assure you I have said nothing to him about finding you: he does not deserve to know any secrets!

Please send the gowns back when they are done and make sure the account is very large indeed. Perhaps you should make it in a different name, for we do not want our little secret to be discovered, do we?”

Philomena smiled. She shook out the dresses and set to work at once. Selena would be the belle of the ball if her stitching could make her so.

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

By late in the afternoon, all Philomena’s young ladies and their mothers had returned home to prepare for the evening’s receptions and balls. Philomena settled down to an hour or so of needlework. She liked to finish the gowns herself, despite having a small army of girls living nearby, each well able and willing to undertake piecework. The clever use of a needle could be the difference between misery and comfort to such young women.

There was little time to spare. The evening would soon fall and the light grow dim. Philomena did not wish to ruin her eyesight by undertaking too much close work by gas light. She made a few stitches on a gown she was completing in readiness for a lady’s maid who would arrive to collect it early the next morning.