“Exactly!”

“I spent an entire hour staring at it while I painted.”

“An entire hour? How very industrious. I will have to find a position of honor for it in my study.”

“You must frame it,” she instructed him. “In gold.”

Ellie bit back a laugh and whispered to Helen, “I predict a great future for this girl. Perhaps as queen of the universe.”

Helen sighed. “My daughter certainly does not suffer from an inability to know what she wants.”

“But that is a good thing,” Ellie said. “It is good to know what one wants. I have only figured that out for myself very recently.”

Charles cut the cake—under the direction of Judith, of course, who had very firm ideas as to how it should be done—and soon he was busy unwrapping his gifts.

There was the watercolor from Judith, an embroidered pillow from Claire, and a small clock from Helen. “For your desk,” she explained. “I noticed that it's difficult to see the face of the grandfather clock across the room at night.”

Ellie elbowed her husband gently in the side to get his attention. “I haven't a present for you just yet,” she said quietly, “but I do have something planned.”

“Really?”

“I shall tell you all about it next week.”

“I must wait an entire week?”

“I'm going to need full use of my hands,” she said, giving him a flirtatious look.

His grin grew positively wolfish. “I can hardly wait.”

True to his word, Charles had a dressmaker come to Wycombe Abbey to go over fabric samples and patterns. Ellie would have to get the bulk of her new wardrobe in London, but Smithson's of Canterbury was a quality dressmaker, and Mrs. Smithson would be able to make a few frocks to last until Ellie could travel to town.

Ellie was quite excited to meet the dressmaker; she'd always had to sew her own dresses, and a private consultation was a luxury, indeed.

Well, not quite private.

“Charles,” Ellie said for the fifth time, “I am perfectly able to choose my dresses.”

“Of course, darling, but you haven't been to London and—” He caught sight of the patterns in Mrs. Smithson's hand. “Oh, no not that one. The neckline is much too low.”

“But these aren't for London. These are for the country. And I've been to the country,” she added, her voice growing a touch sarcastic. “As a matter of fact, I'm in the country right now.”

If Charles heard her, he made no indication. “Green,” he said, apparently to Mrs. Smithson. “She's lovely in green.”

Ellie would have liked to have been flattered by his compliment, but she had more urgent business. “Charles,” she said. “I really would like a moment alone with Mrs. Smithson.”

He looked shocked. “Whatever for?”

“Wouldn't it be nice if you didn't know what all of my gowns looked like?” She smiled sweetly. “Wouldn't you like to be surprised?”

He shrugged. “Hadn't really thought about it.”

“Well, think about it,” she ground out. “Preferably in your study.”