Fred shot a hard glance at her over his shoulder. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Miss Honeywell is very well provided for.”

“She’s wearing ill-fitting clothes that are years out of fashion.”

“She’s been in mourning!”

“As that may be, to the rest of the ton it will simply look as if you’ve been unreasonably keeping her fortune from her. And when one sees you wearing a coat that appears to have been cut by Weston, and boots that have no doubt been polished with champagne, they’ll further surmise that you’ve been enriching yourself at her expense.”

At her words, Fred’s face went scarlet. “If you were a man, an accusation like that would—”

“Hold a moment.” Maggie placed a staying hand on his sleeve. “Jane isn’t accusing you of anything. She’s only telling you what conclusions other people will draw when they see how poorly I’m turned out. And you must own she’s right.”

Jane gave Fred an innocent smile. “In order to scotch these unfortunate rumors, Miss Honeywell will need a whole new wardrobe.”

Fred fixed his gaze on Maggie. A muscle worked convulsively in his cheek. “I’ve never denied you anything, so long as you asked me in a polite and civil manner. Go to the dressmaker and the milliner, by all means, and have the bills sent to me. But not today. Today you’re to retire to bed. Tomorrow, if you have recovered your strength from the journey, you may go shopping. But you’re to take Bessie. I shall have a word with her before I go. She knows her duty.”

He took his leave of them, then. Jane summoned a footman to fetch his hat and cane and show him out. As the drawing room doors closed behind him, she muttered, “How generous you are. We are both so very much obliged to you.”

Maggie leaned back in her seat. As a girl, she’d been energized by arguments. Fueled by raised voices and heated words. Now such things only served to exhaust her. “What a colossal waste of time.”

“Not entirely.” Jane sat down across from her in Fred’s vacated chair. “He’s given you leave to purchase as many new clothes as you like. And if he thinks I mean to take you to Grafton House for a bargain, he’s much mistaken. We shall go to Madame Clothilde, that new French modiste in Bruton Street that everyone’s raving about. Très exclusif, apparently. She only dresses the richest and most beautiful ladies in town. You’ve lost a bit of your bloom, I know, but she’ll not turn you away.”

“How can I think of shopping? There’s still the duel to consider in the morning, and I haven’t the faintest idea what I…” Maggie closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead again.

“A headache?”