Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

tried not to make it obvious, but he could not take his eyes off hers. What’s more, she did not leave the window and did not look away either. It was the first real indication he had that she felt something for him, and his heart skipped a beat. Too soon, the wagon took him and his guests out of sight.
    Still, the struggle between his growing affection for the woman he was beginning to think of as Leesil, instead of Sassy, and his pledge to Olivia, the woman he only felt contempt for, continued.
    On the day of the ball, McKenna rang her unanswered bell three times before she decided to go look for Sassy. She found her sitting in the grass near the clothesline, with her head down looking very sad. McKenna quietly knelt down beside her. “What is it, little one?”
    “ I dinna think love would hurt this bad. I dinna think that at all.”
    “ Does your heart ache for him?”
    “ You know how it feels?”
    “ I do, I was in love once.”
    “ Tell me about him, Miss.”
    McKenna closed her eyes. “There is little to tell, he simply chose to marry another.”
    “ He is a put-her.”
    “ Indeed he is. Do you wish to tell me about the man you love?”
    Sassy sighed. “You know who he is. I do not hide it very well.”
    “ I think you have hidden it very well. I dinna know for certain until just now.”
    “ Then he does not know either?”
    “ I think he does, he just does not want…he is trapped between what our father taught him and what he feels in his heart.”
    “ Donnel said I must wait until he has his wits about him, but it is taking a long time.”
    “ It certainly is.” McKenna got to her feet and reached out her hand. “Come with me, Miss Leesil Covington, ‘tis time he sees what he will be missin’.”

    From one mouth to the other, word spread through the mansion quickly that Sassy was going to the ball, and no one was to breathe a word of it to Hannish. Most guessed what that meant and they were more than willing to become part of the conspiracy. Therefore, when McKenna asked a giggling Cathleen to fetch the new seamstress and tell her to bring her pins, the request was carried out at once. Cathleen peeked around every corner to make sure Hannish was not walking the halls, and snuck the seamstress up the stairs.
    Thankfully, McKenna had three gowns cleaned and pressed, so there was a choice to be made. The blue one was nice, but it did not exactly match the color of Sassy’s eyes. Pink did nothing for her auburn hair and therefore, the darker blue one, with the daring ‘V’ neckline and silver lace trim would have to do. It only needed a little taking in at the waist, and a slightly altered hem in the front of the skirt to keep Sassy from tripping on it. The foot long train in the back was perfect and the silver trim was sure to shimmer under the ballroom lights.
    Sassy stood still for the fitting and concentrated on remembering how to dance. Once the gown was off, Cathleen helped her bathe and then Millie came to dry her hair, brush it, loosely pile it on top of her head and then weave delicate white flowers into it. A touch of rouge and she was ready to put the dress on again. To complete the look, McKenna added brocade slippers and white gloves that came to just above Sassy’s elbows.
    If Hannish missed seeing Sassy that day, he did not mention it to anyone. Instead he busied himself making certain they had enough food, the furnishings in the ballroom were adequate and the new red drapes were hung properly. When it was time, he went upstairs to dress in the new formal suit he was forced to buy, since Olivia neglected to bring his other ones.
    McKenna put on the blue gown and got herself ready. Then she sat Sassy down on the bed. “You wait here. I must greet our guests and when it is time, I shall send Prescot up to get you.”
    “ I am a little frightened, what if I…”
    “ You’ll be just fine. Shall I ask Alistair to dance the first dance with you?”
    “ If Millie does not mind.”
    Millie grinned. “I do not mind, so long as I get to see the look on Mr. Hannish’s face when he sees you.”
    “ Good then,” McKenna said, hurrying out the door. The orchestra was beginning to play and everything was as good as it was going to get.
    Abigail and Claymore were the first to arrive, and with them came three of their servants to help with the guests. When more arrived, Prescot escorted them into the ballroom and then came back for more. Next came the mayor and his wife, the