The Prizefighter’s Hart by Emily Royal
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Ah! Mademoiselle Hart! Or should I say Madame Oake, now? How thrilled I am to see you!”
“It’s been a long time, Madame Dupont,” Thea said.
“Too long. I last saw you when you came with Mademoiselle Delilah for her trousseau,” the modiste said. “I said to myself the next time I see Mademoiselle Dorothea, it will be her turn—and then I find you’re married and whisked away to the country without so much as a new gown!”
“Well, I’m here now, Madame.”
“C’est vrai.” The modiste turned her attention to Rowena. “And, this must be Mademoiselle Rowena! What a beauty—those eyes, they’re like chocolate, no? I have some lavender silk, which I’ve set aside for my most special customers—it would complement your eyes to perfection. Come here—let me look at you!”
Rowena stepped forward, discomfort in her expression.
“She’s a beauty, n’est pas? She could find a husband tomorrow.”
Thea almost burst out laughing at the look of horror on Rowena’s face.
“We’re not quite ready to see Rowena paraded in front of suitors,” Thea said, “but we do, of course, want her to look her best on her introduction into society.”
“Naturellement. Now—let us take her measurements. How many gowns were you thinking of?”
“Two evening gowns and three day dresses,” Thea said.
“And for yourself?”
Thea hesitated, then Rowena gave her a pointed look, nodding in encouragement.
“The same for me, also.”
“Tres bien. I have a beautiful blue silk to match your eyes.”
The modiste busied herself with measuring Rowena, nodding, and writing in her notebook. As she was finishing off, Rowena gave her a shy smile.
“Could you make me a lace petticoat, Madame Dupont?”
“I can make anything you wish, Mademoiselle. Perhaps, if I may be so bold, I could suggest a pair of drawers? They’re the very latest in undergarments and très comfortable.”
“I should like that.” Rowena turned to Thea. “You’d like some drawers, too, wouldn’t you, Mama Thea?”
Mama…
Thea drew in a sharp breath. Moisture swelled in her eyes, and she blinked and averted her gaze.
“Have I said something wrong?” Rowena asked.
“No, my darling,” Thea said. “Quite the opposite.”
Madame finished writing down her measurements, then hung her tape measure round her neck and pocketed her notebook.
“All done!” she said in her sing-song voice. “Now, let me fetch that lavender silk—and I recall, I have a beautiful orange which would do for you, Madame, as well as the blue. Would you like to see it?”
Thea nodded, and the modiste disappeared to the back of the shop.
“I trust this isn’t too tedious for you, my dear,” Thea said.
“Not at all,” Rowena replied. “It’s was more fun than I’d expected. She hesitated, then gave Thea a nervous glance. “Did you mind very much?”
“Your asking for a petticoat? Not at all.”
“No, not the petticoat. Did you mind my calling you Mama?”
Unable to speak, Thea shook her head and wiped the moisture from her eyes.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Rowena said.
Thea took Rowena’s hand. “Have you never heard of tears of happiness, Rowena? It warms my heart to think you’ve accepted me.”
“You once said you didn’t like me,” Rowena said.
“If I recall, we both said that to each other,” Thea replied. “But now, I love you as if you were my own daughter.”
“What if you have more children? Will you care more for them than you do for me?”
“Of course not!” Thea said. “In any case, it’s not likely to happen, so you needn’t worry.”
“I thought Papa might…”
“No,” Thea said firmly. “But the three of us are a family, aren’t we?”
Rowena sighed. “I suppose.”
“Your father loves you, Rowena,” Thea said. “We both do.”
Rowena shook her head. “He doesn’t. He just wants me to become a lady and dance at parties and balls to make him look good.”
“I’m told parties and balls can be fun,” Thea said.
“You’re told? Haven’t you danced at a London ball?”
“No,” Thea said. “The few I attended, I went to chaperone my younger sister. Most of the time, I stayed behind to mind the children.”
“And do you regret it?”
“To be honest, no,” Thea replied. “Society balls are where single men hunt for a rich wife—or worse, a young woman to compromise—so they can boast about their prowess to their friends. As for the young women—they go in the vain hope that some titled man will sweep them away into a life of bliss.”
“So, they’re more fun for a man,” Rowena said. “It seems like a ball is nothing more than a marketplace where the goods being traded are young women pressed into going by their parents.”
“Do I take it you have no wish to attend such an event?”
“Papa won’t give me a choice. It’s the only thing he wants me to do—yet it’s the last thing that will make me happy. I realized today what I want to do.”
“Which is?”
“I want to study anatomy—perhaps medicine,” Rowena said. “Aunt Attie told me, when she showed me her library, that women can be just as good as men when it comes to studying. But Papa doesn’t understand. I’ve tried to tell him, but he thinks I’m better off married to some puffed-up lord. If I must marry, I want it to be for love. I don’t want to be unhappy, not like…”
She broke off, coloring.
Thea squeezed her hand. “I understand,” she said. “Let me speak to your Papa. I know he wants what’s best for you—what will make you happiest.”
“You’ll speak to him?”
“Of course,” Thea said. “But you must promise me something in return.”
Rowena’s eager smile disappeared. “Miss Ellis always said that when she wanted me to behave.”
“I’m not Miss Ellis,” Thea said. “All I ask is that you try to enjoy London while we’re here. It’s only for a month. And then, if your mind is made up, you and I shall speak to your papa—together.”
“What if he refuses?”
“He won’t, Rowena. Despite what you think of him, he’s a kind man, and he loves you. You’re all he has.”
“He has you,” Rowena said.
That might be true, but he didn’t love her—not in the way Thea wanted to be loved.
But perhaps Rowena’s love was all she needed. It was time she heeded her beloved brother’s advice and drew her satisfaction from what she did have—a daughter who loved her enough to speak of her dreams and to ask her for help to fulfill them.
After all—wasn’t that what a parent was supposed to do?