Chapter 1109

• Victoria steeled herself for dinner. She had readied herself carefully, her lady's maid dressing her hair, carefully piling up golden ringlets so that they fell artfully around her face, framing her delicate features beautifully. Her dress was of finest silk, pale rose pink in colour, chosen to highlight her creamy complexion. The bodice wasn't as low-cut as she would have liked; the fashion in London had been for necklines that skimmed the crest of the bosom, showing a hint of cleavage with the promise of earthly delights contained therein, but the Baroness had declared that these were an abomination. Victoria's dress was more modest, but she pulled the neckline down as far as she was able, enough to just suggest the swell of her bosom. She fastened large ruby earrings to her ears, and her maid lowered a ruby pendant around her neck, the jewel falling to nestle between her breasts.
• She wasn't allowed cosmetics: her mother forbade them as sinful, but she bit her lips and rubbed her cheeks until they glowed pinkly. Pouting in the mirror, she decided that she was beautiful, and, spinning on her heel, she made her way to dinner. She was a little confused as to why her preparations had been so careful and prolonged. It certainly wasn't for that awful man that her father insisted was a gentleman. No gentleman would have abused a lady so, and she looked forward to telling him that if the occasion arose.
• The family had gathered in the informal sitting room before dinner. Both men were drinking whiskey, and Victoria realised that her father looked more contented than she had seen him since her arrival home. Thomas was looking into the fire, his face distant, but he stood up gallantly on her arrival and bowed low, nodding his head in appreciation of her beauty. She curtsied prettily, and sat beside her mother on the sofa. The Baroness was dressed in her usual dove-grey satin, the high neck of her gown ruffled with stiff lace, her only adornment a pair of plain gold earrings.