The Paid Companion | Herophine

Chapter Six

Josephine

The maid, Sally, had just finished unpacking Josephine’s trunk when there was a soft knock on the door of the bedchamber.

Sally opened the door to reveal an anxious-looking Anne standing in the hall.

“I wonder if I might speak to you, Josephine?” Anne glanced to either side, evidently assuring herself that the corridor was empty. “It is somewhat urgent.”

“Yes, of course. Come in.” Josephine smiled at Sally. “That will be all for now. Thank you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Sally hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Josephine looked at Anne. “What is the problem? I could see that something made you quite anxious downstairs in the library.”

“Anxious is a mild word.” Anne flung herself into a chair. “Stricken with panic would be a more accurate way to put it.”

“And why is that?”

Anne rolled her eyes. “Because I am here under false pretences, of course.”

Josephine was amused. “So am I, when you consider the matter.”

“Yes, well, in your case that is not a problem. Hero hired you from that agency.” Anne waved a hand. “He interviewed you. He knows precisely what he has got in you, and he has written your part with that in mind. But my situation is quite different, and when he discovers that I am not at all what he believes me to be, he will be furious.”

Curious now, Josephine sank down slowly on the side of the bed and studied Anne. “Would you care to explain?”

“I suppose I should begin at the beginning. A fortnight ago Hero came to see me. He explained his plan to present a false fiancée to Society and asked if I would agree to act as a chaperone. I told him that I would be happy to assist him in his scheme.”

“That was very kind of you.”

“Kind? Bah. I leapt at the chance. This is the first opportunity that I have had to come to London since my Season fourteen years ago.”

“I see.”

Anne grimaced. “My husband was a middle-aged man when I married him. He suffered from gout and he detested travel of any sort. During our time together I was unable to do anything more than making occasional visits to my mother and my aunt. Do you have any idea of what it is like to be trapped in a tiny village for fourteen years?”

“Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

“Oh.” Anne winced. “Sorry. I did not mean to carry on that way. The thing is, l am a writer.”

“Really? How exciting.” Josephine was entranced. “Have you been published?”

Anne smiled. “Yes, as a matter of fact. I write for the Minerva Press. I use the name Anne Mallory because I am quite certain that my prickly Tiffin relatives would not approve of having a writer of novels in the family.”

“This is wonderful. I have read two of your books, The Secret Wedding and The Proposal. I adored both of them.”

“Thank you.” Anne blushed. “Very kind of you to say so.”

“It is the truth. I am a great fan of your work, Miss Mallory. I mean, Mrs. Tiffin .”

“Please, you must call me Anne.”

Josephine hesitated. “You say your identity is a secret from everyone in the family? Including his lordship?”

“Hero is the very fast person I would wish to have discovered the truth.” Anne made a face. “He is a man of many exceptional qualities when it comes to investments and such, but I fear that he takes his role as head of the family far too seriously. His grandfather’s influence, no doubt.”

Josephine thought about the fierce self-control she had perceived in the earl’s enigmatic eyes. “Yes, I can see that there is a certain sternness in his nature.”

“Not to put too fine a point on it, Hero can be inflexible, autocratic and downright dictatorial. Furthermore, he does not approve of the current fashion for novel reading, and I shudder to think of how he would respond if he discovered that I actually wrote such books. At the very least, he would never have asked me to come to London to chaperone you. Promise me that you will not reveal my secret.”

“I promise.”

“Thank you. Now then, as I was about to explain, I have been having trouble with several parts of my latest manuscript. They all involve scenes at fashionable parties and meetings with high flyers in Society. But cannot write those bits with any conviction because I know almost nothing about life in Polite Circles.”

“I thought you said you had a Season?”

“It lasted less than a fortnight because my husband made his offer almost immediately after he met me. In any event, that was fourteen years ago, so I am very much out of touch.”

“I think I begin to understand your dilemma.”

Anne sat forward. “When Hero asked me to help him with his scheme I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to come to London to observe and record details of the Social World. So naturally, I told him that I would be delighted.” She threw up her hands in despair. “But that was before I realized that he also expected me to deal with the gowns and all of the rest of what it takes to go into Society.”

“Ah.”

“I am very sorry, Josephine, but I do not have any notion of how to go about locating the most fashionable dressmaker or milliner or glove maker. I feel I should confess to Hero, but if I do he will surely send me home and find someone else to act as your chaperone.”

“Hmm.”

Anne gave her an expectant look. “What are you thinking?”

Josephine smiled. “I am thinking that there is no reason to bother Hero with these pesky problems. I’m sure we can handle them without too much trouble.” She thought about the pile of cards she’d spotted heaped on the tarnished salver on the hall table. “Hero’s title and position will ensure that we have any number of invitations. All we really need is the name of a skilled dressmaker. She will be able to guide us to all the most fashionable shops.”

“How do you propose to find the right dressmaker?”

Josephine chuckled. “My former employer was somewhat unusual when it came to her taste in clothing. She preferred to wear only garments made of purple fabric.”

“How odd.”

“Perhaps. But Mrs. Egan is nothing if not a lady of fashion. I can assure you that every single one of her purple gowns was created by a most exclusive dressmaker, one with whom I am well acquainted because I accompanied my employer on several trips to her shop.”

“But she will surely recognize you.”

“I do not think that need concerns us,” Josephine said. “During my time with Mrs. Egan, I learned that good dressmaker rise to the heights of their profession not just through skill but also because they have a talent for discretion when it comes to the affairs of their most important clients.”

Anne’s eyes sparkled. “And as the future bride of the Earl of St. Merryn, you certainly qualify as a very important client.”