No one ended up piping up to speak to Eliza or Colin after Tristan was whisked away, but the mysterious woman seeking justice did make another appearance.
The Duprees were hysterical thinking it was their old maid Rose accusing someone of something sinister and once again, the spell was broken and the lights were flipped on. Eliza noted a brief interaction between Madame Bouchard and Mr. Hartwig near the anteroom and the medium seemed aghast when he touched her forearm. Wondering what was whispered about, Eliza tried to casually sashay over to her neighbor but he rudely stormed off after Madame Bouchard turned her nose up at him. Eliza wondered what his interest in actresses was but was grateful that Mr. Hartwig was smart enough to not bring his former guest into the duke's household.
Colin remained quiet after the scéance and drank more whiskey than Eliza was accustomed to witnessing him drink. He found an excuse to leave the room shortly after the first guest bid them goodnight and did not instruct Eliza to meet them in the secret room when the rest of the guests had cleared out.
She could tell Tristan joining the evening's entertainment was never part of the plan and it appeared to have rattled her fiancé. She felt guilty for inviting the medium here but everyone had a fantastic evening and left fawning over the future marchioness, gushing over what fun they had.
When Eliza finally made it to her bedroom long after midnight she had a small grin lingering on her face and wondered if social gatherings were always going to be this easy here in the country.
Sunlight forces Eliza's eyes open the next morning and Lucy is humming as she struts around the sunlit space.
"You're cheerful," Eliza mutters and Lucy stops whipping the curtains open to say, "The duke and duchess are arriving tonight. Of course I am cheerful, I've never met anyone so grand!" Eliza's easy mood from last night dissipates and a rock sinks into her stomach.
"Buggar, how had that slipped my mind?" Eliza says as she yanks the covers over her head.
"I can guarantee no one else has forgotten. Mrs. Davies and Mr. Hughes have been in a frenzy all morning. The food for the ball has been arriving in truckloads and the decor has been unloaded into the ballroom."
"Lovely, Lucy. Just Lovely," Eliza mumbles knowing the rest of her life truly begins today. She must make a perfect impression on Colin's parents while playing hostess and pretending to be a social butterfly. She'd rather grab a book, curl up somewhere in the garden and pretend she's not inheriting a massive title.
"A letter also arrived from your mother," Lucy announces and this causes Eliza to peek behind her covers. "I'll drop it on the vanity here. Shame you'll have to crawl out of bed to read it." Lucy gives Eliza a smirk and then strides off into the bathroom to start her mistress's bath. Eliza whines as she flicks the covers away and then snaps the small letter with the Winter seal off her vanity. She scans the contents and it's as she suspected. The Winters will be arriving tomorrow and staying three nights. She was impressed with Eliza offering to host a dinner party and is anxious to see her in her gown at the ball. She also rattles on about mundane things going on in Scarborough and Eliza hadn't felt homesick until her mother mentions her St. Barnard, Taffy is missing her. Eliza decides that Colin will have to buy her a dog at whatever home they decide on or force him to take on the massive mutt. Taffy was Eliza's best companion for many years of her quiet life on the other side of England.
"How is your mother, my lady?" Lucy inquires as she lingers in the bathroom doorway.
"The same. Eager to make me a marchioness and elated to dress me in fancy gowns."
"Wait until she sees your engagement gift from Lord Bradshaw," Lucy says with a coy grin and Eliza's finger touches her chest where the necklace lay the previous evening.
"I don't enjoy all the fanfare surrounding me now, but I do enjoy the lavish gifts. I've never been so spoiled in my life." She shoots a smile at Lucy and then leads her into the bathroom. As soon as Eliza steps inside she crinkles her nose and snaps her eyes to her maid.
"Why does it reek of lavender in here? I told you I was off that smell forever." Lucy's cheeks flare red and she dashes over to the vanity where an empty glass vial rests.
"I'm so sorry, my lady. This was in the basket the baroness brought over for you. All the best from France."
"Well, anything in there that has lavender in it is yours now, Lucy. I will not smell like that harlot. I cannot have her on my mind at all while the duchess is here. She may find me weak for wanting Colin to myself and old fashioned for thinking monogamy is an important quality in a marriage."
Lucy is dropping the rest of the oils and soaps back into the wicker basket as she says, "There is quite a lot of talk downstairs about the duchess's attitude toward life and how it's a bit...progressive."
"She's a suffragette, Lucy. She wears pantaloons to balls and demands equality. She is somehow both a new woman and a duchess. She's a force who absolutely terrifies me. My mother is steeped in tradition. It's all that I know." Eliza slides out of her night frock and slips into the warm water, even though it's harlot scented.
"Perhaps her attitude is why Lord Bradshaw is so...causal about his future dukedom. That he simply shrugs off all pomp and formalities. He is still a detective and working cases here in Nottinghamshire."
Eliza did find it odd that Colin is allowed to do as he pleases away from all obligations. His residence is in Sussex and the man only has a valet and cook. He said he refuses to house a full staff when he's simply there to rest and bathe. He's certainly not a normal marquess, but Eliza knows she is certainly not a normal marchioness.
A knock on the bedroom door flits both of the ladies' attention to the bedroom and Lucy shuts the door to hide Eliza. She hears murmuring and then Eliza waltzes back in with a note.
"Bran- Mr. Travis just dropped this for you." Lucy avoids Eliza's inquisitive eyes after her blunder and Eliza slightly worries she's going to lose her maid and closest confidant to Colin's valet. There is clearly a crush happening there.
Eliza unseals Colin's letter and he tells her to meet him in the garden as quickly as she is able. Eliza suddenly rises from the steaming water and flicks her hand toward her robe.
"Colin is requesting my presence in the garden. Must be important if he's asking me to come quickly."
"I was told he had some more business to attend to in town today. Perhaps he is going to be gone for the day then." Lucy wraps Eliza in silk and gently helps her step onto the tile flooring.
"I'll say, my mornings here are far more interesting than my ones in Scarborough. I never know what the day is going to bring me here."
"Well, if you were to take a guess, my lady, what frock do you think would be best for today's surprises?" They walk in step into the bedroom as Eliza ponders her attire and places a finger on her chin as she debates between the soft pink walking gown or the cream one with all the lace.
"I imagine I'll be striding around the estate today, preparing for tomorrow so I suppose I should pick something comfortable."
"Your cream walking boots go well with your cream frock if I may make a suggestion."
"My goodness Lucy, I was thinking of my cream frock. Seems it's meant to be," Eliza grins as she steps behind the partition.
"We can put those cream ribbons in your hair with the pearl pins," Lucy adds and Eliza's heart warms at the thought of meeting Colin in the garden. She has no idea what he could want to discuss at this hour but she has much to say after their ghostly encounters last night.
