Cavendon Hall Read Online Free PDF

check. She was usually polite, particularly when she was in the presence of the Inghams. Then it immediately struck her that it was DeLacy who was responsible for this disaster. Before she could direct a question at her, DeLacy stepped forward, drew closer to Alice.
    Taking a deep breath, she said in a quavering voice, “Don’t blame Ceci, Mrs. Alice! Please don’t do that. She’s innocent. It’s my fault, I’m to blame. I picked up the dress, waltzed around the room with it. Then I tripped, lost my balance, and knocked over the inkpot…” She paused, shook her head, and began to weep, adding through her tears, “I was silly.”
    Alice went over to her. “Thank you for telling me, Lady DeLacy, and please, let me take the gown from you. You’re crushing it. Please give it to me, m’lady.”
    DeLacy did so, releasing it from her clutches at last. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Alice. Very sorry,” she said again.
    Alice carried the ball gown over to the bed and laid it down, examining the ink stains, fully aware how difficult it was to remove ink—virtually impossible, in fact.
    At seventeen, Daphne Ingham was a rather unusual girl. She was not only staggeringly beautiful but a kind, thoughtful, and compassionate young woman with a tender heart. She stepped over to her sister and put an arm around her. Gently, she said, “I understand what happened, Lacy darling, it was an accident, as Ceci said. Mama will understand. These things do happen sometimes, and we all know you didn’t intend to do any harm.”
    On hearing these words, and aware of Daphne’s sweet nature, DeLacy clung to her and began to sob. Daphne held her closer, soothing her, not wishing her little sister to be so upset over a dress, of all things.
    Surprisingly, Lady Daphne Ingham was not particularly vain. She only paid attention to clothes because it had been drilled into her to do so because of her station in life. Also, she knew that her father could easily afford to buy a new dress for her.
    After a moment, Daphne drew away. “Come on, stop crying, DeLacy. Tears won’t do any good.” Looking over at Alice, she then said, “Can the lace and the underskirts be cleaned, Mrs. Swann?”
    Alice shook her head vigorously. “I don’t believe so, m’lady. Well, not successfully. I suppose I could try using lemon juice, salt, white vinegar—” She broke off. “No, no, they won’t do any good. Ink is awful, you know, it’s like a dye. And talking of ink, it’s all over the desk, m’lady, and on the carpet. Shall I go and find Mrs. Thwaites? Ask her to send up one of the maids?”
    “That’s all right. I’ll ring for Peggy, Mrs. Swann. She’ll clean up the ink. None of us should go near it. We don’t want it on our hands, not when there are other frocks around.”
    “You’re right, Lady Daphne. I was—”
    “Mam,” Cecily interrupted. “I can make the ball gown right. I can, Mam.” Cecily turned around, stared intently at her mother, suddenly feeling confident. Her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling. “I’m sure I can save it. And Lady Daphne can wear it to the summer ball after all.”
    “You’ll never get that ink off, Ceci,” Alice answered, her tone softer, now that she knew her daughter had, in fact, not been responsible for the ruination of the gown.
    “Mam, please, come here, and you too, DeLacy. And you as well, please, Lady Daphne. I want to explain what I can do.”
    The three of them immediately joined her, stood looking down at the white lace ball gown stretched across the foot of the bed.
    Cecily said, “I’m going to cut away the front part of the white lace skirt from the waist to the hemline. I’ll shape it. Make it a panel that starts out narrow at the waist and widens as it goes down to the floor. I’ll do the same with the white taffeta underskirt, and the tulle. If the second layer of tulle has ink on it, I’ll cut that off too.”
    “And then what?” Alice asked, gazing at her in