in her voice.
It was surprising what a difference the new gowns made to her appearance.
âNow, when Iâve dressed your hair in a fashionable style, my dear, youâll be quite a young lady.â
Lady Melmoth arranged Laviniaâs hair parted in the centre with a coil at the back, but leaving three or four ringlets over each earâa softer, prettier style than that she normally wore.
Lavinia stared at herself in the long mirrorâher fingers moving nervously over the dress material.
âIâve never worn anything soâbig. IâI donât know how to walk in it.â
âJust take a turn about the roomâslowly, child, slowly, head highâdonât look down at your feet or you will stumble. Thatâs it, small steps and your skirts follow you, see?â
âYes, yes. Oh, itâs so b-beautiful.â She turned and came towards Lady Melmoth who saw tears glistening in the girlâs eyes. â How can I ever thank you?â
âNonsense, child. To see you pleased with them is thanks enough.â
âPleased! I am overwhelmed.â
When they went downstairs to join Giles in the drawing-room, he, with the frankness of youth, was quite unable to conceal his astonishment at the change his mother had wrought in Laviniaâs appearance within a few hours. She was quite passably pretty nowâtransformed from childish styles to blossoming young womanhood. But to Giles, already stricken by a feeling of protectiveness for the innocent, maltreated child, she now appeared with added charms on the threshold of womanhood.
âHow pretty you look, doesnât she, Mama?â he said taking Laviniaâs hand in his and placing it through his arm. âWhy Jonathan and Papa will scarcely recognise you.â
At this the girl blushed, but Giles was not to know that it was not his compliment which brought the colour to her face, but the mention of Jonathanâs name linkedâhowever slightlyâwith her own.
Lady Melmoth and Giles found it necessary to keep up the flow of idle chatter for Lavinia seemed shy to the point of awkwardness.
âI shall take you for a drive tomorrow if itâs not too cold and show you the sights of Londonâbut I am forgetting, you live here. Perhaps you have seen all there is to see.â
The girl smiled wistfully. â I scarcely think so, sir.â
âDonât call me âsirâ, for goodness sakes. Reserve that for my fatherâor old Jonathanâif you must, but at least call me Giles.â
The following three days passed in much the same manner: Lady Melmoth assisting Lavinia with her appearance and Giles exerting all his charm to entertain their guest and take her mind off her unfortunate experience. The drive through the city proved successfulâLavinia appeared to enjoy it, though Giles did most of the talking. Once or twice he managed to make her smile and so he considered his time well-spent. He found himself constantly thinking of ways in which he might bring a smile to her face and a light to those sad, brown eyes.
Late afternoon of the fourth day brought the return of Lord Melmoth and Jonathan.
âAh, my dear,â said the Earl entering the drawing-room, his hands outstretched to his wife, who was alone in the room, Giles and Lavinia being out driving once more.
âAh, Rupert, you are returned safe and well, I trust?â
âYes, yes, my dear.â
âAnd your trip was successful?â
âWellâerânow. I must tell you all about it, but first allow me to change from my travelling clothesâthe roads are long and dusty.â
âOf course. Jonathan, my dear,â Lady Melmoth said as Viscount Eldon also entered the room. He kissed his mother affectionately on the cheek, and stood back to look at her, his strange smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
âMama has been enjoying herself, eh sir?â
âEh whatâmmm?â Lord