Page 47 of Cold November Rake

"I ordered it for the long wall, so that one steps in and finds oneself at sea," she went on, with a glance at the duchess.

"Good thing ye havenae used thae ice-blue silks for the furniture in the east guest room, then," the duchess said. "It'll suit yer paper beautifully."

Temperance blinked. It was the first time all morning that the duchess had agreed with her without a fight.

The smile that touched her lips was very real. "I think we are in agreement."

"It's wonderful tae see ye finally putting the house tae rights," the duchess said after a moment.

Temperance tugged at the sleeves of her gown. "I wish it to be perfect for the next season. I shall be expected to host a ball, and for that⁠—"

The duchess tsked. "After seven years o' absence?"

"Exactly." Temperance kept her sweet smile in place.

"Dinnae ye think ye ought tae put yer marriage tae rights first?"

Temperance drew in a breath. Behind them, Mr. Downing, who had unrolled a bolt of curtain silk across a dust-sheeted chair, cleared his throat and pretended to study it.

"Your Grace," Temperance said, with a sharp edge to her tone. "I appreciate that you do not like me and you do not like my taste. You also do not trust me, and I have only myself to blame for that. But I intend to take my place as the rightful Countess of Sutton, at my husband's side. You may criticize my taste and my methods. I shall not stop you. But I will not let you dictate the course of my marriage."

The duchess raised a brow. "Ye do have a backbone, after all. I was starting tae think ye were nae match for my son."

"Pardon me?"

"I only ask because I wish tae help. Ye'll need a great deal o' support frae yer husband if ye mean tae return tae society, and it'll nae be easy. The gossips have made a great scandal o' ye. The Intemperate Countess, they call ye. They've fed on it for years, and society isnae forgiving by nature. If ye throw open yer doors tae a ball and nobody comes, ye'll never recover frae it."

Temperance's stomach dropped. "But I am the countess."

"And I've seen many a duchess fall the same way."

"Then what do I do?" she asked quietly.

The duchess tapped a finger against her lips. Mr. Downing held up two curtain silks, one ivory and one the pale gold of new butter, and the duchess pointed to the ivory without looking at it. "That one. We need tae ease ye intae society, lass. Wee, intimate gatherings first, tae see whether the close circle o' folk will have ye. Influential hostesses whose evenings ye can attend before ye host yer own."

"How will I be invited to small gatherings?" Temperance asked, as Mr. Downing made a note and began folding the silk away.

"Dinnae fash yersel about that. I'll see tae it." The duchess turned. "But tae mend yer standing, we'll need tae silence the talk that yer marriage is naught but a farce. They'll scrutinize yer every action, every wee glance ye turn away frae yer husband."

"I have no interest in looking at anyone but him," Temperance said fiercely, and found she meant it.

"Good. Then we'll host our own at-home evening, and see who comes and who doesnae. It tells ye everything ye need tae ken about yer standing."

"With the renovations under way, we cannot host anything in the next two weeks at least."

"And we'll need thae two weeks tae be seen about. The Christmas house parties begin in four weeks, so the only evening we can hold is three weeks frae now." The duchess wrinkled her nose. "The Duchess o' Somerset's house party is the first week o' December, and half the north will be passing through London on the road tae it. The Clydesdales, the Wakefields, the Pelhams, perhaps even the Bainbridges. If we hold our evening the Thursday before, they'll come, and they'll gossip, and they'll carry the verdict back tae the country wi' them. The invitations must go out at once."

"Three weeks?" Temperance blinked. "But are you not leaving for Leslie's?"

"Leslie willnae mind the delay. She isnae due until the end o' the year. We'll stay for the party and leave a couple o' days after." The duchess waved a hand.

Three weeks.

Temperance managed, through force of will, not to grimace. Three whole weeks of the duchess countermanding her choices and scrutinizing her every move.

Well. If she wished to prove herself to Sutton, perhaps this was the way.

"A splendid idea," she said, smiling with every one of her teeth. "We shall send the invitations out today."