So if Kate was going to appear in public with a famous man, especially with an infamous one, her hostess insisted she had to be properly dressed in the latest fashion so no one could say her cousins weren’t taking good care of her. Since even the best dressmaker in London couldn’t cobble together a new wardrobe in a matter of days, a seamstress was called in hurriedly to make over some of the Swanson daughters’ gowns for Kate until her new ones were ready. Kate protested almost as hard as Lady Swanson’s three elder daughters did. In the end, though, Kate had to admit that what she’d imagined was the highest kick of fashion in London must have changed while she was on the coach driving there. After much arguing, Henrietta, Frances, and Chloe finally agreed to donate a gown apiece to Kate. They watched jealously as their mother picked over their wardrobes to see what might suit their cousin. Though they constantly jockeyed for position with each other, none of them wanted to win the competition for most suitable gown to give away.
