off her glasses. Amanda stood on tiptoe and kissed Leo. His arms wrapped her, one hand sliding down to squeeze her bottom. Amanda squealed, then made a shushing sound.
"Are you trying to get us caught?" she scolded, but her hand slipped down below her husband's belly. This time he was the one who made a sound.
"Do that again and we'll go right back up those stairs, and I promise you'll catch something considerably larger than agriopis leucophaearia ," Leo warned.
Amanda made a suggestive hum and scratched Leo's belly as if he were a puppy. He caught her hand and started toward the stairs. She pulled free and pranced to the door that led to the kitchens.
"Perhaps I'll catch moths," she whispered, "and, umm, that something larger out in the woods tonight." Then she dashed through the door, Leo fast on her heels.
Elizabeth forced herself to begin counting as soon as the door closed. Behind the tapestry it was hot and musty, and Leo's talk of moths made her think of bugs. What might already be crawling in her hair or down her back? But being discovered creeping out from behind the wall hangings was a bit of ridiculousness she would never live down. A bug bite was small by comparison. So she waited a full count of ten before groping her way to the tapestry's edge.
Somewhere a door creaked. Elizabeth froze, listening. The creaking sounded again. Elizabeth sidled back to her position at the pinhole. Who this time?
Two maids held hands as they crept on stocking feet through the puddle of moonlight at the bottom of the stairs. Each girl clutched a pair of shoes in her free hand. They were dressed for the outdoors.
"Why are we leaving out the front door? Wouldn't it be better to go through the kitchens?" Katie whispered.
"Better for what?" Margaret hissed. "Getting caught? Cook's room is right next to that door. The woman sleeps lighter than an infantryman."
She stopped just outside the circle of light. Elizabeth couldn't see her face, but imagined she glared down at the younger girl. "If you're afraid, Katie, then stay behind. But I don't intend to spend the rest of my life tending another woman's home, even a woman as nice as the new mistress. Lennie's the man for me. I knew it the minute I laid eyes on him, and I'm not going to wait around while some other sly girl gets him."
"But can't you talk to him during the day?" Katie asked. "I know he's mysterious an' all, but what sort sends a girl a note to meet him in the woods at night? No good can come of it, Margaret. When a man wants a girl to sneak out for him, marriage ain't what's on his mind."
Elizabeth nodded against the tapestry in silent agreement.
"Marriage ain't what's on any man's mind," Margaret whispered. "Not unless a girl puts it there for him. Anyway, that's why I'm taking you along. You're my chaperon. Now, are you coming like a true friend would, or am I going alone?"
"I'm coming."
There was a faint scrape of metal against metal. Where had Margaret gotten a key to the front door? The door swooshed open, then closed, and a puff of breeze stirred the bottom of the tapestry. The key grated in the lock once more. This time Elizabeth counted to twenty before emerging. She paused in the shadow of the cupboard, listening.
The indistinct rumble of men's voices caused her to press her back to the cupboard. She fumbled with the tapestry, trying to find the edge so she could return to her hiding place, but the material baffled her fingers. A bobbing light appeared from the hallway that led to the study where the men had retired after dinner. Elizabeth pressed her back against the cupboard, trying to shrink into its shadowy corner.
Dr. Bergen came into the entry hall carrying a small lamp. Elizabeth held her breath, but he did not even glance in her direction. He was alone, but the muffled sound of men's voices drifted from behind him, as if a door stood open. Elizabeth bit her lip. The other men would be coming as well, probably carrying lamps of
"Are you trying to get us caught?" she scolded, but her hand slipped down below her husband's belly. This time he was the one who made a sound.
"Do that again and we'll go right back up those stairs, and I promise you'll catch something considerably larger than agriopis leucophaearia ," Leo warned.
Amanda made a suggestive hum and scratched Leo's belly as if he were a puppy. He caught her hand and started toward the stairs. She pulled free and pranced to the door that led to the kitchens.
"Perhaps I'll catch moths," she whispered, "and, umm, that something larger out in the woods tonight." Then she dashed through the door, Leo fast on her heels.
Elizabeth forced herself to begin counting as soon as the door closed. Behind the tapestry it was hot and musty, and Leo's talk of moths made her think of bugs. What might already be crawling in her hair or down her back? But being discovered creeping out from behind the wall hangings was a bit of ridiculousness she would never live down. A bug bite was small by comparison. So she waited a full count of ten before groping her way to the tapestry's edge.
Somewhere a door creaked. Elizabeth froze, listening. The creaking sounded again. Elizabeth sidled back to her position at the pinhole. Who this time?
Two maids held hands as they crept on stocking feet through the puddle of moonlight at the bottom of the stairs. Each girl clutched a pair of shoes in her free hand. They were dressed for the outdoors.
"Why are we leaving out the front door? Wouldn't it be better to go through the kitchens?" Katie whispered.
"Better for what?" Margaret hissed. "Getting caught? Cook's room is right next to that door. The woman sleeps lighter than an infantryman."
She stopped just outside the circle of light. Elizabeth couldn't see her face, but imagined she glared down at the younger girl. "If you're afraid, Katie, then stay behind. But I don't intend to spend the rest of my life tending another woman's home, even a woman as nice as the new mistress. Lennie's the man for me. I knew it the minute I laid eyes on him, and I'm not going to wait around while some other sly girl gets him."
"But can't you talk to him during the day?" Katie asked. "I know he's mysterious an' all, but what sort sends a girl a note to meet him in the woods at night? No good can come of it, Margaret. When a man wants a girl to sneak out for him, marriage ain't what's on his mind."
Elizabeth nodded against the tapestry in silent agreement.
"Marriage ain't what's on any man's mind," Margaret whispered. "Not unless a girl puts it there for him. Anyway, that's why I'm taking you along. You're my chaperon. Now, are you coming like a true friend would, or am I going alone?"
"I'm coming."
There was a faint scrape of metal against metal. Where had Margaret gotten a key to the front door? The door swooshed open, then closed, and a puff of breeze stirred the bottom of the tapestry. The key grated in the lock once more. This time Elizabeth counted to twenty before emerging. She paused in the shadow of the cupboard, listening.
The indistinct rumble of men's voices caused her to press her back to the cupboard. She fumbled with the tapestry, trying to find the edge so she could return to her hiding place, but the material baffled her fingers. A bobbing light appeared from the hallway that led to the study where the men had retired after dinner. Elizabeth pressed her back against the cupboard, trying to shrink into its shadowy corner.
Dr. Bergen came into the entry hall carrying a small lamp. Elizabeth held her breath, but he did not even glance in her direction. He was alone, but the muffled sound of men's voices drifted from behind him, as if a door stood open. Elizabeth bit her lip. The other men would be coming as well, probably carrying lamps of
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