talk.
When she came to Jack, he made sure their fingers brushed at the exchange of the tea cup, which was juvenile of him. Miss Hennessey served herself last,
taking her tea as Mama did—a dash and a splash—but looking ever so much more elegant than Mama managed to.
Florentia Fanning was not a young woman, and though Jack had made his duty-visit to London in the spring, she’d aged even in the few months since
he’d seen her. She was blond, so the graying of her hair was an ongoing subtle change, but the lines on either side of her mouth were deeper, and her
complexion bordered on sallow. Jack rummaged around in his emotions, trying to find some reaction to this development, and found only a vague wish that his
mother’s later years be filled with contentment.
“Have you a parish of your own, Reverend Jeremy?” Miss Hennessey asked.
“I am between posts, but the bishop assures me he’s finding me a congregation. At present I’m on his staff, which I’m told is a
necessary step in gaining advancement in the Church.”
“Quite necessary,” Mama said, a bit too fiercely for somebody who had no grasp of Church politics. “And when Jack insists on rusticating
for the entirety of the year, it’s just as well you’re in London, Jeremy.”
Jack had shipped out for India when Jeremy had been a small child, and thus did not know his brother well. He suspected Jeremy’s vocation was
genuine, however, and trotting around at the heels of some bishop was not in keeping with that vocation.
“I’m glad Jeremy’s in London,” Miss DeWitt said. “Else he should not have been available to escort us up here to Oxford,
would he?” Her smile was different from Miss Hennessey’s, at once harder and more gay.
“I’m glad I was able to come along,” Jeremy said, “for many reasons.”
“Mrs. Fanning, would you care for more tea?” Miss Hennessey asked, just as the smiles became blinding.
“No, thank you. Jack, when will you send that native boy back from whence he came?”
Mama had fortified herself with a cup of tea, and the civilities were apparently over.
“Pahdi does an excellent job as butler,” Jack said, mildly, lest Mama have the satisfaction of knowing she’d drawn blood.
“I’m happy with his services and would miss him if he abandoned Teak House.” If he abandoned
Jack
, though Jack had nearly
pitched Pahdi overboard when they’d sailed from India.
Saras’s dying wish had been that Pahdi see Jack safely back to England. Pahdi would have swum the distance behind the ship rather than ignore his
sister’s command.
“I will find you another butler who doesn’t resemble one of those Indian assassins,” Mama said. “You needn’t worry on that
score. When the holidays have concluded, you send him off with a character and a bit of coin. That’s how it’s done, and the rest of the staff
will thank you for it. They cannot possibly enjoy taking orders from this Patty creature.”
The smiles had winked out on all sides. Jack set his tea cup down rather forcefully.
“Now there you would be mistaken, Mrs. Fanning,” Miss Hennessey said. “Are you sure you don’t care for more tea?”
“Of course I’m sure, and I’m never mistaken.”
“Pahdi is not the typical English butler,” Miss Hennessey went on. “This makes him something of a mystery to the rest of the staff,
though they attend services with him every week, and take their orders from him gladly. He’s not in the ordinary way, and you know how servants
are—they take pride in their households, and an exotic butler sets Teak House apart. Sir Jack has a neighbor whose staff boast of their
employer’s roses, of all things. Miss DeWitt, more tea?”
“Half a cup, if you please.”
Mama’s expression was equal parts surprise, indignation, and confusion.
The mistress of the ambush had been ambushed, and Jack wanted to laugh and point like a naughty boy. Jeremy was studying his tea cup, and Miss DeWitt
When she came to Jack, he made sure their fingers brushed at the exchange of the tea cup, which was juvenile of him. Miss Hennessey served herself last,
taking her tea as Mama did—a dash and a splash—but looking ever so much more elegant than Mama managed to.
Florentia Fanning was not a young woman, and though Jack had made his duty-visit to London in the spring, she’d aged even in the few months since
he’d seen her. She was blond, so the graying of her hair was an ongoing subtle change, but the lines on either side of her mouth were deeper, and her
complexion bordered on sallow. Jack rummaged around in his emotions, trying to find some reaction to this development, and found only a vague wish that his
mother’s later years be filled with contentment.
“Have you a parish of your own, Reverend Jeremy?” Miss Hennessey asked.
“I am between posts, but the bishop assures me he’s finding me a congregation. At present I’m on his staff, which I’m told is a
necessary step in gaining advancement in the Church.”
“Quite necessary,” Mama said, a bit too fiercely for somebody who had no grasp of Church politics. “And when Jack insists on rusticating
for the entirety of the year, it’s just as well you’re in London, Jeremy.”
Jack had shipped out for India when Jeremy had been a small child, and thus did not know his brother well. He suspected Jeremy’s vocation was
genuine, however, and trotting around at the heels of some bishop was not in keeping with that vocation.
“I’m glad Jeremy’s in London,” Miss DeWitt said. “Else he should not have been available to escort us up here to Oxford,
would he?” Her smile was different from Miss Hennessey’s, at once harder and more gay.
“I’m glad I was able to come along,” Jeremy said, “for many reasons.”
“Mrs. Fanning, would you care for more tea?” Miss Hennessey asked, just as the smiles became blinding.
“No, thank you. Jack, when will you send that native boy back from whence he came?”
Mama had fortified herself with a cup of tea, and the civilities were apparently over.
“Pahdi does an excellent job as butler,” Jack said, mildly, lest Mama have the satisfaction of knowing she’d drawn blood.
“I’m happy with his services and would miss him if he abandoned Teak House.” If he abandoned
Jack
, though Jack had nearly
pitched Pahdi overboard when they’d sailed from India.
Saras’s dying wish had been that Pahdi see Jack safely back to England. Pahdi would have swum the distance behind the ship rather than ignore his
sister’s command.
“I will find you another butler who doesn’t resemble one of those Indian assassins,” Mama said. “You needn’t worry on that
score. When the holidays have concluded, you send him off with a character and a bit of coin. That’s how it’s done, and the rest of the staff
will thank you for it. They cannot possibly enjoy taking orders from this Patty creature.”
The smiles had winked out on all sides. Jack set his tea cup down rather forcefully.
“Now there you would be mistaken, Mrs. Fanning,” Miss Hennessey said. “Are you sure you don’t care for more tea?”
“Of course I’m sure, and I’m never mistaken.”
“Pahdi is not the typical English butler,” Miss Hennessey went on. “This makes him something of a mystery to the rest of the staff,
though they attend services with him every week, and take their orders from him gladly. He’s not in the ordinary way, and you know how servants
are—they take pride in their households, and an exotic butler sets Teak House apart. Sir Jack has a neighbor whose staff boast of their
employer’s roses, of all things. Miss DeWitt, more tea?”
“Half a cup, if you please.”
Mama’s expression was equal parts surprise, indignation, and confusion.
The mistress of the ambush had been ambushed, and Jack wanted to laugh and point like a naughty boy. Jeremy was studying his tea cup, and Miss DeWitt
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