bed last night with a well-seasoned sore throat, and this morning ’tis even worse, and with a cough too. I imagine she’ll stay in her chambers all day, poor thing.”
“Oh dear,” said Eliza, her concern for her mother intermingling with her concern for her own situation. Being chaperoned by her parents in a strange house was bad enough, but being alone in a strange house was worse. “Is father ill as well?”
“Not that I know of, miss. He told your mother he was taking his breakfast with Mr. Curtis.”
“I see.” Eliza slipped out of bed and submitted herself to Ollerton’s ministrations. She had no idea what the day would bring, but it was comforting to be dressed in one of her favorite gowns—a sprigged muslin with a green ribbon beneath the bust.
“Ollerton,” she said, a thought coming to her. “Do you mingle much with the rest of the staff here?”
“I take my dinner with the duke’s valet and the ladies’ maids,” said Ollerton. Her pursed lips voiced the question: “Why?”
“I assume they talk. People always do. Talk about other people, I mean. Have you…have you heard anything about Henry Rowland, the duke’s brother?”
“What sort of things?”
“I…don’t know exactly,” said Eliza, unwilling to confide in Ollerton about the incident with the maid in the corridor. “Anything untoward, I suppose?”
“I can’t say as I have,” said Ollerton, “but I shall keep my ear to the ground.” She gave her mistress’ daughter a sharp look, but Eliza refrained from saying anymore on the subject.
“And what activities are planned for today, miss?” the maid asked, pulling the laces tight on the back of the bodice.
“I don’t really know,” replied Eliza slowly. “I suppose the duke will orchestrate some sort of amusement.”
Ollerton grunted, her mouth holding several pins to use in pinning up Eliza’s auburn hair. Within moments, a simple bun adorned the back of her head. “Well now, you look pretty as a picture, Miss Malcolm.”
“Thank you, Ollerton,” said Eliza. She looked into the mirror and put a hand up to touch her hair. It was vain to think too much of oneself, but she did hope that the woman staring back at her had the potential to be called a beauty. She flushed a little. Perhaps the Rowland brothers, or at least one of them, would think so as well.
The maid bobbed a curtsey and left the room. Eliza took a deep breath. She opened the bedroom door and headed down the corridor towards the stairs.
“There you are, Eliza!” called Adele. Mr. Blount and Lord Henry looked up from their eggs and bacon as Eliza entered the breakfast room. “Sit down,” Adele said imperiously, “and submit your suggestions for what we shall do today.”
“I thought you’d arranged for some friends to pay a visit?” said Mr. Blount. His chair was quite close to Adele’s, and Eliza almost suspected that their feet were touching beneath the table.
“That’s tonight, you silly gudgeon,” replied Adele, swatting his arm playfully. “We have the whole day in front of us. We must create a schedule!” Adele looked to Eliza for affirmation, but Eliza only gave her new friend a tentative smile.
She had been hoping that Rufus would be here to take control of events and steer her in the right direction. She saw Lord Henry’s eyes upon her. He excused himself from the table and stepped over to the sideboard. He must be hungry this morning, thought Eliza, for he was filling a second plate.
“Perhaps,” ventured Eliza, “the duke will have already created a schedule.”
“Rufus!” Adele snorted in a most unladylike manner. She tossed a few unpinned tresses over her shoulder. “Don’t be ridiculous. I daresay he won’t awaken for another hour or more, and I’m sure he’s hardly gone to the trouble to arrange activities .”
“Well, that shall be my privilege then,” said Lord Henry. He came back from the sideboard and set down the plate he had filled, heaped high
“Oh dear,” said Eliza, her concern for her mother intermingling with her concern for her own situation. Being chaperoned by her parents in a strange house was bad enough, but being alone in a strange house was worse. “Is father ill as well?”
“Not that I know of, miss. He told your mother he was taking his breakfast with Mr. Curtis.”
“I see.” Eliza slipped out of bed and submitted herself to Ollerton’s ministrations. She had no idea what the day would bring, but it was comforting to be dressed in one of her favorite gowns—a sprigged muslin with a green ribbon beneath the bust.
“Ollerton,” she said, a thought coming to her. “Do you mingle much with the rest of the staff here?”
“I take my dinner with the duke’s valet and the ladies’ maids,” said Ollerton. Her pursed lips voiced the question: “Why?”
“I assume they talk. People always do. Talk about other people, I mean. Have you…have you heard anything about Henry Rowland, the duke’s brother?”
“What sort of things?”
“I…don’t know exactly,” said Eliza, unwilling to confide in Ollerton about the incident with the maid in the corridor. “Anything untoward, I suppose?”
“I can’t say as I have,” said Ollerton, “but I shall keep my ear to the ground.” She gave her mistress’ daughter a sharp look, but Eliza refrained from saying anymore on the subject.
“And what activities are planned for today, miss?” the maid asked, pulling the laces tight on the back of the bodice.
“I don’t really know,” replied Eliza slowly. “I suppose the duke will orchestrate some sort of amusement.”
Ollerton grunted, her mouth holding several pins to use in pinning up Eliza’s auburn hair. Within moments, a simple bun adorned the back of her head. “Well now, you look pretty as a picture, Miss Malcolm.”
“Thank you, Ollerton,” said Eliza. She looked into the mirror and put a hand up to touch her hair. It was vain to think too much of oneself, but she did hope that the woman staring back at her had the potential to be called a beauty. She flushed a little. Perhaps the Rowland brothers, or at least one of them, would think so as well.
The maid bobbed a curtsey and left the room. Eliza took a deep breath. She opened the bedroom door and headed down the corridor towards the stairs.
“There you are, Eliza!” called Adele. Mr. Blount and Lord Henry looked up from their eggs and bacon as Eliza entered the breakfast room. “Sit down,” Adele said imperiously, “and submit your suggestions for what we shall do today.”
“I thought you’d arranged for some friends to pay a visit?” said Mr. Blount. His chair was quite close to Adele’s, and Eliza almost suspected that their feet were touching beneath the table.
“That’s tonight, you silly gudgeon,” replied Adele, swatting his arm playfully. “We have the whole day in front of us. We must create a schedule!” Adele looked to Eliza for affirmation, but Eliza only gave her new friend a tentative smile.
She had been hoping that Rufus would be here to take control of events and steer her in the right direction. She saw Lord Henry’s eyes upon her. He excused himself from the table and stepped over to the sideboard. He must be hungry this morning, thought Eliza, for he was filling a second plate.
“Perhaps,” ventured Eliza, “the duke will have already created a schedule.”
“Rufus!” Adele snorted in a most unladylike manner. She tossed a few unpinned tresses over her shoulder. “Don’t be ridiculous. I daresay he won’t awaken for another hour or more, and I’m sure he’s hardly gone to the trouble to arrange activities .”
“Well, that shall be my privilege then,” said Lord Henry. He came back from the sideboard and set down the plate he had filled, heaped high
Similar Books
