were still asleep,” Bridget confessed proudly. “We didn’t have any idea, then, that he’d be sendin’ us away for the day, but here we are, for yerself ta see, mum. We didn’t dare bring everythin’ o’ yers, ye understand, just a few gowns an’ things what wouldn’t bereadily missed. We moved yer paintin’s up ta the closet in the attic. Ye knows the one what’s behind all ’em crates. Unless Mr. Winthrop knows o’ it, it don’t seem likely he’ll be a-findin’ it any time soon, even if he goes up there. If’n ye can leave the name o’ a place where ye’ll be after ye gets ta the Carolinas, then we’ll try an’ send them ta ye.”
“I’ll ask Captain Birmingham if he can loan me enough to pay for the shipment. I wouldn’t want any of you to be put out by the expense.”
“’Twould help, mum,” Bridget agreed. “For the most part, we’ve decided ta seek employment elsewhere. Mrs. Winthrop had friends what can vouch for us, an’ all o’ us know we’d be better off workin’ for someone else.”
“But once you leave,” Cerynise said worriedly, “won’t Sybil realize that some of my clothes have been taken and accuse you or some of the other servants of stealing them?”
Bridget tossed her head in flippant disregard for what the trollop might think. “I doubt Miss Sybil’ll even notice they’re missin’, mum. She certainly can’t wear ‘em. The ones we brought were at the bottom o’ a huge pile she left on the bloomin’ floor after riflin’ through yer wardrobes and chest o’ drawers. Most likely she’s already forgot they were even there.”
“You’ve taken an awful chance bringing them to me,” Cerynise surmised, but a glowing smile assured them of her gratitude. “I don’t know how I can thank you enough.”
“Just knowing that they’ve been given to their rightful owner will be our reward, miss,” Jasper assured her. “We wouldn’t have felt right without making some attempt to help you.” He chuckled, displaying a rarely glimpsed humor. “Why, Mrs. Winthrop would have come back to haunt us if we hadn’t tried.”
“You’re both dear, dear friends,” Cerynise averred, taking each by the hand. “I shall miss you terribly.”
“You were the apple of Mrs. Winthrop’s eye, the child she never had,” Jasper murmured gently. “Bridget and Ihave come to think of you as her adopted daughter. We’ll grieve in your absence.”
The parlor maid took a deep breath to halt the sadness welling up within her and, blinking away blurring tears, glanced about the cabin to redirect her thoughts to something less emotional. “Have ye e’er seen anythin’ what looked this grand, mum?” she asked in a thick tone and then corrected herself. “I mean, besides Mrs. Winthrop’s home, o’ course. I’ve ne’er been on a ship afore an’ always imagined they’d smell a bit like fish or somethin’. Little did I think that ye’d be able ta find passage home on such a fine ship when ye hadn’t a farthin’ ta yer name.”
“Captain Birmingham is an old acquaintance,” Cerynise stated carefully, preferring not to explain that she wouldn’t be returning to the Carolinas on his ship. “Years ago he was one of my father’s students. The most promising, I might add, despite his reluctance to settle down to his studies. ’Twas truly my good fortune that he was in port.”
“Oh, he’s a real looker, al’right, mum,” Bridget eagerly expounded. “Then, there was the nicest Mr. Oaks what greeted us…”
The delicate clearing of Jasper’s throat was enough to remind the parlor maid that she had forgotten herself. The butler squeezed Cerynise’s hand. “We should be going now, miss. I hope you’ll take care of yourself and write to let us know how you’re getting on.”
“I shall,” Cerynise pledged, her eyes misting. “Just as soon as I reach Charleston.”
“Very good, miss,” the man murmured. “We shall both look forward to receiving your
“I’ll ask Captain Birmingham if he can loan me enough to pay for the shipment. I wouldn’t want any of you to be put out by the expense.”
“’Twould help, mum,” Bridget agreed. “For the most part, we’ve decided ta seek employment elsewhere. Mrs. Winthrop had friends what can vouch for us, an’ all o’ us know we’d be better off workin’ for someone else.”
“But once you leave,” Cerynise said worriedly, “won’t Sybil realize that some of my clothes have been taken and accuse you or some of the other servants of stealing them?”
Bridget tossed her head in flippant disregard for what the trollop might think. “I doubt Miss Sybil’ll even notice they’re missin’, mum. She certainly can’t wear ‘em. The ones we brought were at the bottom o’ a huge pile she left on the bloomin’ floor after riflin’ through yer wardrobes and chest o’ drawers. Most likely she’s already forgot they were even there.”
“You’ve taken an awful chance bringing them to me,” Cerynise surmised, but a glowing smile assured them of her gratitude. “I don’t know how I can thank you enough.”
“Just knowing that they’ve been given to their rightful owner will be our reward, miss,” Jasper assured her. “We wouldn’t have felt right without making some attempt to help you.” He chuckled, displaying a rarely glimpsed humor. “Why, Mrs. Winthrop would have come back to haunt us if we hadn’t tried.”
“You’re both dear, dear friends,” Cerynise averred, taking each by the hand. “I shall miss you terribly.”
“You were the apple of Mrs. Winthrop’s eye, the child she never had,” Jasper murmured gently. “Bridget and Ihave come to think of you as her adopted daughter. We’ll grieve in your absence.”
The parlor maid took a deep breath to halt the sadness welling up within her and, blinking away blurring tears, glanced about the cabin to redirect her thoughts to something less emotional. “Have ye e’er seen anythin’ what looked this grand, mum?” she asked in a thick tone and then corrected herself. “I mean, besides Mrs. Winthrop’s home, o’ course. I’ve ne’er been on a ship afore an’ always imagined they’d smell a bit like fish or somethin’. Little did I think that ye’d be able ta find passage home on such a fine ship when ye hadn’t a farthin’ ta yer name.”
“Captain Birmingham is an old acquaintance,” Cerynise stated carefully, preferring not to explain that she wouldn’t be returning to the Carolinas on his ship. “Years ago he was one of my father’s students. The most promising, I might add, despite his reluctance to settle down to his studies. ’Twas truly my good fortune that he was in port.”
“Oh, he’s a real looker, al’right, mum,” Bridget eagerly expounded. “Then, there was the nicest Mr. Oaks what greeted us…”
The delicate clearing of Jasper’s throat was enough to remind the parlor maid that she had forgotten herself. The butler squeezed Cerynise’s hand. “We should be going now, miss. I hope you’ll take care of yourself and write to let us know how you’re getting on.”
“I shall,” Cerynise pledged, her eyes misting. “Just as soon as I reach Charleston.”
“Very good, miss,” the man murmured. “We shall both look forward to receiving your
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