lady’s remark. Her praise was not like Miss Leveson’s transparent effort to ingratiate herself, but could there be some other motive behind it? “Everyone who works for Mr. Chase thinks well of him. He is a good, fair employer. I am certain his millworkers would say the same of him and better.”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Chase’s mill.” Miss Webster shook her head as if puzzled. “The other owners say he is a fool to coddle his workers. They say it will give them dangerous ideas. But I do not see how it can be wrong to show people respect and treat them well.”
Hearing Jasper Chase called a fool ignited a blaze of indignation in Evangeline. She was about to launch into a vigorous defense of him when a sharp tug on her hand made her look down.
Rosie stared up at her. “Is it time to eat yet? I’m hungry.”
“So am I,” said Miss Webster before Evangeline had a chance to respond. “All the fresh air and walking have given me an appetite.”
She held out her hand to the child. “Shall we go ask the others if they are ready to eat?”
Rosie nodded and took her hand. As the two headed off together, Evangeline noticed Gemma Leveson and her mother shooting dark glares at Miss Webster, as if the lady had stolen her favorite plaything.
It soon became clear that most of the guests were as eager to eat as Rosie. They reeled in their kites then descended on the picnic hampers. For the next half hour, Evangeline was kept busy dispensing food and drink. Everyone ate with such hearty appetites that there was hardly a scrap left over.
“May we fly our kites a little longer?” Alfie begged his father when he had stuffed himself with cold meats, cheese, buns and pickled eggs.
“Go ahead,” said Mr. Chase, “but only until everything is packed up to go home.”
The guests dispersed and Evangeline began stowing the dishes, cutlery and linen back in the hampers. Mr. Chase lingered and set about helping her. “You and Miss Webster looked as thick as thieves a little while ago. Should my ears have been burning?”
“Perhaps.” Evangeline could not resist teasing him as she sometimes did the children. “Are a person’s ears supposed to burn only when they are criticized behind their back, or will any sort of comment produce the effect?”
Mr. Chase feigned a severe look. “I have never studied that particular old wives’ tale. Why do you ask?”
“Because—” Evangeline found herself enjoying their banter “—Miss Webster and I were only saying good things about you.”
“What sort of things?” Mr. Chase looked doubtful.
Did he not realize how much good there was to say about him?
“I cannot tell you.” Evangeline returned the last of the plates to the hamper, cushioning them with napkins. “It might make you vain.”
He gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “That would never do, would it?”
“It certainly would not,” she replied tartly. “I cannot abide vain men. I will tell you this much—Miss Webster thinks well of you, she likes your children a great deal and she approves of your enlightened approach to business.”
“Enlightened?” Mr. Chase seemed to savor the word. “Did she say that?”
“No. I did.” Much as Evangeline wanted to make a match between Mr. Chase and Miss Webster, she could not lie. “She said something similar but I cannot recall her exact words. The point is, I am certain she would welcome your attentions, if you could evade Miss Anstruther long enough to speak to her.”
“Whose fault is it that Miss Anstruther is sticking to me like a plaster?” He parried her playful jab.
“Yours, of course,” she retorted, “for being so handsome and charming.”
Jasper Chase laughed so hard he rocked back on his heels. “Touché, Miss Fairfax! How is it I never realized how amusing you can be?”
Evangeline accepted the compliment, though she had not been jesting.
* * *
Two days after their excursion to Red Hill, Jasper slipped into his children’s nursery in the
“Ah, yes. Mr. Chase’s mill.” Miss Webster shook her head as if puzzled. “The other owners say he is a fool to coddle his workers. They say it will give them dangerous ideas. But I do not see how it can be wrong to show people respect and treat them well.”
Hearing Jasper Chase called a fool ignited a blaze of indignation in Evangeline. She was about to launch into a vigorous defense of him when a sharp tug on her hand made her look down.
Rosie stared up at her. “Is it time to eat yet? I’m hungry.”
“So am I,” said Miss Webster before Evangeline had a chance to respond. “All the fresh air and walking have given me an appetite.”
She held out her hand to the child. “Shall we go ask the others if they are ready to eat?”
Rosie nodded and took her hand. As the two headed off together, Evangeline noticed Gemma Leveson and her mother shooting dark glares at Miss Webster, as if the lady had stolen her favorite plaything.
It soon became clear that most of the guests were as eager to eat as Rosie. They reeled in their kites then descended on the picnic hampers. For the next half hour, Evangeline was kept busy dispensing food and drink. Everyone ate with such hearty appetites that there was hardly a scrap left over.
“May we fly our kites a little longer?” Alfie begged his father when he had stuffed himself with cold meats, cheese, buns and pickled eggs.
“Go ahead,” said Mr. Chase, “but only until everything is packed up to go home.”
The guests dispersed and Evangeline began stowing the dishes, cutlery and linen back in the hampers. Mr. Chase lingered and set about helping her. “You and Miss Webster looked as thick as thieves a little while ago. Should my ears have been burning?”
“Perhaps.” Evangeline could not resist teasing him as she sometimes did the children. “Are a person’s ears supposed to burn only when they are criticized behind their back, or will any sort of comment produce the effect?”
Mr. Chase feigned a severe look. “I have never studied that particular old wives’ tale. Why do you ask?”
“Because—” Evangeline found herself enjoying their banter “—Miss Webster and I were only saying good things about you.”
“What sort of things?” Mr. Chase looked doubtful.
Did he not realize how much good there was to say about him?
“I cannot tell you.” Evangeline returned the last of the plates to the hamper, cushioning them with napkins. “It might make you vain.”
He gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “That would never do, would it?”
“It certainly would not,” she replied tartly. “I cannot abide vain men. I will tell you this much—Miss Webster thinks well of you, she likes your children a great deal and she approves of your enlightened approach to business.”
“Enlightened?” Mr. Chase seemed to savor the word. “Did she say that?”
“No. I did.” Much as Evangeline wanted to make a match between Mr. Chase and Miss Webster, she could not lie. “She said something similar but I cannot recall her exact words. The point is, I am certain she would welcome your attentions, if you could evade Miss Anstruther long enough to speak to her.”
“Whose fault is it that Miss Anstruther is sticking to me like a plaster?” He parried her playful jab.
“Yours, of course,” she retorted, “for being so handsome and charming.”
Jasper Chase laughed so hard he rocked back on his heels. “Touché, Miss Fairfax! How is it I never realized how amusing you can be?”
Evangeline accepted the compliment, though she had not been jesting.
* * *
Two days after their excursion to Red Hill, Jasper slipped into his children’s nursery in the
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