slothful, too, so it’s only natural for Miss Hampton to think her maid can do more.”
“But what shall I say to change her mind?”
Emiline shook her head. “There’s nothing you can say. Leave it alone. I will be fine right here at the estate. You go and have fun for the both of us.”
“But it’s not right.”
“I know that, but we must let the matter rest. There is nothing neither of us can do or say since we are both guests here.”
Frowning, Anna nodded as she moved to one of the armoires and pulled a gown out. Emmie didn’t stop her, only because she lacked the strength to say anything as discouragement sat heavily on her heart. They both packed the trunk in silence. Once in a while Emmie glanced at Anna, but when she noticed her friend’s watery eyes, Emmie quickly looked away before she started crying, too.
Soon, the swishing of petticoats against the skirt of a dress was heard in the hall. Seconds later, Rebecca stood in the doorway holding two teacups. Her expression wavered between happy and being upset. Emmie wished she knew she could read the other woman better.
“There has been a change of plans,” she snipped. “Apparently, my father thought it best that we invite Miss Emmie to go with us to Manchester.”
Emmie’s heart lifted. What a wonderful man! If he were standing here right now she’d probably hug him.
“How exciting!” Anna cheered as the tears disappeared from her eyes. “Now we must get your trunk packed.”
“Yes, um…that’s what I thought too,” Rebecca said in a rush. “So I brought up some tea for both of you.” She handed Emmie’s cup to her first, then Anna.
Emmie eyed the other woman carefully. Rebecca was certainly acting out of character…being nice, that is. “Thank you, Miss Hampton.” She took the teacup from her.
Anna took hers and sipped. As Emmie drank her tea, she watched Rebecca over the rim of the cup. Something definitely was not right. By the way the other woman’s sinister eyes watched Emmie, the hairs on the back of her neck stood. Did she want to travel to Manchester with such a calculating woman?
Sighing heavily, Rebecca offered a faux smile, turned and hurried out of the room. Emmie was even more leery of the woman’s actions now.
Once they were finished packing, Anna returned downstairs, but Emmie’s stomach wasn’t feeling well. By the time dinner was served, her stomach was rolling, and she stayed upstairs in her bedroom. The tang of the tea still lingered in her mouth and tasted very different from what she’d drank before. For some reason, her stomach didn’t like whatever it was Rebecca had given her. Yet Anna seemed just fine.
The night passed too slowly. Emmie couldn’t sleep because she was running to the chamber pot too often, upheaving whatever it was in her stomach. By the next morning, she was too tired, and too weak to even get out of bed. When Anna and Rebecca came to Emmie’s room, she didn’t have the strength to even smile.
“Oh, dear.” Anna touched her hand to Emmie’s cold face. “Miss Hampton, I don’t think we should go to Manchester with Emmie this sick.”
“How sad,” Rebecca said with entirely too much bounce in her voice. “Well, everything is already in place for us to travel.” She pouted…although Emmie knew it was all for show.
“Go on without me,” Emmie whispered brokenly.
Rebecca tapped Anna’s arm. “I’ll let our servants know to take special care of Miss Emmie while we are gone.”
Confusion caused Anna’s eyes to narrow as her forehead creased. “I don’t know. Maybe I should stay—”
“Absolutely not,” Rebecca said quickly. “Miss Emmie will be just fine—” she looked at Emmie, “—won’t you?”
If this was any other day, Emmie would have loved to argue with her. But she just didn’t have it in her now. “Yes, I shall be just fine. I’m actually feeling
“But what shall I say to change her mind?”
Emiline shook her head. “There’s nothing you can say. Leave it alone. I will be fine right here at the estate. You go and have fun for the both of us.”
“But it’s not right.”
“I know that, but we must let the matter rest. There is nothing neither of us can do or say since we are both guests here.”
Frowning, Anna nodded as she moved to one of the armoires and pulled a gown out. Emmie didn’t stop her, only because she lacked the strength to say anything as discouragement sat heavily on her heart. They both packed the trunk in silence. Once in a while Emmie glanced at Anna, but when she noticed her friend’s watery eyes, Emmie quickly looked away before she started crying, too.
Soon, the swishing of petticoats against the skirt of a dress was heard in the hall. Seconds later, Rebecca stood in the doorway holding two teacups. Her expression wavered between happy and being upset. Emmie wished she knew she could read the other woman better.
“There has been a change of plans,” she snipped. “Apparently, my father thought it best that we invite Miss Emmie to go with us to Manchester.”
Emmie’s heart lifted. What a wonderful man! If he were standing here right now she’d probably hug him.
“How exciting!” Anna cheered as the tears disappeared from her eyes. “Now we must get your trunk packed.”
“Yes, um…that’s what I thought too,” Rebecca said in a rush. “So I brought up some tea for both of you.” She handed Emmie’s cup to her first, then Anna.
Emmie eyed the other woman carefully. Rebecca was certainly acting out of character…being nice, that is. “Thank you, Miss Hampton.” She took the teacup from her.
Anna took hers and sipped. As Emmie drank her tea, she watched Rebecca over the rim of the cup. Something definitely was not right. By the way the other woman’s sinister eyes watched Emmie, the hairs on the back of her neck stood. Did she want to travel to Manchester with such a calculating woman?
Sighing heavily, Rebecca offered a faux smile, turned and hurried out of the room. Emmie was even more leery of the woman’s actions now.
Once they were finished packing, Anna returned downstairs, but Emmie’s stomach wasn’t feeling well. By the time dinner was served, her stomach was rolling, and she stayed upstairs in her bedroom. The tang of the tea still lingered in her mouth and tasted very different from what she’d drank before. For some reason, her stomach didn’t like whatever it was Rebecca had given her. Yet Anna seemed just fine.
The night passed too slowly. Emmie couldn’t sleep because she was running to the chamber pot too often, upheaving whatever it was in her stomach. By the next morning, she was too tired, and too weak to even get out of bed. When Anna and Rebecca came to Emmie’s room, she didn’t have the strength to even smile.
“Oh, dear.” Anna touched her hand to Emmie’s cold face. “Miss Hampton, I don’t think we should go to Manchester with Emmie this sick.”
“How sad,” Rebecca said with entirely too much bounce in her voice. “Well, everything is already in place for us to travel.” She pouted…although Emmie knew it was all for show.
“Go on without me,” Emmie whispered brokenly.
Rebecca tapped Anna’s arm. “I’ll let our servants know to take special care of Miss Emmie while we are gone.”
Confusion caused Anna’s eyes to narrow as her forehead creased. “I don’t know. Maybe I should stay—”
“Absolutely not,” Rebecca said quickly. “Miss Emmie will be just fine—” she looked at Emmie, “—won’t you?”
If this was any other day, Emmie would have loved to argue with her. But she just didn’t have it in her now. “Yes, I shall be just fine. I’m actually feeling
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