“I’m certain that is none of my business.” Mr. Victor nodded, turning solemn. “I only came here to introduce myself to Mrs. Tucker and welcome our new parishioners.”
“And we thank you, Mr. Victor,” Mrs. Tucker said with a smile. “We knew exactly what you meant, didn’t we Miss Shroud?”
Lucy nodded, conflicted between gratitude for Mr. Miner nipping any interest the vicar might have for her in the bud, and worry about how far this story of her infatuation with Mrs. Tucker’s son might spread. “Of course.”
Mr. Victor nodded his farewell, and after a few more parting words and a promise from Mrs. Tucker to visit Mr. Miner’s store, Lucy and Mrs. Tucker started on their short walk home.
The sun shone through the few clouds in the sky, and finches skirted about in the trees lining the road to Mr. Bennion’s home. She’d woken up thinking it would be a day wasted, since she wouldn’t have the opportunity to spend time with Mr. Harrison. But the walk home with Mrs. Tucker, with Lucy’s hand wrapped around her companion’s arm, seemed anything but wasteful. It was just the rest her mind needed after days of trying to determine if she really wanted to marry the quiet, hulking man who called himself Mr. Scarper. Once they were far enough away from the church to be completely alone, Lucy turned to Mrs. Tucker. “Thank ye for saving me with Mr. Miner. Ye didn’t have to do that.”
Mrs. Tucker patted Lucy’s hand. “It wasn’t so long ago that I was also trying to let down my would-be suitors lightly.”
“After seein’ ye charm everyone in town today, I find that very easy to believe.”
Mrs. Tucker laughed. “That was a lifetime ago for me.”
“I don’t know. Mr. Miner seemed quite happy to transfer his interest to ye.”
“You mean his interest in a woman who is intrigued by soap?”
Lucy snorted. “I mean exactly that.”
“There are worse things than a man that understands the virtue of cleanliness.”
Lucy pulled her companion closer to her. “Does that mean ye’re goin’ to visit his shop?”
“Of course I’m going to visit his shop. He seems harmless, and I’m sitting around at a stranger's home all day while you are off trying to save your father’s company one delivery at a time. A woman needs something to do, and a bit of harmless flirtation with a soapmaker is better than nothing.”
Lucy stiffened at the mention of her father’s supposed company. When she’d first hired Mrs. Tucker in London, she’d deliberately found someone she didn’t know and told her the lie she’d told everyone in Fenswallow. But after spending nearly a week with her, Lucy’s deception to Mrs. Tucker felt worse even than her lies to Mr. Harrison. Mr. Harrison might come to understand why she’d done what she’d done. Besides, he was deceiving her and the whole town himself. But Mrs. Tucker was fast becoming a friend, and her only deception was telling Mr. Miner that Lucy was interested in her son.
Mrs. Tucker must have noticed her change in demeanor, for she slowed her pace. “I did interpret your meaning in the church, didn’t I? I figured Mr. Miner is much too old for you.”
“Aye, ye were right. I’m more grateful than ye can imagine.” In fact, she might have saved Lucy in more ways than one. By telling Mr. Miner she only hoped to marry Sam someday, and not that they were actually engaged, she’d probably saved Lucy from some future trouble. If rumors had spread that Lucy was engaged, it might have gotten back to Mr. Harrison, and the last thing she wanted to do was answer questions about her fiancétoher fiancé. Not that hewouldask her. If Lucy didn’t startconversations on the cart, the two of them would most likely never talk at all.
“Good. And I’m happy to help.” Mrs. Tucker resumed their previous pace. “Sam, on the other hand, might be quite astonished to know he has such a lovely young woman, several years his senior, so enthralled by him.”
Lucy laughed. “Please, never tell him.”
“Oh, I just might. You better worry. He may take one look at you and decide to hold you to your promises.”
“I never promised anything,” Lucy said, shaking her head.
“You told Mr. Miner that lavender soap was for your future mother-in-law, then gave it to me. I’m fairly certain that could hold up as a betrothal in a court of law.”
“Well, trust me. If I could choose my mother-in-law, I would happily choose you over––” Lucy stopped herself, but not soon enough.
This time, Mrs. Tucker didn’t slow. She came to a full stop. Lucy’s hand dropped to her side and Mrs. Tucker raised an eyebrow. “Miss Shroud, are you hiding something?”
Lucy pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and nodded.
Mrs. Tucker put her hands on her hips. “Are you going to tell me about it?”
Lucy bit her lip. What should she do? Or more to the point, what would Mrs. Tucker do if she found out what Lucy was hiding? “I don’t know.”
“Are you doing something illegal?”
Lucy shook her head.
“Traitorous?”
