“Very well,” her mother replied as she slipped her hand under the sheets.
Octavia had no intention of calling the constable over dry sweetmeats gone missing but she didn’t want to upset her mother.
Her mother removed her hand from under the covers and she was holding up a small cloth bag. “Nancy must have put them back when I was resting. That could be the only explanation,” she stated.
“I am just glad that you found them,” Octavia said as she sat down on the chair that was positioned next to the bed.
“I don’t want Nancy to be my lady’s maid anymore,” her mother declared. “I want Sarah to come tend to me. Will you send her up?”
“Who is Sarah?”
Her mother frowned. “Sarah has been my lady’s maid since my debut. She would never think of stealing from me.”
“I don’t know this Sarah, but Nancy has been your lady’s maid for almost twenty years,” she replied.
“No, that can’t be right,” her mother said, bringing her hand to her forehead. “I want you to dismiss Nancy and bring me Sarah.”
“I’m sorry, Mother, but I can’t do that.”
Her mother dropped her hand and had a look of displeasure on her face. “I want Sarah!” she shouted.
Octavia stared at her mother in disbelief, knowing she was not one to raise her voice. She just had to remind herself that her mother wasn’t acting like herself anymore.
A knock came at the door.
“Enter,” Octavia ordered. She was grateful for the reprieve from the conversation that she was having with her mother. She wasn’t quite sure what to say to make it better.
The door opened and Harred stepped into the room with two cloth bags in his hand. “Ladies,” he greeted. “I have come bearing treats.”
Octavia felt as if she needed to warn Harred that her mother wasn’t in her right mind. She rose and approachedhim. After she went on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, she whispered, “My mother thinks her lady’s maid is stealing from her.”
Understanding dawned on Harred’s features and she felt relief that she wasn’t alone in this anymore.
Harred turned his attention towards the bed and held up one of the bags. “I understand that you enjoy the dry sweetmeats from Gunter’s,” he said.
Her mother perked up. “I do,” she responded.
He walked closer to the bed and extended her the cloth bag. “I heard your favorite is the cherry flavor. I hope I remembered correctly.”
Her mother accepted the bag. “You did, and thank you,” she replied. “These will replace the ones that Nancy stole from me.”
Harred turned back to face Octavia and held up the second bag. “I chose the mango flavor for you,” he said. “It is their newest flavor and it is all the rage.”
Octavia smiled, hoping it conveyed her gratitude. “You are kind to think of me and my mother,” she responded as he handed her the bag.
“You must know that you are never far from my mind,” Harred said in a soft voice, causing her heart to take flight. How she wished his words were real.
Her mother rolled to her side and reached for the table that sat next to the bed. She pulled out the small drawer and deposited her dry sweetmeats inside. “Now I will know when Nancy is trying to steal my treats.”
“I have an idea,” Harred declared as he walked over to the writing table in the corner. “Why don’t you write down every time that Nancy steals from you and we can document it for the constable?”
“That would do quite nicely,” her mother stated.
Octavia wasn’t entirely sure what Harred was up to but she trusted that he knew what he was doing.
As he walked the paper and quill over to the table, he continued. “Don’t let Nancy know that you are on to her, though. Just smile and pretend that all is well, but we will know the truth.”
“What if Nancy tries to read my list?” her mother asked.
