She had just uttered her words when the short, round cook approached her with a teacup in her hand.
“I heated you up some chocolate,” Mrs. Reid said as she placed the cup in front of her. “I thought you could use some,considering you look as if you were up to no good in that worn gown.”
Simone smiled up at Mrs. Reid. “Thank you,” she acknowledged. “I can always use some chocolate.”
Mrs. Reid pulled out a chair and sat down. “So you found Lucy?” she asked. “I couldn’t help but overhear. The kitchen is rather small.”
“I did,” Simone replied. “She was buying bread from a vendor.”
Mrs. Reid frowned. “I wish she would come back here. I could always give her a job.”
Simone took a sip of her chocolate before saying, “I think this is the last place that she wants to be.”
“That is a shame,” Mrs. Reid acknowledged. “But you best hurry if you want to change out of your clothes before Mrs. Fernsby comes in search of you.”
“You are right, as usual,” Simone said, rising. “Fortunately, if Mrs. Fernsby did see me in these clothes, she wouldn’t even notice anything is amiss.”
Mrs. Reid grimaced. “I saw Mrs. Fernsby talking to a wall yesterday. I suspect she thought she was talking to a maid, but no one was there.”
Felicity rose. “Let’s get you dressed for dinner.”
“For what purpose?” Simone asked. “It is not as if my father even dines with me.”
“Regardless, you can’t keep parading around the townhouse in those clothes,” Felicity said.
Simone reached for her teacup and took a long sip. Then she placed the empty teacup onto the table. “Now we can go.”
Felicity laughed. “I don’t know what you would do without chocolate.”
“I hope there never comes a day that I have to find out,” Simone joked.
Mrs. Reid remained in her seat as she asked, “Do youwant a tray sent to your room or will you be eating in the dining room?”
Simone hated the two options that were being presented to her. But that was her lot in life. “I suppose I will eat in the dining room.”
“I shall see to it, then,” Mrs. Reid said.
As she headed towards the servants’ stairs, Simone glanced over at Felicity and asked, “Do you know where Mrs. Fernsby is?”
“I saw her last in the library,” Felicity replied. “She was sleeping by the fire in the hearth.”
Simone walked up the narrow, uneven stairs as she headed towards the second level. She opened the door and stepped into the empty corridor.
In a few strides, she arrived at her bedchamber and stepped inside. Felicity followed her into the room, closing the door behind her.
“What are you going to do about your father?” Felicity asked.
Simone went to sit on the bed. “I’m going to search his study tonight. I can’t just rely on Lucy’s words.”
“Do you think that is wise?”
“What choice do I have?” Simone asked. “The fear was palpable in Lucy’s eyes when she spoke of my father.”
Felicity walked over to the wardrobe and retrieved a pale yellow gown. “Well, if you are going to engage in espionage, you must at least look good doing it,” she said with a smile.
“You are very wise,” Simone joked.
“I won’t contradict you,” Felicity remarked.
