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Opening her mouth to explain, Molly felt the words collide in her throat, choking her. Of course, this wasn’t the time to explain that her pain didn’t stem only from her mother’s death birthing the last of her siblings. She had also lost two sisters and two sisters-in-law to childbed fever or bleeding.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she stifled the warnings to her ladyship of all the dangers that awaited her. “I’m sorry,terriblysorry, for adding to your woes, my lady.”
“You’ve been afraid because of what you’ve seen. Because of your loyalty to me. I need you still, Molly, here in London—tending to matters that are important to me.”
She’s leaving, and I’m staying.
An invisible knife pierced her sternum, even though she was grateful to remain employed after her hysterics. For all Lady Clara’s peculiarities—perhaps because of them—she was not only a fair mistress but a remarkably understanding one.
Though the demotion stung mightily, it required no effort at all for Molly to remember the desperation that sent her to sprawling, filthy London. Lady Clara had saved her not just from starvation, but the horrors many suffered in their servitude. Of all the employers in London, thank God she happened upon this one.
In both the lady’s spinster and married homes, Molly had known true safety. More than that, her frailties were tolerated. Once she became the lady’s upstairs maid, Lady Clara had even afforded her the great privilege of her own room, not because Molly earned it, but in recognition of Molly’s…eccentricities.
“Anything, my lady. What may I tend to while you’re at Anterleigh?”
“I shall need you to pay great attention to the two beloved areas of this home that, without you, will wither in my absence. The orangery and my music room.”
Caring for the orangery made sense—with her interests in gardening, her ladyship had never hired a proper gardener to oversee the small conservatory Mr. Robertson had added to his mansion for his wife.
“I shall attend to the orangery, my lady. I’ve learned a great deal from you. But how do I look after the music room?”
When Lady Clara smiled, the sun shone on Molly. “Oversee Mr. Vogel’s restoration of the old piano and the regular tuning of my new one. Most of all, I’d like you to expand my music library. It’s been a very fond wish for some time, but between my family and charitable concerns, I’ve neglected to do so properly.”
Contemplating the new assignments, Molly nodded, unable to speak. Part of her wondered whether her ladyship was creating the tasks solely out of pity for her; the other part was already busy planning how best to undertake them.
Nurture Lady Clara’s precious orange trees? She already assisted in those responsibilities and knew she could manage them.
Acquire musical scores? She hadn’t ever done so, but she was committed to learning.
Supervise the fastidious, prickly, handsome piano tuner, Mr. Vogel?
Well…if I must.
