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“Are you alright, Emily?” she asked with a hand to her mouth, stifling a laugh. “You must be shocked to have been placed in such a noble house. I assure you; you’ll get used to it. In any case, you will not have the occasion to be seen by the family.”
Caroline held her tongue. Of course, she could not spew that information out as if it were to be believed. The housekeeper would think Caroline an unstable liar and have her sent straight back to the rookery. Mrs. Reilly, even if she was involved in filtering kidnapped ladies through her staff, could have no idea that her new maid was of gentle birth. Had she not heard the madam and the highwaymen swear, seal the bargain with their blood, that they would only say that she had been plucked from the gutters. No one would believe her, even if Mrs. Reilly could be trusted, and there was no guarantee of that. Caroline had to think! In the meantime, she would keep her mouth shut.
Of course, Mrs. Reilly would think that such a step up would be an overwhelming improvement to one from the lowly beginnings that she suspected.
Caroline made a paltry excuse about the dust having gotten to her as she did her best to collect herself. It would not be safe to have Mrs. Reilly, or anyone in the house, suspect who she really was. If she were discovered, they might arrange to have her killed. She did not know who to trust, therefore, she could trust no one. Even being unaware of the greater facts did not make them innocent overall.
“Go splash some cool water on your face and then prepare the bed in Lord Edward’s room.” Mrs. Reilly declared. “He should arrive before long and I should think that he will wish to celebrate. His older brother’s ship was sunk by the French last month and he must have been very distraught because he hasn’t ventured out from his apartment since the news.” She smiled, clearly having motherly affection toward Lord Edward.
“It will be nice to have something for him to celebrate,” Caroline said with what voice she could muster. Soon, Lord Edward would be mourning more than just his brother, the poor man. Strange that she felt some sympathy for him.
Mrs. Reilly leaned forward with a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. “His grace will throw parties for a month to show off his new pet,” she whispered. “He wrote that she’s young and will need to be introduced all throughout London so that she can make the proper connections. If you ask me, I pity the girl.”
Caroline did not know how to respond to that so she merely nodded. “I should go,” she said.
“Yes,” Mrs. Reilly chirped, “lots to do!”
Caroline hurried out into the hall and immediately collided with someone who had been moving to pass through the doorway from the opposite direction.
“Lord Edward!” Mrs. Reilly exclaimed. Caroline had never heard the housekeeper sound so jovial.
Caroline looked up into the aristocratic face of an attractive blond male. He was wearing a thick riding cloak and his cheeks were flushed against the cool evening air. His half-grin was arresting and caused her to stumble backward. Mrs. Reilly gave a disapproving cough and Caroline recalled her place.
She bowed her head and dipped into a low curtsy. “My lord,” she murmured.
He gave a nod of acknowledgement to each female before hanging his silver handled walking stick on a hook in the hall.
“I received your note that I was to return to receive important news,” he said with a deep, languid tone. “What is it?”
“Your father’s been wed,” Mrs. Reilly said with a look in her eye that Caroline could not read. “I thought you should hear it in person.”
Lord Edward’s face paled.
“They left Northwickshire for Heatherton Hall straight after the ceremony,” she added. “He received a special license and decided to surprise us all.”
Lord Edward muttered a curse that no gentleman would have voiced before a lady, but Caroline remembered, he did not think her more than a maid of all work.
Caroline tried to read the emotions that played over his features but he was too quick to cover them with a blank expression. Worry. Anger. Annoyance. Hurt. Maybe even fear. He headed down the hall and into the study, slamming the door behind him. Caroline could not blame the man. The duke had said that his son would not care that his position might be lessened by their marriage, but she had not believed it and now she knew it was so. Even if Lord Edward had never aspired to be duke, it could only hurt his pride to know that his father had so little respect for him as to marry in secret for what could only be one reason. He had no idea that his father was dead, that the marriage was meaningless now. All he could know was that Caroline’s own union had likely been a cut direct from this gentleman’s own flesh and blood. Caroline was glad that she had not precipitously revealed her own identity.
“Off to the linens,” Mrs. Reilly said, back to her usual abrupt self. She made to follow Lord Edward into the study. Perhaps the old woman thought that she could settle the gentleman. “You haven’t time to wash your face now, girl. Get on, go! First door at the top of the stairs.”
Caroline scurried off like a scolded puppy and went to prepare Lord Edward’s rooms as she had been bid.
CHAPTER9
Aweek flew by and Caroline became more adept at her regular chores. She still had issues whenever something new was attempted for the first time, like when she scoured the back hall with vinegar and had not known to mix the foul liquid into a bucket of water. The entire house had reeked to high heaven for two days and they had been forced to open the windows even though the weather was unseasonably cool. The staff had all resorted to walking around wearing cloaks even within the house. She thought that some were teasing her, but she still did not know who to trust. In addition, Caroline’s delicate hands were reddened and cracked by the caustic liquid and Mrs. Reilly was incensed that she had used the entire bottle of vinegar and had not finished the cleaning.
Lord Edward had thought the mishap hilarious and had pestered the staff relentlessly to find out who had been responsible.
“Tell me you did it on purpose,” he laughed one evening when she had brought a load of wood into the parlor. They had finally been able to close the windows, the smell only present in whiffs every now and then near the servants’ entrance.
“I didn’t,” she had promised and shook her head at her own foolishness.
“Mrs. Reilly says that you have been sent from hell to test her.” He grinned.
“She’d be justified in that thought,” Caroline groaned. “I can’t pretend to be bothered one way or another.” Caroline still did not know whether or not to trust the head housekeeper, but she knew beyond doubt that the woman had cursed the day she had been saddled with Emily Baker and as a result had made Caroline’s workload miserable on purpose. So far, she had decided not to trust any of the male servants outright, if only because all of the highwaymen had been male and not female. She liked her roommate, Lizzy, who worked in the kitchens but hardly spoke, and she was nearly certain that the fat chef would throttle her if she ever had one of her mishaps in his kitchen so she was almost confident that made him one of the Madam’s cronies. The scullery maids were always digging for gossip so she could not confide in them. They would not keep her secret and the other maids went about their duties so quickly that Caroline had never had a chance to have a real conversation with any of them. They seemed not to have a comradery between them.
“You’re bold, for a maid,” Lord Edward observed.
