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When Marilee bade him farewell, she made a show in the hall of apologizing that her lady had been unable to keep their appointment. Mrs. Cavendish could be seen spying from the far end of the hall and so Nikolas made a show of pressing a kiss to Marilee’s hand and lingering longer than was appropriate. He reached up to fix a random curl and the cap nearly toppled from her head. She grabbed it, securing its precarious position with one hand while Nikolas refused to give up the other. She giggled when she realized she had left the hair pins behind on the floor. Perhaps that was for the best. She brought her mirth under control and merely smiled at the thought.
And from his bowed position where the housekeeper could not see, Nikolas winked at her before dashing through the door. Marilee schooled her features to annoyance and gave a ridiculous sigh, pulling at her skirt as if it had needed to be set to rights. She hated that she would allow such falsehoods to persist as to her nature, but if it convinced Lady Lydia that she was well in hand then it had to be worth it. She was aware that Mrs. Cavendish still watched her.
When she turned to make her way to the dormitory, Mrs. Cavendish stopped her.
“Don’t go thinking that this has earned you a lie-in on the morrow, Kate,” the housekeeper snapped. “It takes the best of us more than a few hours to set a hook, and milady wants it well set.”
Marilee shrugged as if it were not matter to her, when really, she wanted to scowl and bark back at the older woman that perhaps their methods were simply flawed. Instead, she yawned and left the hall without a further word. Let the housekeeper think what she would. Marilee cared not one whit for the woman’s opinion or advice, and at the moment, nothing could interfere with her gay mood.
* * *
When Mr. Crowleyarrived midday with a simple ribboned bracelet that held a single small charm, an iron-worked crow, Mrs. Cavendish looked as if she were about to swallow her tongue. It was all that Marilee could do not to cast a victorious glance at the woman. Instead, she thanked the solicitor for the gift and told him thathe shouldn’t have but of course, she loved it.
When he asked her how she was, she knew he had meant a covert inquiry into the goings on of the house.
“I’ve been moved back to the laundry,” she said with a sigh. “I suppose that means that I shall have more time for visits,” she offered an exaggerated giggle, “since I am no longer needed by my lady.” In her blustering that night she had forgotten to add that little detail. “The lady’s new maid, Hetty, I am told, has more experience in such things, but I cannot see how. She cannot be more than sixteen, fifteen, more like.” There, now he might look for a missing Hetty with history as a lady’s maid. Perhaps some good could be done before the poor girl found herself sold off.
He nodded and she could almost see him mentally tuck the information away for later. “Do you think her name is Harriet?”
“Perhaps,” Marilee said. “I don’t really know.”
He nodded and kissed her hand most fervently causing Marilee’s heart to race. Then he took his leave, knowing that she would not be allowed to be detained for long when she was still expected to perform her full duties in the washroom.
Peggy smirked at her as she entered the laundry area.
Marilee knew she was sporting her colors. Her skin was flushed with excitement, but she said nothing.
“That high color is due to the heat of the room, no doubt,” Peggy said.
“No doubt,” Marilee agreed readily. “Perhaps we should open the window.”
PARTIV
CHAPTER17
Lady Lydia was so thrilled at Mrs. Cavendish’s news of Marilee’s success that she made an unexpected visit all the way down in the washroom where she caught Marilee and Peggy unawares. Never had she shown her face in the servant’s domain and the flourish with which she arrived had given them both a rather nasty start. Thankfully, they had only been discussing a particularly meddlesome tear in Lady Lydia’s riding frock and not something more dire. They had become complacent that the laundry was invulnerable.
“Let me see it!” Lady Lydia exclaimed and Marilee held out the riding frock, confused.
“No, no,” Lady Lydia said as she clutched at Marilee’s wrist and examined the band. “Good heavens, what have you done to the man?” she said “Even I was unable to tempt him and, I shall tell you, I tried. I am not one who is used to taking no for an answer and I certainly don’t appreciate being upstaged…”
The woman’s moods jumped like quicksilver. Marilee bit her lip. Had their plan worked too well? The last thing that she needed was to draw the jealousy of Lady Lydia, but they had all suspected her devotion to Lord Edward, or perhaps she was just devoted to the title.
“Perhaps, he simply knew that he could never have any real hold on you, my lady,” said Peggy demurely. “Untitled as he is, and you, a grand lady.”
“Of course,” Lady Lydia agreed. “More than likely he prefers to feel superior with women of such a low class rather than one of my prestige. Men do that, you know,” she told Marilee particularly. “They do not like intimidating women, and of course it would be intimidating to consider me. Yes, that must be it!” She nodded and seemed satisfied with the explanation, her ire disappearing as quickly as it had come. “Well, you did as I asked,” she said to Marilee, “so I shall forego the slight and simply be happy that you made fast work of it.”
Marilee just found herself nodding. Insults and all, Lady Lydia’s delusional happiness was enough to bring Marilee a breath of relief. When she opened her mouth to express her gratitude that she had pleased the lady, Marilee realized Lady Lydia had already rushed from the room, as quickly as she had arrived, her quicksilver mood foregoing a farewell.
Peggy and Marilee stared at one another in silence for the longest while before they both burst out laughing.
“She is mad as a hatter,” Peggy said.
“Yes,” Marilee agreed, for a moment pushing thoughts of their woes to the background. That mad woman had control of their lives.
* * *
Altogether,Marilee enjoyed a sennight of bliss, or as close to it as could be had, in her current situation. She still worried about Lord Edward; albeit, less and less. Lady Lydia might be mad, but Lord Edward was not. That made him dangerous, but with so many days having passed Marilee was growing more confident in the idea that the lord had not given a second thought to the solicitor. Perhaps he was so often such an aggressive brute when it came to women that he was used to being laid out. It would not look well to have a maid say that he had forced himself upon her, although she doubted it would be the first time. Still, Marilee had not had seen him, nor had she endured another private moment with him. No doubt he was busy with his nefarious plans, and good riddance as long as those plans did not include her.
