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Chapter Six
Letty was having no luck at all in finding what she was looking for. Somebody always seemed to be lurking when she contrived to wander down the hall to the study.
Perhaps I could try while the dinner party is ongoing.
Preparations were in high gear with Mrs. Gendry commandeering them all like troops. She listened closely as the maids gossiped excitedly about who might be in attendance.
“The Earl of Radnor for sure will come. And perhaps he shall bring his mistress and scandalize the room!” a rotund apple-cheeked scullery maid named Alfreda giggled as she scrubbed the floor.
“I think that’s why His Grace likes him,” Minnie, a blonde-haired kitchen maid, replied as she tended the fire over which the pig would be roasted.
Alfreda gave her a sidelong glance. “Oh yes, His Grace does enjoy a bit of titillation. I hear the Countess of Perrin will be coming.”
Minnie straightened up to stare in shock. “Is she? But I heard tell at the market she was quite put out with the Duke for refusing her advances!”
Alfreda gasped, also pausing her cleaning to sit up and listen closer. “Is that so? Where did you hear that?”
Letty also paused, staring at Minnie as well. While she wasn’t surprised that some woman would make advances at the Duke—hewasyoung, rich, and very handsome after all—shewassurprised at how very much she resented it.
“I overheard her cook discussing it with the butcher—you know they’re cousins—said she heard it from her ladyship’s maid! According to the cook, she threw quite a tantrum!”
Alfreda sidled closer to sit on the bench near Minnie’s fire, cleaning forgotten. Letty punched the bread she was kneading quite unnecessarily hard. “When did this happen?”
“Oh…” Minnie squinted thoughtfully as she poked absently at the fire. “Mayhap the time before last time the master was home.”
“But why would he refuse? She's all the crack. Well inlaid, too.”
Letty made a moue of distaste as she darted angry glances at the two maids.
Minnie snorted. “The master has no need ofhermoney.”
“Aye so. But she is a diamond of the first water, and very well-traveled forby.” Alfreda looked rather wistful. Letty’s fist clenched, the desire to rearrange Alfreda’s face quite overwhelmingly strong.
“Well, perhaps he has changed his mind and will accept her offer now.” Minnie shrugged and Letty was hard put not to ask more questions.
Why would he have changed his mind?
Where can I find this Countess?
How dare she try to seduce the Duke?!
She held her peace because the kitchen servants were already giving her sidelong and snide glances because of her behavior with the Duke. Mrs. Gendry had cornered her the evening before just before she’d gone to bed.
“Miss Strange, may I speak with you?” she’d said, rather awkwardly.
Letty straightened her spine, prepared for any censure that might be headed her way. “Yes, of course. What is this about?”
The housekeeper sighed. “I don’t know where you’ve worked before as you did not come with any references, but in a nobleman’s house, you cannot behave as you did in the kitchen. You spoke to the Duke without according him the proper respect.That is not done here. I cannot have you impugning the honor of the servants. If you cannot behave better, I shall have to let you go.”
Letty blinked at her in surprise. “Oh…” She had no idea what to say. “I…am sorry. I was not aware that I was…impugning.”
Mrs. Gendry smiled at her quite kindly. “Yes, I suspected as much and that is why I had to give you a talking to. Now that you know, I trust you shall adjust your behavior accordingly.”
“Yes, Mrs. Gendry.” Letty curtsied clumsily just to show how much she understood.
The housekeeper patted her on the arm and went on her way.
So Letty was already on thin ice and since she had not yet carried out her mission, she could not afford to be tossed unceremoniously out.
