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“Perhaps, but I like that you’re here all the same.”
The door opened, and Emma was announced and shown in. The young woman’s eyes were wider than usual as she moved into the room, her head turning from one side to the other as she took in the whole of the room.
“Welcome,” Charlotte said, waving her in.
Seth stood as Emma neared. The young woman looked positively overwhelmed—and was Charlotte mistaken that she was thinner than before?
“Please, have a seat,” Charlotte motioned to the spot on the settee beside her.
Emma slowly lowered herself onto the edge of the settee. For several minutes they spoke of inconsequential things. The weather and how soon it might rain. Mrs. Lewis came up in the course of the conversation, as she was a common acquaintance. Her health and the health of a few of the teachers at the asylum were discussed. During this time, Charlotte poured tea and offered small cakes to them all. After a time, the conversation naturally made its way to talk of Emma and her late family.
“My father was a farmer,” Emma said in response to a question from Charlotte. “He used to work a field not far outside South Hampton. When he died, my mother brought us to London. It was just the three of us then. Jane was only a baby. She found employ as a maid-of-all-work.”
“How long was she with you after coming to Town?” Seth asked, his tone softer than usual. Not so soft that anyone would have noticed besides herself. But she appreciated his effort to make Emma feel at home all the same.
“Three years,” Emma said. Her gaze dropped to the teacup in her lap. “We lost her quite suddenly to pneumonia.” Emma took a small sip of tea and then seemed to compose herself rather well.
All in all, Charlotte was impressed with Emma. The young woman held herself well, spoke well, comported herself beyond reproach. It was no wonder she’d found employ easily enough to begin with. While Emma wasn’t exactly in her element speaking with a marchioness and knighted gentleman, she wasn’t overwhelmed or overly timid.
“I was blessed, however,” Emma continued after not too long a break. “The lady of the house where my mother had been working took Jane and me to the asylum and saw to it we were taken in.”
“That was very good of her,” Charlotte said, taking a sip of her own tea.
“Oh yes, very good of her,” Emma hurried to agree. “I am forever grateful.” As she moved to rest her teacup atop the low table in front of them, a wail from Samuel echoed from somewhere else in the house and startled the poor girl. Emma gave a little jump, spilling her tea across the table.
“Oh, dear me, what a clumsy clod I am.” Emma hurriedly looked for something with which to tidy up the mess.
Seth had a handkerchief in hand and was sopping up the mess before Charlotte could do any more than pull out her own handkerchief. As he cleaned up the spill, Charlotte took to soothing the young woman.
“Don’t you worry,” Charlotte said, “I am at fault for not telling you before. Samuel, my grandson, has come to stay with me for a time, and his cries can cause quite a fright when you aren’t expecting them.”
“I am so sorry. I normally am quite capable of drinking tea without causing such a disaster,” she said with a little laugh. “Honestly, I haven’t spilled...”
Something caught Emma’s eye. Charlotte turned and looked over her shoulder but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Emma reached out and took Charlotte’s handkerchief, still dangling from her fingertips.
“My lady, the lace is starting to rip away from the cloth.”
Charlotte let go of the handkerchief, allowing Emma to take it completely, and looked down at it along with the young woman.
“I’d noticed as much a few weeks ago, but I keep forgetting to ask my lady’s maid to see to it.”
Honestly, she rarely took it out and hadn’t looked at it since she’d first noticed the rip.
“I can fix it in no time,” Emma said, a spark of excitement in her eye.
Charlotte had never seen the young woman light up so. “You are our guest, Emma. I had no intention when inviting you over to put you to work.”
“I really don’t mind,” Emma continued. “I could have it sorted right fast, I could.”
There was something about Emma’s eagerness—that, and her willingness to fix this simple handkerchief, tugged at something in Charlotte’s memory. She just couldn’t quite remember it yet.
“I have a small sewing kit in the top drawer of the desk over there,” Charlotte said, motioning toward one side of the room. “If you don’t mind fetching it, I’m sure you will find all you need inside.”
Emma nearly leapt to her feet. She secured the small sewing kit in no time and was soon seated beside Charlotte again, happily rummaging through the various bits of thread to find the best match.
It was a wonder to watch her work. She studied a few different needles before selecting one. She had it threaded and ready almost before Charlotte could blink. At one point in her life, Charlotte had greatly enjoyed stitching pillows and a few other projects. She’d sewn quite a lot when first she’d heard of Susan being in the family way. As of late, however, her eyes hurt after much sewing, and so the little box had remained mostly unused.
