Chapter Six
Dr. Scott froze when he caught sight of Selena. His face turned pink as the two of them stared at each other in the quiet of Mr. Clarke’s bedchamber.
“Miss Taylor.” He seemed to be struggling for words.
Her own cheeks warmed. “Dr. Scott,” she managed. “I have just been packing up Mr. Clarke’s things.”
“Yes. Er. Um.” He glanced at the open trunk and then back at her. “I see. A grim duty. I’m sorry.”
“It had to be done.” Selena’s heart began thundering in her breast. The man really was impossibly handsome.
Not that it mattered that he was so good-looking.
Honesty, good character, kindness, compassion—those were the qualities that mattered in a person.
Why, then, were electric sparks rippling through her?
Perhaps because she was alone in a bedroom with an unmarried gentleman, a circumstance which was entirely inappropriate?
She swallowed hard, hoping he would leave before he noticed the effect he was having on her—or the guilt she felt for being here in the first place. “May I help you, Doctor?”
“Yes. No. Forgive me. I seem to have entered the wrong … I thought this was my chamber.” His blush deepened. “The doors all look the same in this hallway and they’re not marked.”
“Oh! I can see where that might be confusing. But your room is in the south wing. This is the north wing.”
“Is it?” His forehead creased.
“Yes. Mrs. Hillman and I housed all the guests here in the north wing with us, but there were no other vacant rooms when you arrived. We placed you in the largest room on the other side of the stairwell. I hope it suits?”
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Dr. Scott replied quickly. “I’ve only seen it briefly. I trust I can find it again. Thank you.” He opened the door, bowed, and left the room without another word.
Selena stood there for a long moment, willing her heart to resume its usual pace.
Something about their encounter felt odd to her.
She remembered the pensive look on the doctor’s face earlier, during the tree-trimming, when it had come to light that Mr. Clarke may have brought a huge sum of money with him.
Was it possible, Selena wondered, that Dr. Scott had entered Mr. Clarke’s chamber on the same errand that had brought her here? Was he, too, looking for Mr. Clarke’s money?
*
Selena returned to her room, planning to change into something more festive for their Christmas Eve celebrations, when a knock sounded at her door.
It was Miss Thompson. A frown marred her features. “Miss Taylor, I’m sorry to disturb you. But I need your help.”
“Please come in.” Selena ushered the young woman into her chamber and closed the door.
“I was writing a letter to my brother,” Miss Thompson said without preamble, “and I spilled the bottle of ink.” She was clad in the same frock she had worn since her arrival, a garment of pale-grey wool that seemed to have seen better days, and which now had a big black ink stain on the skirts. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. I’ve spilled more ink on myself over the years than I can count.”
“I was planning to wear this to dinner tonight and on Christmas Day. Do you know of any way to remove ink from a gown?”
Selena bit her lip. “I do, but it can be a lengthy and not entirely reliable process. I’d be happy to have one of the servants attempt it.”
“Thank you.” Miss Thompson sighed. “I only have one other dress with me, and it’s even plainer than this one.”
Selena studied the young woman. “We look to be about the same size and height. I’ll loan you one of my frocks.”
Miss Thompson blushed and stammered. “I—I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“It’s no problem at all.” Selena opened her wardrobe.
“Since I came to live with Mrs. Hillman, she has treated me to so many lovely gowns. I’d be happy to lend you one.
” Selena pulled out an evening gown of teal-blue velvet, with a pleated bodice, full skirts, and matching bows on the short sleeves. “How about this?”
“Oh! That is much too fine for me, Miss Taylor. What would Mrs. Whitlock say?”
“Who cares what Mrs. Whitlock says?” Selena made a face. “She may be your employer, but she is not your ruler.”
“Mrs. Whitlock made it clear when she hired me that I must dress plainly and simply and never outshine her in any way,” Miss Thompson insisted. “She’d be angry if I wore a gown as lovely as that.”
“All right, then,” Selena capitulated. She withdrew another gown that she’d had made for evening events at school but had seldom worn. It was fashioned from navy-blue satin, and its high-necked bodice was unadorned by trimmings. “Will this do?”
“That is also lovely, but I will pray that Mrs. Whitlock approves.”
“Try it on here,” Selena encouraged. “That way, if it doesn’t fit, we can try another. I’m going to change my frock as well. We’ll be like sisters, getting ready for a ball.”
Miss Thompson laughed at that. “I’ve never had a sister, but I always wished I had.”
As they removed their frocks, Selena said, “I’m lucky. I have two sisters, and growing up, we always enjoyed getting dressed together.”
“Where are your sisters now?”
“In Cornwall for Christmas. My oldest sister, Diana, lives there. She’s married to a captain in the Royal Navy. My other sister, Athena, and I run the school here, but she and her husband and son went to Cornwall for the holidays. Our brother, Damon, is going to join them there in a few days.”
“Yet you stayed here?” Miss Thompson’s brow furrowed.
Selena felt a sudden pang of loss, and it hit her how much she missed her brother and her sisters and their families.
Had she been wrong to stay? But no, she reminded herself.
She’d made the right decision and was glad she was here to assist Mrs. Hillman, especially in light of Mr. Clarke’s tragic death that morning, and Selena’s important new quest to find the hidden money.
And, said a voice that piped up in her head, if you hadn’t stayed, you wouldn’t have met Dr. Scott.
A sudden blush heated Selena’s face. Why was she thinking about Dr. Scott?
They had only shared the briefest of conversations, most of which had related to a man who had died.
“Mrs. Hillman asked me to help her host this house party,” Selena responded quickly, “and I couldn’t refuse. She is a dear friend.”
“I can see that. You are fortunate to have such close relations and friends. I have no one other than my brother.”
From the closet, Selena withdrew a new forest-green velvet gown, which she’d had made for the occasion. It featured long sleeves and gold beading at the V-necked ruched bodice. “Your parents are no longer living, then?” she asked.
“No. My father was a clergyman, but he passed away when I was twelve. We had to give up the rectory, of course, when Papa died.” Miss Thompson stepped into the dark-blue gown and put her arms through the sleeves.
“My mother found work for us at a great house in Surrey. She was a cook, and I was a chambermaid. We were ever so close. We’d meet in the kitchen late at night and tell stories.
She used to say, ‘Maud, you can do anything with your life. Don’t let anybody tell you different.
’ She persuaded the mistress of the house to hire her daughter’s music master to give me lessons, and I was allowed to play the pianoforte in my spare time. ”
“How wonderful!” Selena said as she put on her own dress.
“Yes, but …” Miss Thompson sighed. “My mother died six years later.”
“I’m so sorry. I lost my mother when I was very young, and my father when I was only sixteen. I know how difficult that can be.”
Miss Thompson’s voice softened. “I’m sorry for your losses as well.” She hesitated. “Shall I button you up?”
“Thank you, but I can do it. I have most of my gowns designed to fasten in the front. But for those that don’t, like this one, my sisters and I developed a method, long ago, to enable us to dress ourselves without the need of a lady’s maid.”
“What method?” Miss Thompson asked with interest.
“I’ll show you.” Selena faced the back of her gown forward and buttoned it almost all the way, then slid it around before slipping her arms through the sleeves and, twisting her shoulders slightly, pulling the bodice into place.
“Now it’s just a simple matter of reaching back to fasten the top two buttons,” she said as she demonstrated.
Miss Thompson’s eyes widened. “That’s ingenious.”
“It’s a useful trick, but it takes time to get the hang of it. I’m happy to button you up.” Selena gestured for Miss Thompson to turn around. As the young lady complied, Selena added, “How did you go from being a chambermaid to a lady’s companion?”
“It wasn’t a direct path. In between, I worked as a governess.”
“Oh?” Selena fastened Miss Thompson’s dress, which seemed to be a good fit on her slender frame. “My sisters and I were governesses for years.”
“Were you?” Miss Thompson sighed. “I trust you were better at it than I was. I found it to be a lonely profession. I love children, but my pupils were indulged by their parents and often took advantage of me.”
“I had a similar experience,” Selena admitted, “but I loved many of my charges and I loved teaching.”
“The teaching was my favorite part. I miss that very much. I’ve often thought, if I can’t open a flower shop, I’d like to teach at a school. Do you enjoy it?”
“I do. It is a most fulfilling occupation. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
” Thinking about the joy she felt, every day, when interacting with a room full of students, made Selena glow with pleasure.
She stepped back to survey Miss Thompson in the dark-blue gown.
“It’s about an inch too short, but I don’t think anyone will notice.
It looks wonderful on you. Take a look.” She turned Miss Thompson towards the cheval glass.