Chapter 15 #2
She grasped the banister. Best not to fall headlong down the stairs. What was she doing, where was she going? Henry, Mina, nursery, strawberries.
Mina was dressing one of her dolls when Susannah came into the nursery.
“G’morning, Miss Beasley. Have you been writing my story?”
Oh, sweet child. I’ve been dallying with your grandfather.
Susannah clasped her hands together. “What do you think? We are going to the strawberry patch. You, your grandfather, and me. Let’s have Swift get your boots and bonnet.”
Mina picked her own bonnet—one with red ribbons to match the strawberries, she said—and once her little half-boots were laced and tied, she wanted to be off.
“We have to wait for your grandfather. If he doesn’t come up soon, we are to go downstairs and drag him away from his callers.”
Mina wrinkled her nose. Oh, no. Had she learned that habit from Susannah?
“Grandfather hates calls. Especially in the morning. Is it Lady Newland?”
“I believe so, yes. Shall we read something to pass the time?”
Mina got into the big chair with The Further Adventures of Tommy Treadwell and read or pretended to read a chapter to Susannah. It was hard to know how good Mina’s reading was when she knew the whole thing by heart.
“Now, let’s read a chapter from The History of Giles Gingerbread,” Susannah suggested.
Mina was reluctant, but Susannah promised to help with the bigger words. Mina went and got the book.
She climbed back into the chair and whispered to Susannah, “I don’t like Giles as much as I like Tommy.”
Just as if the book could hear and have its feelings hurt.
“It’s good of you to read it to me, then. I like Giles enormously. Go on, let’s start at the beginning.”
With some stumbles and some help from Susannah, Mina got through the first chapter.
“Shall we go see if we can free your grandfather and make our way to the strawberry patch?”
“Yes!” Mina jumped up and ran out of the nursery.
Mina was outside the pink drawing room by the time Susannah made her way down the stairs.
“I waited for you so we can go in together.”
Susannah opened the door and walked in with Mina. And couldn’t breathe.
“Miss Beasley.” Mina was tugging on her hand.
Susannah looked around. Henry was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes quickly went to the visitors again. No. No.
No, no, no.
“How do you do?” Mina was saying to the ladies in the room. “I am Miss Wilhelmina Kirby.” She curtsied.
“Isn’t she darling? Your grandfather has gone to hurry the tea, Mina,” one woman was saying. “Isn’t that amusing? An earl chasing down refreshments.”
“When Emma runs this house, the tea will arrive promptly,” said another middle-aged woman.
The first woman, the one who must be Lady Newland, said to the others, “Lady D’Oyly, Miss D’Oyly, Miss Charlotte. This is the earl’s granddaughter.”
Miss D’Oyly.
“How do you do?” Mina said to each lady in turn.
“We don’t need you any longer. We’ll watch the child until her grandfather returns.”
Susannah suddenly realized Lady Newland was speaking to her.
“But stay nearby,” Lady D’Oyly said and added in a low voice to Lady Newland, “One never knows when a governess might come in handy.”
“She’s not my governess,” Mina said, and Susannah wanted to stop her because let Susannah be the governess, let Susannah disappear. “She is Miss Beasley, and she is my grandfather’s friend.”
All movement in the room ceased. But that didn’t matter to Susannah. Everything had stopped for her as soon as she had entered the room.
“I—” she said. “How do you do?”
She curtsied quickly and sat down just as quickly in the nearest chair, thankfully an out-of-the way one. At this moment, she was doing all she was capable of doing.
“Mmph,” Lady D’Oyly said. “Most peculiar.”
“Mama,” hissed the most beautiful girl in the world, and Susannah died a thousand deaths.
Mama.
“Come here,” Lady D’Oyly said to Mina. “Let me see you, child.”
Mina looked at Susannah, and Susannah managed a nod, so Mina went to Lady D’Oyly.
The lady took Mina’s chin in her hand and turned her head first one way and then the other.
“At least she was spared the earl’s nose.”
Susannah knew Mina would hate being touched that way, and she wanted to jump to her feet and stop it. But she could not stand, she could not breathe.
“—embarrassing me.” The most beautiful girl in the world had said something.
Mina pulled her chin out from Lady D’Oyly’s grasp, backed away.
“You’re the one who needs to stop, Emma,” Lady D’Oyly said.
Emma.
Lady D’Oyly turned all her attention on the most beautiful girl in the world. “You didn’t see how he was looking at you. You don’t know what the marchioness wrote to your father. About how the earl wants a wife. You’ll be a countess come autumn.”
Susannah felt her gorge rise up.
Lady D’Oyly went on, “He must want more children, all he has is the one son, and that one is abroad and will almost certainly die of the French Pox or some other dreadful disease, and Ashthorpe will need an heir—”
“I can hear you,” Mina said in her loudest voice.
Brave, bold Mina.
“Here we are.” Henry came through the drawing room door with the butler and two footmen following behind, each bearing a tray. He winked at Susannah.
“I didn’t realize the jam tarts had to be made up, but now everything is here. You’ve all met Miss Beasley and Mina, good, now let’s have some—”
Susannah stood and moved to the door. She got through it and out into the hall before Henry could come after her. But he caught her just as her foot landed on the first stair.
“Susannah,” he called softly.
She could not look at him. “I’m not—a sudden headache. I must go lie in a dark room.”
“Susannah, you’re not well.“ He laid a cool hand on her cheek. “You’re pale.”
“I suffer from megrims at times.” She hadn’t had one since she stopped having her courses, but still. “I just have to lie in a dark, quiet room for a few hours.”
“I’m jealous,” Henry whispered. “Can I come see you in a few hours, then?”
“Yes, yes.” She tried to smile.
She’d be long gone in a few hours.
My lord—
I think I’ll find it much easier to write somewhere else. In a few months time, I will either send you a completed manuscript or, failing that, return the money you have already paid me.
Thank you for your many kindnesses,
Miss S Beasley
Dear Mina—
I wondered if you would mind if it didn’t turn out to be a Tommy Treadwell book I wrote for you?
I am thinking of a very special set of adventures for a girl.
I’d like to name her Willa. It’s an old name—this morning I discovered there were two queens named Willa!
Queen Willa of Provence (that is in France) and another Queen Willa in Italy.
Willa is very close to your own name of Wilhelmina, so if you would rather I chose a different name, I can change it.
But the heroine of my book is a brave girl and so clever—just like you.
I’m very sorry to run away. I hope you will forgive me.
Your humble authoress
(and friend),
SA Beasley