6. Zeth
Zeth
Standing in Anna’s parlor, I drew back the window’s burgundy curtains to spy on Amby outside.
He was holding the fancy Somerset carriage door open, and I wished the gravel drive would open up to swallow him whole.
He had such nerve butting his freckled nose into my marriage plans, insinuating I had nefarious plans for Anna.
He was right, but fuck him for assuming the worst of me.
I wasn’t a thief. I had morals. I was hard-working and studied culture.
If only I had returned last year. Then, I could have shown him a successful version of myself who wasn’t hiding failure.
Amby’s dad joined him outside the carriage.
The man still had the same big mustache, fancy duds, and snobby, thin posture as he entered his gleaming black vehicle with black iron trim.
It surprised me that he hadn’t purchased a motor vehicle yet.
Then again, Mr. Somerset was an old-fashioned sort of man.
Amby’s sister, Hattie, piled in after that. I always liked her, and was glad to see how prim and pretty she’d grown to be.
But not prettier than Amby, damn him. The man was gorgeous, with breath-stealing brown eyes behind gold glasses.
I could see them glimmering from where he sulked in the drive.
I had told Amby to leave me alone because I found everything about him irresistible.
I couldn’t stop staring. And that kissable mouth yapping away at me—so annoying.
I wanted to kiss this grown and persistent version of Ambrose Somerset into submission. The pull was magnetic.
Outside, Amby’s pert lips twisted, and his auburn curly head tilted toward me, staring at my window like he felt the pull too.
“Mr. Washer?” Anna asked from the parlor entrance behind me. I flinched with guilt and rubbed a hand over my face to refocus on my responsibilities, then I turned from the window to welcome my future wife.
But it wasn’t Anna greeting me, it was a maid in the doorway with Doc Light. His ear-length, frizzled, gray hair looked the same as I remembered, and he nodded with the same condescending air. “Hard to believe how tall you’ve grown, young man.”
Why did everyone have to point out my new height? I sighed, “Thank you?”
He chuckled and walked around the matching settees to join me by the single window. I let the heavy curtain swing back into place and motioned him to the snack tray Anna’s servant brought in earlier. The assortment of cheese was probably leftover from the picnic. I rarely saw such a spread.
The doctor seemed appreciative too, even though he’d attended the event.
He gathered pieces of cheese onto a napkin from the half-empty tray.
I must have eaten most of it without even noticing.
Whenever there’s food, I tend to take it.
Doc turned with his cheese pile to admire a painting of ducks, so I slipped the rest of the crackers into my pocket for Millie before stuffing a few sausage slices into my mouth.
That’s when Anna entered the room. I felt like an orphan at the chapel’s charity lunch with my greedy mouthful, so I chewed quickly and swallowed before Anna caught on to my poor eating habits.
Luckily, she didn’t notice, or she was too polite.
She claimed the edge of one settee with grace while motioning for Doc Light to sit opposite her.
Anna ignored me, or she let me choose a seat, so I stayed by the side table with the food tray.
Plus, seeing the Doc again made me weary, so distance seemed better.
He’d been the one to patch me up many times over my wild youth, and Mum never had enough money to pay him.
Most times, he made me feel inadequate. Once or twice, he helped for free before shooing me off with a candy sucker.
“How’s that shoulder of yours?” Doc Light asked with a nice enough smile. I had my mouth full again, with cheese this time, so I shrugged that shoulder. Turning away, I parted the curtain slightly for a peek. Amby’s carriage was leaving. Good riddance.
Doc turned to Anna, “Can you believe Mr. Washer here severely injured himself trying to steal a chicken from poor Fanny Denver? He probably wanted one for dinner, but slipped off the roof of her chicken coop instead, falling directly onto a broken fence post. The thin pole completely impaled his shoulder. Nasty business.”
“He didn’t!” Anna exclaimed from behind her hand. I couldn’t tell if she was mortified by my childish behavior or sickened by the gory story. Either way, stealing and falling was not the impression I wanted to make today. It was bad enough to be covered in mud from creating such an imposition.
Yet the man went on, “It was the young Somerset boy who bravely dragged Washer to me. Mr. Washer was blubbering like a baby and bleeding all over my exam room. It took me hours to extricate the post, cleanse the wound, and stitch him properly. Fine work, on my part. Saved his arm and his life.”
Anna’s brow creased at the blubbering baby part, but she politely refrained from commenting. That didn’t stop my ears from burning with embarrassment. What was the Doc doing? Trying to ruin my play for Anna’s hand?
I went back to stuffing a sausage into my mouth and muttered around it. “Left a scar, but I healed.” I swallowed and pointed out the important bit everyone ignored, “And please note Ambrose Somerset’s presence in your delightful story. He wasn’t innocent. He was my accomplice. He egged me on.”
“Egged?” Anna snorted with delight at my play on words, missing my point.
Did no one listen? “He dared me to do it.”
“Ah, yes, you and Somerset were the Daring Duo.” Doc laughed and shook his head. “Got you both into plenty of scrapes as boys.”
“I remember.” Annabelle chuckled, as if she knew something I didn’t. “Why did Ambrose dare you?”
I opened my mouth to answer her, then snapped it shut.
I didn’t remember why, only that Amby dared me to climb the chicken coop, so I did.
Amby dared me to do a lot of stuff back then, including jerking him off in his barn.
“Well, a fence post sticking out of my shoulder kinda erases the point of the adventure, but Ambrose isn’t as innocent as he seems. And I don’t steal chickens. ”
That sounded childish. I heard it, clear as day. I avoided Anna’s intent gaze and focused on the troublesome doctor. “Now tell me of my sister, is she faring better? No battle wounds?”
“None at all, though the darling did twist her ankle,” Doc Light sympathized, as he should for my dear sister.
“So I gave her a dose of laudanum to ease the pain tonight, and another dose for the morning. She needs to keep her ankle elevated and rest it until she can walk again. I’ll write up the invoice tomorrow. ”
My head spun with the cost calculations. If I sold the dresser in Mum’s room, that would pay his bill, but then how would we buy food? Or fix the roof? Or continue this con?
That’s when Anna chimed in, “I appreciate you staying to see her, Doctor. Please send the invoice to my clerk. It’s only right that I cover your cost since she fell on my property.”
That’s right, everyone knew the Washer kids were too poor to pay the doctor. How damn polite of Anna to cover my embarrassment, though she didn’t need to make Millie and I sound like an expenditure. Did my con fail already?
I nodded to them both with an expression that stretched tight. “Excuse me. I think I’ll check on my sister.”
I didn’t wait for dismissals or replies. I stormed out of the room and took the stairs three at a time, needing to escape their disdain before I became sick. They didn’t want me here, the washer boy. Anna no doubt saw through my facade. Just as I gained an inch, I lost a mile.
The upstairs hall was even longer than the hall downstairs, and this one confounded me with doors that went on forever.
Thankfully, I followed Anna’s maid earlier to see where she stashed Millie—the Lilac Room—so I slipped through the door and closed it behind me.
I leaned back against it, holding the handle tight.
I shut my eyes to block out the world. My breath raced and my head hurt.
“Zeth, you alright?” Millie asked.
“Of course,” I lied, popping open my eyes to make sure she looked well. She did, thank God. “Just worried about you.”
“The doctor says I’ll live.” She struggled up from under the blankets. Her loose curls were a riot around her head, and her plump cheeks were a healthy pink.
I let go of the door handle to stroll over to her side and took her hand in mine. It was cool to the touch, so I buffed her fingers to warm them. “I just made a fool of myself downstairs. Our plan might be out the window.”
Millie yawned adorably, and her lashes fluttered against the laudanum taking effect. “I doubt anyone could dislike you. You’re probably jumping to conclusions. I’m sure our plan is fine. Anna likes us. She wouldn’t let us stay otherwise.” She gave me a lazy grin. “Don’t think the worst of things.”
I didn’t want to talk about this. It was best to brush what happened in the parlor under the rug. Clearing my throat, I nodded at her. “You in any pain?”
“A bit.”
The door of the Lilac Room opened, and Anna’s blonde head popped in. She found me frowning over Millie’s hand.
“Do you need anything?” she asked sweetly.
“I’m feeling a little cold,” Millie answered. “Perhaps another blanket?”
“Of course. Anything.”
And Miss Annabelle Winters went off to fetch my sister a blanket. The woman had something like twelve servants, yet she was serving Millie like royalty.
“Mils, what spell did you cast on her?”
“The Washer charm,” she giggled and snuggled further into the two blankets she already had on top of her. A second later, Anna scurried back in and flipped a third blanket out and over the pile.