Chapter Eleven
Another day, another bloody noontime knock.
If Eden kept making such a racket every morning she was going to get used to this, and a lifetime of training herself to spend half the day asleep would be for nothing. And what a waste, for spending half the day asleep was a whore’s special perk. Not to mention a necessity, when she spent half the night awake.
“I’m not getting dressed for you,” she called. “Come back in two hours.”
“The dressmaker sent word she’s coming at one o’clock. I thought you might want to be awake for that.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll come down once I clear the crust from my eyes.”
“Charming. But I brought you breakfast. Shall I leave it outside the door?”
Tha?s smiled to herself. Breakfast in bed? He was paying attention to this lesson, at least. If she taught him nothing else, he would know to bring his woman tea when he wanted to get on her good side.
“Come in. I’ll stay under the covers to protect your eyes from the sight of female flesh.”
The door opened slowly, and he edged inside, carefully balancing a tray. She spied a steaming mug of tea, a plate heaped with bread and eggs and rashers, and a dainty little vase with a single rose.
She grinned. “This looks so good I’d let you climb in bed with me and share it, if you wouldn’t count it as a punishment.”
A look crossed his face, and she could not quite tell if he was scandalized or tempted.
She hoped he was tempted.
He’d begun to show promise with that kiss yesterday. She could sense that he was nervous. That even leaving his notions of politeness aside, he hated doing anything he was unsure of. That he might even be a little scared of admitting that he wanted her.
It was her job to see these things. So she would keep coaxing him, step by step, to be the man she suspected he was deep down. A man who could be right randy if he gave himself permission.
She sat up, keeping the blanket over her breasts, and took a bite of her eggs. Heaven. “What have you put in these to make them taste so good?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Oh, nothing special. Butter. A touch of cheese. Chives from the garden. I’m glad you like them.”
“You can make me these nothing specials every day. Good husbanding here, Lord Eden.”
He held up a letter.
“You also received this. It’s from Lady Bell.”
“Oh, thank deuces. I was worried she’d left Devon before my note got to her. What’s it say?”
He hesitated. “Are you sure you wish for me to read your private correspondence?”
She snorted. “You’re better at reading it than I am. And who are you going to tell my secrets to? Hattie?”
“I appreciate your trust in me,” he said drily. “Most flattered.”
She took a bite of buttered bread—he’d toasted it over the fire to make it nice and craggy—and waved him to hurry up and open it.
He carefully broke the seal and smoothed it out, taking far longer than she’d have.
“Well?” she prodded.
He cleared his throat.
“My dearest Tha?s,
“I am beyond grateful, my darling, that you have solved the mystery of Maria’s whereabouts. What luck, that she should be so near you! I had assumed that Bell would not entrust her with his mother, her being nearly senile, but of course, I somehow flatter his intelligence. His carelessness is my gain, I hope.
“I am leaving Devon this morning, and hope to arrive to you by Thursday afternoon. You are kind to offer me a bed. I hate to disturb your time with your paramour, but for the sake of discretion, I will most gratefully accept your hospitality. And as you ask, I will of course keep his identity private.
“In the meantime, let’s both think about how we might arrange a meeting with Maria without raising the suspicion of her grandmother or any others that might be staying with them who could pass on word of my visit to Bell. I suspect it won’t be easy, but I am desperate and willing to take a risk if I must.
“I love you, my darling—
“E.”
Eden folded the letter and looked up at her, his face soft with sympathy.
“Poor woman,” he said. “My heart goes out to her.”
Tha?s nodded. She felt a little weepy.
“I’m afraid it will be quite complicated, finding an overture for a meeting with Maria,” he said. “I share Elinor’s concern that Bell might be alerted and act against her if he learns of it.”
Tha?s slurped down a hot sip of tea. This was not among her worries. “That’s because you and Elinor are not lying scamps like me.”
He leaned back against the wall, examining her.
“Are you a lying scamp?”
“Sure am, when I need to be. And thank the Lord for that. I have a plan.”
“Dare I ask?”
“Do you have a few shillings handy?”
“Of course,” he said, digging in his pocket for a change purse and producing several shiny coins, because rich men thought nothing of keeping a small fortune on their persons even when doing nothing more expensive than lounging in the country.
“I’ll be needing that,” she said. “I’m going to bribe Sophie Gerity.”
He put the money in her palm. “I don’t approve of bribery, but to be honest, I can think of no better strategy. I’ll leave the matter in your hands.”
“Good. Now, off with you, and take this tray. I have to make myself pretty.”
He took the tray.
“Tha?s?” he said, pausing in the door.
“Mmm?”
“You’re always pretty.”
She started at the compliment.
She knew she was pretty, of course. But to hear it from him—not just the sentiment, but his willingness to admit he felt this way—made her smile so deeply she flushed.
“Thank you, milord. Now, off with you.”
As soon as he was gone, she rose and put on a shift and stays. She glared resentfully at the loathed day dress before shrugging it on. At least Sophie’d bring another one to add to her paltry wardrobe. With each hour in the increasingly tattered-looking thing, she longed to go to the stable and dig out an alluring gown to flounce about the house in. If Eden thought she was pretty in this drab, filthy thing, imagine how he might feel if he saw her in something that set off her beauty.
He might even dare to touch her without her ordering him to do it.
She saw Sophie approaching on a horse-drawn cart, no baby with her this time. Tha?s waved at her out the open window. “Good day, Mrs. Gerity. You’re just the woman I hoped to see. Come right upstairs.”
“I have two gowns ready for you,” Sophie said when she entered the bedchamber. “Simple, they are, but I thought you’d want them as soon as could be.”
“Oh, you’re an angel,” Tha?s said. “I would have kissed your feet for one.”
“I knew you must be getting awfully tired of making do. I had the girls work extra time. There will be two more ready for you by the end of the week. Shall we try them on, then, and see how they fit?”
Tha?s unwrapped the gowns from the brown paper—simple muslin day dresses, like a farmer’s daughter might wear to town. One was green, the other white and sprigged with yellow flowers. Exactly what Eden would want her in.
“They’re perfect,” Tha?s said.
“I thought the yellow would suit you. Redheads look so nice in yellow. And the green will bring out your eyes.”
Tha?s put the green one on, and it fit perfectly. The second was a bit long for her, so Sophie set about bringing up the hem.
“Your work is beautiful,” Tha?s said, smiling at herself in the mirror. “I wish I had occasion to order a finer gown. Sadly, the life of a governess doesn’t call for much in the way of finery.”
“Oh, I do love to fuss over gowns. You should see the ones I’m making for Lady Maria. Did I tell you about her? The granddaughter of—”
Tha?s held back a smile. She’d planned to bring up Maria herself, but all the better for Sophie to do it for her.
“Ah, yes, a dowager viscountess, was it?” she said.
Sophie nodded. “Silk gowns trimmed in my best lace.”
“I’d love to see them.” Tha?s sighed. “In fact, I’d love to see her. I’ve never met an aristocratic lady.”
“Is that not who governesses work for?” Sophie asked.
“Not me. My family owns a furniture factory.” She lowered her voice. “They’re wealthy, to be sure, but not titled. I’ve always been curious to meet a true fine lady.”
“Oh, you would love Lady Maria,” Sophie said. “Most graceful girl you’ve ever seen, and such manners. Very kind.”
Tha?s had known Maria since she was a baby and knew that this was true. Still, it was nice to hear that Elinor’s daughter was as lovely to a local seamstress as she was to her mother’s closest friends.
“I don’t suppose she ever comes to your shop?” Tha?s asked. “I’d love to get a glimpse of her.”
“No,” Sophie said. “I call on her at home. It’s a bit far out, but they pay me handsomely for my trouble, and I like to see the gardens in bloom.”
Tha?s flashed a conspiratorial smile. “Do you think she might come to the shop if you asked? Like if you were, say, injured, and could not travel?”
Sophie shrugged. “Perhaps. But I’m fit as a fiddle.”
“Oh, I have no doubt. But perhaps you could say you have a bad ankle. I have a bit of extra coin, you see, and not much to spend it on. I could share a bit with you for the chance to see a viscount’s daughter.”
Sophie pursed her lips. “I don’t like to be dishonest.”
“Oh, I’m sure you don’t. Just a thought, as my mistress gave me more than I can spend.”
Tha?s gestured at the coins sitting on her dressing table.
Sophie’s eyes went wide.
“That’s quite a sum.”
“My mistress is a generous woman, and this is the first holiday I’ve had in two years’ time. She bade me enjoy myself.”
“Well,” Sophie drew out, “I suppose there would be no harm in asking Lady Maria to come to town. Her grandmama has a carriage, and she might enjoy the diversion, being confined to her house these last months.”
Tha?s clapped her hands in delight. “How soon could you invite her?”
“I have a gown to fit her in on Friday. I’ll write today to see if she can make a call and pass on word to Hattie if she agrees.”
“That would be perfect. I can collect my other gowns at the same time and spare you a trip here.”
Sophie smiled. “Splendid. Now, turn around. Let’s see if the seams are even.”