Page 80 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
“That would be lovely,” Jenny replied.
“The nursemaid has taken the afternoon off to deal with some family matter, so I thought perhaps we could take little Elizabeth with us. And Gulliver of course. Fanny will bring us tea on the terrace, and we can all enjoy a little sunshine.”
As soon as Alison pointed over to the little dog, he leaped to his feet, all his sleepiness gone and replaced with an excited energy. He jumped down to the floor and began to run in circles, making Jenny laugh.
“All right, yes,” she said, smiling genuinely now. “I think it might do me good.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Alison asked as they climbed down the stairs. “You would tell me if there was something the matter, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course I would,” Jenny lied. “It’s nothing, really. I’m tired. It’s awfully difficult to sleep in this dreadful heat.”
Alison eyed her, but then she nodded.
“It certainly is,” she agreed. “And if you’re sure, I’ll stop asking. But remember you can come to me with anything, won’t you?”
“I will, thank you,” Jenny said.
They said nothing more until they were comfortably ensconced on the terrace, Fanny pouring their tea while Gulliver scampered around the garden and Elizabeth lay sleeping soundly in a basket at Alison’s side.
“She’s so beautiful,” Jenny said after a long moment of admiring the baby. Her eyelashes seemed impossibly long for such a small thing, and yet her fingers were so tiny as to be a doll’s.
“Isn’t she just?” Alison asked, gazing lovingly down at her daughter. She looked up at Jenny, picking her teacup up at the same time. “I took her to visit my parents at Salsbury Manor yesterday.”
“I wondered where you’d been for so long,” Jenny admitted. “Are they well?”
“They are, and they doted over Elizabeth as though she were an English princess. Of course, Father kindly reminded me that the girl could be no heir, and that Luke would want a son to pass everything down to.”
“She’s not even three months old,” Jenny said with a loud laugh. She was beginning to feel more at ease, and she was glad she had agreed to join Alison on the terrace.
“I know. Mother shushed him often, telling him to give me at least a little time to recover from the ordeal, but he wouldn’t drop it. You know what my father is like. A dog with a bone, comes to mind.”
“He’s not that bad,” Jenny said, but even she chuckled at the image. The Duke was indeed determined when he had something in mind. Jenny reached forward and stirred the sugar into her tea. She needed something sweet to deal with her nerves.
“In other news, the newest groom seems tofinallybe doing a good job.”
“What is he? The third one since Luke left?”
“Yes, and I sometimes wonder if that was part of why Father was so against us marrying.” She laughed, and Jenny joined her. “He always knew he would have a hard time finding a groom as good as him.”
“And the others, are they well?”
Jenny felt a warmth in her heart when they talked about the servants at Salsbury Manor. Though she may not be a maid any longer, they had been her friends for so long, and she still thought of them as that. She loved to hear all the news about them.
“Whenever I visit the manor, I am bombarded by questions,” Alison said, turning her head slightly to look at Jenny. “They run around me like a bunch of school children, begging for the latest news about their old friend who has climbed the social ladder. Seriously, Jenny, I feel like an opera singer, flooded with fans when she leaves the theatre.”
“And?” Jenny urged.
“I told them all your news, of course. Oh Jenny, they are so excited for you. Louisa positively jumped up and down on the spot.”
“She has always been an excitable one,” Jenny mused. “Do you remember that scandal at Bradford Hall? Lord Bradford’s maid was quite the talk of the town for a while.”
“Isn’t she the one who ended up marrying a Duke?” Alison asked. “His mother did not appreciate it, if I recall.”
“That’s the one. Louisa was fit to burst at the news, told everyone she could. The story goes that this maid—I can’t remember her name—but she charmed this Duke from their neighboring estate. Tricked, James said.”
“James, the footman?” Alison asked, and Jenny nodded. Alison waved her hand in the air. “He always did think the worst of people.”
Jenny chuckled, but she shook her head.
