Page 36 of His Lordship's True Lady
It had not happened to Lily. “He noticed that bit about the bugs, he might notice some other inconsistency. Lying doesn’t solve all problems, and one grows weary of deception.”
One grew weary ofbeinga deception.
“One does not grow tired of eating, Miss Lily. One does not grow tired of having a safe place to sleep, or a warm cloak in winter. You’ve read all the diaries, you’ve learned all I have to teach you. You’ve spent years being accepted as Walter Leggett’s niece, and he’s a powerful man.”
The problem in a nutshell. No one dared cross Uncle Walter, least of all a frightened, half-starved fourteen-year-old girl who had no other options and didn’t own a set of stays.
“Would you care for a nip, miss? It’s a patent remedy and works a treat.”
“No, thank you.” Oscar could dwell in a continuous state of inebriation, but Lily dared not return home with a “patent remedy” on her breath. “The boy who recalled my disgust of bugs is the earl now, and Uncle wants me to cultivate his friendship.”
“I wish I could help, miss.”
Tippy had helped. For years, she’d been Lily’s sole companion, her guide and support. That support was slipping, and not only because Tippy had decided to grow forgetful. If women occupied a vulnerable position in society, older women with neither fortune nor family navigated a sea of risks daily.
Lily rose. “If you recall anything, please do send for me.” Notes were not a prudent way to communicate information of substance.
Tippy set aside her embroidery and pushed to her feet, though she moved more slowly than she had even a year ago.
“Tippy, are you ever lonely?”
Lily was lonely. Amid other emotions—terror, resentment, anxiety—loneliness had lurked unnoticed until recently. The girl Daisy had awakened it, and Grampion had given the loneliness a bitter, hopeless edge.
“I like my own company,” Tippy said, linking arms with Lily and walking her to the door. “And I’m always glad to see you, but it might be best if you didn’t come around for a bit, Lily. You can send me a note if you think I might be able to recall a detail or two, but I’ve grown forgetful, and it’s all very much in the past.”
Tippy had begun making this suggestion that Lily keep her distance about a year ago.
“Has Uncle Walter threatened you?” Though, if anything, Uncle would threaten Tippy for a lack of recall.
“No, miss. What’s he to threaten me with? I have more than a bit put by after all these years. I help you to the best of my ability whenever you ask it of me. I’ve never breathed a word to anybody, and I never will. I was governess to Miss Lily Ferguson, and she will always be in my prayers.”
And yet, something was changing, despite the tidy sameness of Tippy’s cottage. Lavender sachets held back the curtains. A rose velvet footstool sat before the window-end of the sofa. Embroidered cabbage roses adorned pillows, table runners, and framed samplers. Tippy even smelled faintly of roses, not a scent she could have afforded while in service.
God Save Our Good King George.Lily’s work, a dozen years old, but nearly indistinguishable from Tippy’s accomplishments.
And on the mantel, beneath that sampler, sat apipe.
Oh.
Oh.
Tippy had a gentleman caller. The knowledge stabbed at Lily from many directions. She should be happy for Tippy, but instead, she was resentful, of the man, of the deception. She hoped he was worth Tippy’s time and attention, and she was terrified that he’d take Tippy away.
“I’d best be going,” Lily said, bending to envelop her former governess in a careful hug. Tippy had always been diminutive, and now she seemed fragile. “Send for me if you need anything. Anything at all.”
“You drop me a note if you have more questions about your earl.”
He’s not my earl—though I wish he could be.“Thank you.”
Lily climbed into the coach, knowing the duration of her visit would be reported to Uncle Walter, though none of the servants could relay what had passed between Tippy and her former charge.
“She’s leaving me,” Lily informed the elegant comfort of the town coach. “My only ally.” Though Tippy, too, was Uncle Walter’s creature.
And yet, Tippy had been the one to advise Lily to stash what pence and quid she could in a location Uncle Walter knew nothing about. A lady needed to save against a rainy day, Tippy had said with a wink, because in England, rain fell frequently.
Lily did have some money saved, though not enough. Not nearly enough.
Chapter Eight
