Page 29 of Indecently Employed
The woman’s eyes widened, her spoon suddenly clanking against the sides of her teacup before she halted. She didn’t even bother attempting to hide her surprise as she stared at Charlotte, spoon frozen in hand. Before the moment became any more awkward, she nodded, and withdrew the teaspoon. “Of course,” she said, lifting the cup to her lips. After the tiniest of sips, she was impeccably poised once more, eyes bright and smile composed. “Mrs. Edith Kenney. I’m a friend of your uncle’s.”
“Oh no, he’s not my uncle—he’s my father,” Charlotte said, glib as ever as she reached for a biscuit from the tray.
Susanna had to stifle a sigh. It would be a considerable feat, smoothing out these cheeky inclinations without shaming the girl to the core. But Charlotte must be made fit for proper society. Not wanting to check her publicly, Susanna once more smiled patiently at Mrs. Kenney, who had barely spared her a glance as she focused her peculiar interest solely on Charlotte.
“Yes, Mr. Ajax Sedley must be who you speak of, if you’ve visited Gallox Castle before. He is the father of my charge, who has grown up mostly in London.” Susanna picked up her cup, her hands restless. “And how do you find yourself acquainted with Mr. Sedley?” she asked, her voice high and lilting, but her regard focused intently on the refined woman before her. Somehow she knew the answer, and she braced herself for it.
“Oh,” Mrs. Kenney chuckled, and placed her chin on her hand, watching Charlotte eat. “He’s droll company. You know, I can’t say how we met, exactly? It’s been so long.”
It rankled, this invisibility. Susanna had thought she’d gotten used to it, since over the last year of her life, as she’d been thrust into rich and aristocratic circles, she’d become as noticeable asthe wallpaper. Not one to puff herself up, she didn’t expect everyone to pay her court.
But to be treated as more than a piece of furniture would be nice.
“You two must be old friends, then,” Susanna said with a blithe cheerfulness she did not feel.
Mrs. Kenney finally spared a glance for Susanna. Her thin eyebrows lifted as she looked the younger woman up and down, seemingly observing her for the first time.
“You’re quite pretty.” She set her tea aside and cocked her head, her watery blue eyes still studying Susanna. “Especially for a governess. A lovely complexion.”
Susanna felt a prickling at the back of her neck, and she sat up straighter, composing herself for the sophisticated joke that was bound to follow. She shouldn’t have pressed this lady—Mr. Sedley’s friend, or perhaps even neighbor. She should have just sat in silence and accepted her lack of personhood with grace.
One corner of Mrs. Kenney’s mouth curled upward, but no joke came.
“Mind yourself around Ajax. He’s quite the admirer of fine things.” She took another sip of tea, and she looked back to Charlotte once again.
How casually she dropped his Christian name. It hit Susanna in the gut in a way she didn’t properly understand. Did she envy him this, his friends? His… paramours? It had thrown her off so much that it took a moment before she realized the implication behind what Mrs. Kenney had just said.
“Oh, dear… no, I…” Susanna started, her heart speeding up as she tripped over her words, worried that somehow this Yorkshire woman knew of her dalliance with the Earl of Clifton, that her brush with promiscuity was somehow branded upon her, a scarlet letter “P.” A small voice in her head scoffed at theabsurdity of it, but it was too late; her body had already rallied its defenses. “There is absolutely no worry in that quarter, ma’am.”
“Hmm, perhaps for you, yes.” She set her teacup down, her eyes finding something over Susanna’s shoulder and homing in on it. “But take care that he behaves himself.”
“Take care that who behaves himself?” The smooth, deep voice could only belong to him. Susanna felt she might crawl into a hole and never come out.
“You, of course.” Mrs. Kenney flexed her fingers, pretending to admire her gloves as she smiled wryly at them.
Susanna glanced up. Mr. Sedley stood at her side.
“Don’t listen to this woman, ladies. She’s quite mad,” he said, as he settled into the unoccupied chair across from her.
The familiarity of the jest stabbed at Susanna again, and she felt even more the interloper at this table. She needed to collect herself, to remember her purpose here. She looked to her other side, where Charlotte was merrily stirring her tea, if the pale, milky concoction could at this point still be called tea.
“Charlotte,” she said gently, placing a hand on the girl’s arm.
Charlotte, without a word or even a look, set her spoon aside and folded her hands in her lap.
“I don’t think she’s mad.” The girl looked up at Mr. Sedley. “She’s an excellent judge of character.”
Thankfully, another short laugh from Mrs. Kenney diffused the awkwardness of Charlotte’s challenge. She lifted a slim hand to feel at the perfect curls framing her face, glancing at the large clock hanging over the door as she did so.
“Unfortunately, I should be off. Train to catch.”
“Pressing business, eh?” Mr. Sedley spoke in a cheerful tone. “Troops to inspect, traitors to execute, that sort of thing?”
Mrs. Kenney sniffed dismissively. “Actually, yes, if you must know.” She turned back to Charlotte and Susanna, explaining, “Ikeep my hand in my late husband’s business. These young boys don’t know what they’re doing.”
The fact that she was a widow was not welcome news to Susanna, who plastered on a polite smile as they all made their goodbyes. There was nothing untoward in the look Mrs. Kenney and Mr. Sedley shared, but the handsome, polished woman did spare a knowing look for Susanna before departing. A warning, perhaps. Susanna fiddled with the napkin in her lap, twisting it about.
“Well. How did you two end up sitting with Edith Kenney?” The ghost of a frown crossed Mr. Sedley’s face; he appeared mildly anxious.
