Page 12 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
Charlotte continued as if Amanda had asked her to. “Perhaps my taking on the position of your lady’s maid was not in anyone’s best interest. I do not mind working for a living, but it is clear that Katrina would be more qualified.”
“Is this about her tormenting you again? I really can do very little about that,” Amanda said with disdain.
Charlotte thought there was actually a good amount that Amanda could do about it. But she merely said, “Perhaps the best thing would be to right the situation. I could perhaps step down into a lesser role.”
“You would rather do what? You want to be a chambermaid or scullery maid?” Amanda looked completely scandalised and stopped stirring her tea. “Why would you rather do that than be my companion?”
Charlotte sighed. “Well, I am not really your companion, am I? I am your maid, and as you pointed out, I am not qualified for such a position.”
“So, you want me to give Katrina the position?” Amanda giggled. “You feel bad for her.” Amanda gave Charlotte a grin. “My brother has talked to me about the same thing, not you being a scullery maid, but about my hiring Katrina to do the maid parts of the job.”
Charlotte felt hopeful that since Lord Easterly had brought it up perhaps it would lend more weight to her argument if even her brother could see that Katrina was better for the job. “Perhaps your brother is right. I know you might not like to hear that, but what happens when you are at season and do not have someone to aid you as you should?”
The idea of going to season and not being prepared seemed to give Amanda pause as little had up until that point. “Very well, I shall consider it. Honestly, Lotte, you should have just agreed to my arrangement of a companion the first time around.”
Charlotte nodded slowly. “Perhaps, but I do want to earn my keep.”
Amanda lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “You should learn how to sew a button regardless.”
“I promise that I will try,” Charlotte said as she relaxed. She truly hoped Amanda would actually consider her words and not just dismiss them out of hand.
It would make Charlotte’s life considerably easier if she did not have to look over her shoulder all the time due to the staff having a vendetta against her. She wanted to keep the peace, and more importantly, attain her own peace of mind again.
Amanda ate and only as an afterthought seemed to realise that Charlotte might want something. “Oh, do you want some tea?”
“I would,” Charlotte said with relief as she took one of the cups.
They sat in silence and ate. Charlotte was not sure if it was a companionable silence or not, but she definitely did not mind the quiet. Her mind suddenly remembered Mrs. Sullivan. “Oh no,” Charlotte groaned. “I forgot that Mrs. Sullivan asked me to see her when I delivered your tea.”
Amanda snorted. “You might want to hurry along, then. She can be frightful when she is in a huff.”
Charlotte set the tea down as quickly as she dared and was out of the room before Amanda could tease her anymore. She practically ran down the stairs. Charlotte headed to the conservatory where Mrs. Sullivan took her tea.
She found the woman sipping tea and staring out of the window. “Sorry for the delay, Mrs. Sullivan. Miss Easterly was talking to me.”
“Nothing to be done about that,” Mrs. Sullivan said with a sigh. “I know that you will be travelling with Miss Easterly to London shortly and I wanted to remind you that although you have not been with our staff long, please do mind your manners.”
Charlotte felt insulted. She had always minded her manners, but she refrained from saying so. “I would never bring offense onto the Easterly name, Mrs. Sullivan. There is a chance I may not go to London, however. I recommended to Miss Easterly that she hire Katrina to be her lady’s maid. I never intended for her to hire me in someone else’s place.”
“Not all of us get to choose our stations in life,” Mrs. Sullivan said. “I suppose you understand that to some extent, from what I have heard of your past.”
Charlotte looked down at her feet. Mrs. Sullivan cleared her throat. “The other reason I brought you here was to tell you to help the maids on the second floor. I want the floor nice and tidy before the household leaves for the season.”
Charlotte’s stomach felt like lead. The maids upstairs were particularly vicious, but she knew better than to naysay. She gave the housekeeper a curtsey and went to do as she was asked.
*
Graham sat in the dining hall quite alone. A maid came through with a pile of plates to set out on the table. “Have you by any chance seen my sister or Miss Browne? I should think that someone around here would be prompt to the evening meal.”
The maid seemed rather surprised to be spoken to and stared at him for a moment before she answered, “I have not seen Miss Easterly, but Miss Browne was helping the maids upstairs to do some tidying.”
“Whose idea was that?” Graham expected to hear that it was one of his sister’s schemes.
The maid’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Mrs. Sullivan told her to, Your Lordship.”
Apparently, no one was listening to him anymore. Graham took pity on the girl and waved that she could go back to her duties before the cook skinned her alive. He pondered what the best way to handle the situation would be, if at all. They would be leaving soon, and it might not be worth raising the ire of his housekeeper over.
Graham took a coin out of his pocket. It was old and discoloured. He had found it right before a battle and had given into superstition that the coin must hold some good luck. So far it had seemed to work very well.
