Page 8 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
Amanda’s chin went up a bit as she squared her shoulders defiantly. “I am allowed to hire my own staff, Graham.”
Tanner opened the door and Amanda swiftly pulled a rather uncomfortable looking Miss Charlotte Browne through the doorway and presented her with glee to Graham. “Charlotte is going to be my maid, Brother!”
Graham stared at Amanda trying to put the words she said together in some way that made sense, yet he failed. He was left watching as Amanda announced, “I shall fetch Mrs. Sullivan at once!”
After his sister had swished out of the room, Graham turned to Miss Browne. This was not the young woman he recalled. This was a graceful and delicate creature who eyed him with a mix of trepidation and embarrassment. He spoke gently so as to not startle her further. “I feel as though I should apologise for my sister.”
Miss Browne pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Her warm brown eyes watched him with a curiosity that made him want to go closer. But he held his ground. “She is trying to be kind. She just has her own way about it.”
Graham chuckled and shook his head. “My sister definitely has her own way about most everything. What is this about you being her maid?”
Miss Browne’s shoulders lifted and colour filled her cheeks in the most wonderful way. “She offered me a position within her household and I have accepted. It really is as simple as that. I do hope that does not offend you.”
“Your presence does not offend me.” Graham put the situation together in his mind. Miss Browne had always been a clever girl. If she had chosen to accept Amanda’s offer then her situation must have been dire. “I am so sorry that I did not check in on you over the years. I should have out of respect for your father. I hope you can forgive me.”
Miss Browne smiled at him with astonishment that wounded Graham. Was it so surprising that he had apologised? “There is no apology necessary, Lord Easterly. You were away fighting for England against Napoleon, as was my brother. You could not have known my plight.”
Graham started to speak but Miss Browne spoke again. “Thank you for bringing my brother’s body home.”
Miss Browne had always had a good head on her shoulders and Graham was not shocked that she had put it together that the only man who had means and reason to do so would have been him. His sister might have also said something, but he was fairly certain that Amanda only listened to him when she heard her name or money mentioned.
“It was the least I could do,” Graham told her quietly. She seemed to be watching him and the look in her eyes made him all too aware that this was not the slip of a girl he had once known. Miss Browne had filled out into a beautiful woman, whose gentle manner filled Graham with protectiveness. “Are you certain that this is what you want?”
Miss Browne’s mouth opened then closed. Graham wondered what she had been about to say but he saw her square her shoulders. “You are kind, but I have accepted the position and I will make good on my words.”
“I never meant that you might not.” Graham tried to think of what to say.
Miss Browne stood silently for a moment before she said, “I read in the local paper that you are to be given title for your service. That sounds very exciting.”
“It really is not,” Graham assured her, now feeling uncomfortable. He would just prefer that everyone ignored his time in the war. But they all seemed determined to laud it over him as if it were some sort of mantle of worth.
He would have said something more but Amanda ushered in Mrs. Sullivan, who looked very irritated to be handled so. Amanda waved her hand at Miss Browne. “This is Charlotte. She is going to be my lady’s maid.”
Mrs. Sullivan was a dour woman with the countenance of someone who had tasted something most vile. She often looked upon the lower staff with something akin to disdain or, at best, a diligent tolerance.
The woman was eyeing Miss Browne with obvious doubt. “Have you any experience?”
Miss Browne looked at Amanda, who simply nodded at her eagerly. Miss Browne folded her hands in front of her simple dress. “I fear that I do not have much.”
“Were you a maid previously? A governess?” Mrs. Sullivan seemed to be searching for something, but whatever it was she obviously found Miss Browne lacking. “We shall just have to see how you do.”
Graham could not help but interject, “I feel this is absurd. Surely you do not expect her to actually be your lady’s maid, Amanda? I thought you had decided that Katrina would be filling that role?”
“This is not of my doing,” Amanda said haughtily. “Charlotte wishes to not be treated as a guest. Would you have me go against her wishes?”
Graham looked at Miss Browne, but her eyes were firmly on the floor. There was little he could do but accept that what his sister said was true. He gave up and Amanda gave him a smile, as she often did when she got her own way.
Amanda looped her arm through Miss Browne’s arm and tugged the poor girl toward the stairs. “Let me show you where your room is.”
Graham and Mrs. Sullivan watched the two young women climb the stairs. Mrs. Sullivan made a noise of dissatisfaction. Before the woman could head off back to her work, Graham gestured with his hand for her to wait. “Despite my sister’s words, Mrs. Sullivan, let me make it very clear that Miss Browne is to be treated as a companion to my sister and nothing less. Do you understand?”
“Of course, Your Lordship,” Mrs. Sullivan said with a curtsey. “I do think that Katrina might take exception to the fact of being passed over, Sir.”
Graham sighed. “I can make no excuse for my sister’s behaviour.” Mrs. Sullivan nodded and excused herself with another curtsey.
Graham was certain that several of the household staff would take exception to not getting the promotions due to them as they would have been promoted up in succession after Katrina took her position of lady’s maid. However, there was little he could do about that. His sister did have the right to choose her own staff, no matter how ill-advised Graham thought it was.
The coming season would be trying enough with it being Amanda’s first. She was quite put out that she had to wait so long to debut, but she could hardly do so with Graham at war. He had had to listen to her rambling monologue about her struggles of watching her society friends go off to their seasons the year before.
