Page 39 of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal
‘What am I yelling about? That little thief stole my necklace. The emerald one your father gave me for my birthday. Step aside, Millicent. I will have my necklace back and demand Major General Drake whip this boy for his crimes before dismissing him immediately. The little guttersnipe can’t even speak without betraying his low birth. It’s a wonder he isn’t covered in vermin.’
‘Oi! I take my baths every month.’ Master Bright poked his head out from the side of Millie’s skirts before quickly ducking back into his hiding spot of sprigged muslin.
Millie scrunched her nose for a moment. Yes, her dress would most definitely need to be laundered. Patricia’s high-pitched scream forced her to refocus. ‘Why on earth do you think he stole your emerald necklace, Patricia? Surely, he wasn’t in your rooms.’
‘How dare you question me?’ Patricia walked to Millie and raised her right hand to strike. As it flew through the air, Milliepushed Master Bright back and leaned out of Patricia’s range. With her left hand, she caught Patricia’s wrist. Following her stepmother’s momentum, she wrenched Patricia’s wrist across her body, pulling her stepmother off balance. Letting go, Patricia stumbled, landing in a tangled heap on the floor.
Philippa had taught Millie this move, though she could have altered it to keep control of Patricia’s arm. With the woman’s wrist captured and enough pressure put on her elbow, she could easily break Patricia’s arm if she wanted. Instead, she opted to push her away. The stupid woman would never know how lucky she was to be released.
Millie could feel the wounds in her back stretch painfully as wetness seeped through the bandages. She refused to show any weakness to Patricia. No longer did she live under this vile woman’s roof.
‘Cor blimey, miss. You’re a right corker, you are!’ Master Bright had stepped away from her in the scuffle and watched them from a safe distance.
‘You little bitch!’ Patricia hissed as her dress ballooned around her like a lily pad of silks with her the toad at its centre. ‘Dare you forget how tenuous your future is, Millicent? With a simple note to the right people, I could destroy you and your precious friend.’ Her green eyes blazed with an unholy fire even as tears filled them from the embarrassment of her fall.
Millie knew backing down would only give her stepmother more power, but the idea of Lady Philippa’s name being maligned so cruelly, her safety brought into question, was unimaginable. Better for Patricia to think she’d won this little skirmish than to fan the flame of her ire.
‘I must have slipped. Terribly sorry, Patricia. Let me help you.’ She reached to grasp Patricia’s arm, but the woman slapped her hands away. She struggled to stand on her own,transitioning from croaking toad to flapping chicken. No doubt her cinched corset didn’t make the job easier.
‘Lying little whore,’ Patricia hissed at Millie once she’d regained her feet.
Millie forced her hands to remain loose when she could so easily imagine the satisfaction of thrusting the heel of her palm into Patricia’s nose, breaking the pointy little beak. ‘Insult me if you must, but I would remember, this isn’t your house. These aren’t your servants, nor will the earl take kindly to you accusing his people of thievery. I’d search your rooms more carefully before risking offence to our host.’ She was careful to keep her body between Patricia and the young lad. Patricia might not care about dragging her stepdaughter’s reputation through the mud, but neither would she appreciate being thrown out of Drake’s home in front of all the wedding guests. And Millie was sure Drake wouldn’t hesitate to do just that with the smallest provocation. Appealing to the woman’s vanity was the best way to control her.
Patricia’s hand caught on a tear in her skirts. She stifled a frustrated scream. Angry tears ran down her face, creating red, splotchy streaks in the rice powder she used to keep her complexion pale and smooth. ‘Look what you’ve done! You’ve ruined my dress, you ungrateful, insufferable, fat trollop! You’ll pay for this, you stupid, ugly?—’
The deep sound of a throat being cleared effectively silenced Patricia. Her red-rimmed eyes widened as she looked behind Millie.
Drat.
Millie didn’t need any guesses to know who stood behind her. She could feel his heat as the scent of cloves and leather surrounded her. Hopefully, he hadn’t seen her attack on Patricia. He was the last person who needed to discern her fighting skills.
Philippa will kill me if she finds out.
Millie turned around to see Drake looking fit and fine in a dark-charcoal jacket, grey waistcoat, and black breeches. His hessian boots gleamed in the cold sun streaming through the window.
Oh my.
‘Have a care when you speak of my betrothed, Lady Whittenburg. It looks as though you might want to return to your rooms and do something about…’ Drake waved his hand around his face. ‘All that. Your face seems to be melting. And your skirt…’ He let his voice fade.
Patricia pressed her lips together, her body vibrating with fury. ‘You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t cuckold you before the end of the week.’
‘Enough, madame!’ Drake roared loud enough to make Millie’s bones quake and Patricia squeak like a frightened mouse. ‘Leave us,’ Drake thundered.
Patricia pulled back her thin shoulders. Gathering her ruined skirts, she gave Millie a hateful glare before turning to walk up the staircase, turning left toward the guest wing.
‘You picked yourself a right grand lady, guvnor.’ Master Bright walked over to Drake and nodded sagely. He turned to Millie. ‘If you ever need anyfink, you come find me. I’m your man, miss.’
‘You can call me Millie.’ She smiled at the boy though her heart was beating triple-time after the confrontation with Patricia and Drake’s furious response.
‘Right you are, Miss Millie. And you can call me Billy. Caw, do you ’ear that? Millie and Billy. Like a right fairy rhyme. We’re friends now, Millie. An’ I protect me friends.’
‘So do I, Billy. By the by, if youdidhappen to find an emerald necklace lying about, you could certainly give it to Penny. I’m sure she’d return it to its rightful place.’
Billy’s lopsided grin revealed a gap in his two front teeth. ‘That’s some good advice, Miss Millie. If I ’appens to find any missing necklaces, I’ll make sure to do just that.’ He winked at her before turning to push open the front door, whistling a bawdy tune as he strutted on his merry way.
‘My goodness. What an interesting young man.’ Millie’s gaze flicked to Drake and she tried for an innocent smile.
Drake raised his broken eyebrow in an expression she was coming to recognise. ‘That is one way to describe him.’
