Page 26 of The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

“But you’d think he was a duke the way Lady Rutledge and Miss Rose Rutledge parade around with their haughty looks.” She sighed again. “I think Lord Brookhaven is thinking of marrying her. That must surely be why he invited us all to his house, to have the chance to court her in a respectable way and ask for her hand.”

I felt sick. Perhaps I was getting a cold or some kind of fever. At least that would be a good excuse to not return to the drawing room tonight.

Millicent stared down at her dress. “I’m glad it’s not muddy. My hems are surviving our walk quite well, thankfully. I do hate cleaning my own hems, but I didn’t bring a lady’s maid, and I don’t wish to ask...”

I really wasn’t listening to Millicent. Instead, I was thinking that I wasn’t sure I could bear to watch Lord Brookhaven courting a vain, haughty girl like Miss Rose Rutledge. He had seated Miss Rutledge next to himself at dinner. And he had talked mostly to her when we were waiting for dinner to be announced.

But surely Millicent was wrong. Why would he invite so manypeople if there was only one lady he was interested in? And why invite me, for goodness’ sake?

I felt quite heavy as we made our way back to the house. The sun was shining, but it was as if clouds had darkened the sky and rain was threatening to fall.

Millicent went upstairs to go back to bed. “I might as well sleep while the rest of the ladies are sleeping,” she said.

I went to the schoolroom to see if the children were ready for their lessons. As I walked in, the children and Hannah were just entering from the children’s bedroom, and Lord Brookhaven was standing there, leaning against a bookcase.

“There you all are,” he said, pushing himself to his full height. “I have some news.” He looked from me to the children. “You are to have a holiday from lessons while my guests are here. No more books. You may do as you please for two weeks.”

Samuel whooped, throwing his hands in the air. “I shall ride horses and play with Ernest and get dirty and muddy!”

Hannah began to scold him, but Lord Brookhaven cut her off. “And Annabelle? What shall you do?”

“Play with Maizie and my dolls.” She smiled.

“All right, then, go play. I expect to hear a report on Friday about how much you’ve enjoyed yourselves.”

Samuel whooped again as Hannah ushered him back into their room to change into some play clothes “so that you don’t spoil your good clothes and give Bessie and me a headache of work, cleaning the mud stains out of your best things.”

When they were gone, Lord Brookhaven turned to me. “And what shall you do with your holiday?”

“There are many books I’ve found that I want to read, including the copies ofSense and SensibilityandPride and Prejudicethat you gave me, and I can catch up on my letter writing.”

“And you will have no excuse to leave the party early tonight.” He was staring at me with an intense look in his eyes. “It is mywish that you stay and enjoy yourself. You are enjoying yourself, are you not?”

I cast about in my mind and finally said, “I enjoyed talking with Millicent Skidmore. And I enjoyed dinner. Thank you, sir, for inviting me.”

“This evening after dinner we shall have music. Or would you rather play at cards?”

“I’m not much of a card player.” Then I quickly added, “But just as you please, my lord. It is your house party.”

“Do you play the pianoforte? And sing?”

“I only play a little, and I don’t sing. But I do enjoy hearing others play and sing.”

“And you can dance.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Well, then, I shall expect you in the drawing this evening.”

Saying thank you didn’t seem the right thing. I might say what I was thinking, which was that his guests didn’t want me there, and even I wondered why he was subjecting me to their contempt and ill grace, but before I could decide what to say, he was gone.

Ten

The day seemed to go by slowly, with me wondering what would happen tonight. Would Lord Brookhaven’s guests be even more open with their disdain and dislike of me? Or would they gradually warm to me? One thing was certain: Lord Brookhaven was determined to have me there.

Since I had the whole day to myself, I did my own hair, which took a lot more time than I thought it would. I was not as expert at it as Daisy was, but I did well enough. I also dressed myself in the second of the new gowns and wore Lady Derringer’s amber cross.

Would I feel awkward around Mr. Thomas Merritt, knowing that he had said I was pretty and genteel? Hopefully not, since he wouldn’t know that Millicent had told me.