Page 68 of Aurelia

Larissa thrust out her lower lip and eyed Aurelia thoughtfully.

“What?” Aurelia asked. “Why are you looking at me that way?”

“I have deliberated whether or not I should tell you—”

“Tell me.”

Larissa lowered her voice and said, “Mary Neel and another widow from Balcrewe—Edna Green—have been complaining about the earl’s absence in their beds not just these past six weeks, but for some time before that. Indeed, they have both traced his sudden lack of interest in their… charms to the arrival of a certain young lady artist.”

Aurelia groaned. “This is just what I feared would happen.”

“No, no—do not despair!”

“How can I not despair?”

“Because several Castle Crewe servants have vouchsafed that nothing untoward has occurred between you and his lordship. Indeed, the entire populace is agog at the earl’s restraint.”

“Perhaps the restraint is on my side,” Aurelia retorted. And then sighed and said, “I’m sorry. I should not snap at you for the inevitable gossip. Indeed, I am grateful you have told me what is being said.

“You are in a most interesting position—”

Aurelia laughed.

It was Larissa’s turn to blush. “I just mean that you have beguiled a man whom women fling themselves at incessantly. Every unmarried woman—and good many who are—view the earl as some sort of exotic animal they are determined to bag, stuff, and display in a trophy case.”

Aurelia gave a decidedly unladylike guffaw. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But that is a rather amusing image.”

Larissa chuckled. “It is, but that does not make it any less true. What I was trying to say—rather clumsily, I’m afraid—is that you are proof that women can earn their way without doing anything dire.”

“My mother would say—and Society would agree—that I have behaved in a dire fashion just by coming here.”

Larissa pulled a face. “Our mothers—and from what you have told me ours have more than a little in common—believed they had only one choice, which was to marry our fathers. You are living evidence that we do not need a husband to survive and even prosper. And you are—”

The waitress arrived with their tea and scones just then, thankfully putting a stop to the mortifying conversation.

Once they were again alone, Aurelia poured their tea while Larissa again leaned across the table, her eyes shining with excitement. “I have excellent news. Miss. Lindon wrote and offered me the teaching position, Aurelia!”

Aurelia wanted to shout huzzah as Celsa did when she was happy, but wisely settled for a big grin. “That is wonderful, Larissa!”

“It is wonderful and I must tell you that I already like Jenny Lindon a great deal—and she had lovely things to say about you, dear Aurelia.”

Jenny had been Aurelia’s closest friend during her one year away at finishing school, and the main reason Aurelia had been so sad that there had been no money for a second year.

“I decided to tell her who I really am,” Larissa said, and then licked a dab of cream from her finger and added three teaspoons of sugar to her tea.

“And she hired you regardless.”

Larissa nodded. “Yes. But I insisted that if anyone were to find out the truth that Miss Lindon would promise to say she was unaware of my identity. I have no desire to ruin her school.”

“I am relieved that Jenny knows the truth. It is a difficult façade to maintain and it also made me feel lonely.” Aurelia smiled. “Until I met you, Larissa. Our friendship has—”

“Hello Miss Burton, Miss Clifford! What a delight to see you two here.”

Aurelia looked up to find Sir Gideon smiling down at them.

He looked from her to Larissa. “If I had known you were coming over, I could have brought you, Miss Clifford. I do hope you will allow me to take you back—if it is convenient for you, that is?”

Larissa blushed under his open, friendly regard. “That is very kind of you, Sir Gideon, and I would be delighted to accept your offer. Er, have you come to have tea?”