Читать книгу The Temporary Betrothal - Lily George - Страница 11

Chapter Two

Mrs. Wiggs was in the kitchen as Sophie entered. Judging from the delicious smells emanating from the oven, she was baking bread. Sophie set her parcel down on the long oak table that the other servants dined at every night, and stretched her hands to the hearth’s blaze. She was soaking wet through and chilled to the bone, but a glow warmed her heart. She could not stop smiling, even as miserable as the cold and damp should make her feel.

“Bless my soul, don’t you look a sight? Nancy, run upstairs and fetch something warm and dry for Miss Sophie—there’s a good gel.” The housekeeper dried her hands on her apron and shooed one of the kitchen maids upstairs. “Whatever happened to you?”

“I got lost on the way to the haberdashers, and it began pouring,” Sophie replied with a chuckle. “Of course, in my haste to get the buttons and return home, I neglected to bring a parasol.”

The housekeeper made a tsking sound under her breath, and stirred up the fire. “I best make you some tea, or you’re likely to catch your death.”

A commotion sounded in the hallway, and two young ladies burst through the door, giggling and talking breathlessly over one another. “Sophie, you’re back. Did you find some buttons for me?” Amelia, the elder of the two Bradbury daughters, danced over to the table, seizing the parcel and clasping it to her bosom.

“Amelia, can’t you see she’s soaking wet? Poor Sophie, are you quite all right?” Louisa, the younger and gentler of the two girls, laid her head on Sophie’s damp shoulder.

“I am quite all right, thank you, my dear. It was a bit of an adventure, actually.” Sophie gladly accepted a steaming cup of tea from Mrs. Wiggs, and spooned sugar in it while she waited for the brew to cool down a bit.

“Girls? Where are you?” Lucy Williams, governess to the Bradbury family, called from down the hall.

“In here!” the two imps chorused, and Sophie couldn’t stifle a smile as she stirred her tea. The girls delighted in provoking dear Lucy, who proved to be quite a good sport about it all. Lucy strode through the kitchen door, planting her fists on both hips.

“Really, I turn my back for one moment and find you in the kitchen,” she scolded. “Is that proper behavior for two young ladies?”

“I don’t know if it’s proper or not, but the kitchen is the most interesting room in the house,” Amelia replied smartly. “Aside from your rooms, and Sophie’s, of course.”

“I agree,” Louisa chirped, flipping a long brown curl over one shoulder. “Here, we can steal biscuits and tea. In your rooms, we can loll around on the beds and talk nonsense.”

“Well, be that as it may, you two must fall into line. Your father returns later this week, and I must have at least a semblance of order and discipline. For his sake, if for no other reason.”

Sophie choked, the hot tea burning a path down her throat. Lord Bradbury planned to come home from London this week? She’d had no idea it would be so soon. For the two weeks she had been in Bath, no one had given any indication that his lordship would be in residence at all.

“Are you all right?” Amelia patted her back with a few solid whacks.

“Y-yes,” Sophie spluttered, trying to take a deep breath. “I—was surprised—that’s all.”

“Surprised about Papa? Don’t be, Sophie. He’s such a dear. You’ll love him,” Louisa assured her as she took the biscuit tin down from the larder.

“Yes, he is,” Amelia added, helping herself to a few biscuits. “He’s been so good to us all. We quite adore him. No need to be alarmed, Sophie. He’ll take one look at you and be satisfied.”

“I don’t want him to be satisfied with me—I want him to be satisfied with my work. It’s a very different thing,” Sophie admonished, draining the last sugary drops from her teacup. Thus fortified, she turned to Lucy. “I haven’t had very much time to begin my work. I’ve only just cut the pieces for Amelia’s riding habit.”

“I would not worry,” Lucy assured her, an encouraging smile lighting her brown eyes. “His lordship is very just and fair, and he knows you’ve only been in residence for a fortnight. I am certain all will be well.”

“Even so.” Sophie rose, shaking out her still-damp skirts. “I would feel better if I accomplished a bit more before his lordship returns. Come, Amelia, let us retire to the sewing room. I need to see if these buttons meet with your approval. They were hard-won notions, after all I’ve been through today.” And though they were hard won, they were well worth the effort. Lieutenant Cantrill, with his lean angular face and velvety eyes, drifted across her mind. ’Twould be difficult indeed to keep her mind on her sewing today. But if she wanted to impress his lordship, and keep her position as a seamstress, she had better try to banish the lieutenant from her thoughts—at least until after supper, when she could turn her mind toward his most fascinating problems, and how she might be able to solve them.