Madcap Miss (6 page)

“
I see how it is. Your papa lets you stay up till all hours. It will destroy your looks. Dims the eyes and makes the skin sallow. Young girls should rise with the sun and retire with it. By the time you have cleaned your teeth and said your prayers and changed, it will be close to nine o
’
clock. I notice your woman did not come with you. Don
’
t you have an abigail, Gussie?
”

“
Miss Invers has gone to visit her family. Her mother is ill,
”
Grace replied.

“
All the more reason to run along. You
’
ll have to do for yourself. It will be a lesson in independence.
”

“
I can take care of myself,
”
Grace said, feeling this bold assertion might meet with approval, as indeed it did.

“
I wager you can,
”
the old lady cackled merrily.

When Grace went to make her curtsy to her grandmother, the lady said,
“
You may kiss me good-night, Gussie.
”

With no inner revulsion this time, Grace pecked the sere, lined skin. She turned uncertainly toward Whewett, wondering in what manner she ought to take her leave of him.
“
Good night, Papa,
”
she said, and curtsied.

“
Good night, Augusta. Sleep well,
”
he answered, with a glint of amusement at her predicament.

“
Don
’
t you kiss your father good-night?
”
Lady Healy asked. Her tone made it perfectly clear she did not approve of a mere curtsy.

Not wishing to give offense, Grace said,
“
Sometimes.
”

“
You should always kiss your father good-night. There isn
’
t enough respect shown to parents nowadays. My father would have laid a hickory branch over my back if I forgot to kiss him goodnight. Don
’
t forget to brush your teeth and say your prayers, too.
”

“
Yes, Grandmama,
”
Grace answered, her voice becoming strained at all these commands. She turned to Whewett, glowering at him when her back was safely turned from Lady Healy.

“
Come and kiss your father goodnight as you
’
re told,
”
he said in a fatherly way.

She walked to him stiffly.
“
Beast!
”
she hissed in a low voice as her lips brushed his cheek. The roughness of incipient whiskers surprised her. At close range a lingering hint of spicy cologne rose from him. It surprised her, too, when he reached out and grasped her wrist in his hand.

“
Sleep tight, dear. I
’
ll look in on you before I go to bed. We shan
’
t be staying up late, Grandma?
”

The old dame yawned.
“
I am dog-tired already. We
’
ll turn in soon. We have only got the east wing open. I have had you two put in adjoining rooms for company. I have only a handful of servants with me. One of them will show you where to go, Augusta.
”

Grace
’
s eyes flew to Whewett in consternation at the sleeping arrangements.
“
How convenient.
”
He smiled blandly at Lady Healy.

“
I knew you would like to be close together,
”
she said.

Grace was shown to a large chamber of faded elegance by the groom-turned-butler.
“
This here
’
s where you
’
re sleeping,
”
was his sole conversation.

Dark wainscoting and dark window hangings lent a dismal atmosphere to the whole. In lieu of a proper lamp, there was one brace of tallow candles to lighten the heavy gloom and disperse a rancid smoke. Her new luggage sat on the floor, unpacked. Stowing it away took a few minutes.

By eight-thirty she was done, stuck in a shadowy room alone, already half-hungry, and unlikely to close her eyes before midnight. There was nothing to read, nothing to do, no one to talk to.

She flung herself on the lumpy bed to wait till it got late enough to really think of retiring. She would not undress till Whewett came. She reviewed the strange day, which had such unusual happenings that the time passed without tedium. At nine there was a tap at the adjoining door. She ran to open it.

Whewett stood on the other side, smiling.
“
You were marvelous, Doll,
”
he congratulated her, and stepped in with no hesitation, nor much feeling of strangeness.

“
Thank you. It didn
’
t go too badly, but I am happy it is only a short visit. I do not look forward with any pleasure to being sent to my room at eight o
’
clock. Even at Bixworths
’
, I was allowed up till ten.
”

“
She shipped me off at nine, not much better.
”

“
Will we have to stay all day tomorrow?
”

“
I
’
m afraid so. We
’
ve been discussing that belowstairs. She wants me to ride over the place and speak to the estate manager she
’
s been dealing with since her arrival. It will take a few days more.
”

“
A few days more! Whewett, you said two days altogether. I thought today was one of them.
”

“
We were not here today,
”
he pointed out reasonably.
“
She wants to see more of you than that.
”

“
Two more nights locked in this dungeon! You must get me some books and some decent lights. And something to eat. I am starved.
”

“
Sorry about the apple tart. You must own I tried, but you dumpy girls, you know ...
”

“
I am not dumpy. I am petite,
”
Grace sniffed.
“
There is a difference.
”

“
I noticed but did not think it wise to call the difference to Grandma
’
s attention. Are you actually hungry?
”

“
No, I am actually starved. I had a cup of tea for breakfast, and exactly one thin sandwich for luncheon.
”

Whewett looked uncertain.
“
I have a box of bonbons I picked up for my housekeeper. You may have them if you promise to clean your teeth.
”

“
I promise to clean the box, in any case.
”
He made no move to get the bonbons.
“
Oh, of course I
’
ll clean my teeth. I
’
m twenty-two years old, not a child.
”

“
It
’
s easy to forget,
”
he said, glancing at her short skirts. The gown had a loose, smock-type top that concealed her figure.

Whewett went to his room and returned with the box of bonbons, which he opened to pass to her before selecting one himself.
“
Revolting, aren
’
t they?
”
he asked, chewing without the least sign of pleasure.

“
They are delicious! Try the little round one. It has a cherry in liqueur.
”
He laid the box aside.
“
Do you think you should go? I mean, in case she comes,
”
Grace added.

“
Don
’
t worry. I
’
m not going to eat any more of your candy. As to Grandma
’
s coming, there is nothing wrong with my talking to my daughter, and while you are in this house, Dolly, you are my daughter. Don
’
t forget it.
”

“
I
’
m not likely to, with Lady Healy asking me every minute if I remembered to dry behind my ears.
”

“
She
’
s sharp-tongued, but she likes you immensely. She had a dozen compliments the minute you left. This was an excellent idea, bringing you here. It is giving her so much pleasure, it would be a shame to deprive her of it. Augusta would not have done half so well herself. A shy child like Gussie would have been terrified of the old Tartar, but you did excellently. How did you get so brave?
”

“
From dealing with Mrs. Bixworth, who is enough of a terror to frighten Lady Healy. I think Grandma is really lonesome beneath her rough exterior. There was a tear on her cheek when I kissed her, Whewett. Did you notice it?
”

“
Yes, but it was a tear of joy, I think.
”

“
I hope so.
”
Grace unthinkingly put another chocolate in her mouth and chewed.
“
Everyone
’
s lonesome underneath, I imagine. Even you.
”

“
Even
I? Widows and widowers are more lonesome than most. So lonesome, I deserve another bonbon,
”
he decided, and popped one in his mouth.

“
They can
’
t be more lonesome than orphans,
”
she pointed out with a sad look.

“
Pity we don
’
t have a couple of violins to back up this threnody,
”
he said, and passed her the bonbons.

“
I
’
m worried about being alone with her tomorrow while you
’
re out. God only knows what she will ask me.
”

“
The blessing is that if she asks you, it means she doesn
’
t know herself. All we have to do is get together and compare notes later so I don
’
t contradict what you tell her. It seems fairly inconsequential stuff that interests her. Do you ride, by the way?
”

“
I used to when Papa was alive, but I did not begin hunting when I was ten. Do you believe half her stories?
”

“
Yes, I would say I believe half of them. She had the reputation of being quite a terror in her youth. I expect we drop the less glorious memories as we advance into old age.
”

“
I hope so.
”

“
What memories do you plan to dump?
”
he asked, regarding her closely. From what he knew of her thus far, he could not think of anything she would want to remember.

“
This job for one. My last for another.
”

“
I
’
ve been so busy telling you all the circumstances and history of the Whewett house that I
’
ve had very little time to learn about you. How long have you been an orphan, Miss Farnsworth?
”

“
A year and a few months. It seems much longer.
”

“
Have you been a governess all that time?
”

“
No, for six months I lived in a fool
’
s paradise at  home with Thomas. It took that long to straighten out Papa
’
s accounts and discover I was in the basket. It came as such a shock. Then I battened myself quite shamelessly on Miss Thomas for a few months in a little apartment she had rented, till I got a job and she moved here. I haven
’
t seen her since, but we correspond regularly. I cannot imagine where she went without letting me know.
”

“
What an awful time you have had,
”
he said, shaking his head in sympathy.
“
Now to cap it off, you are all but abducted to perform a masquerade under the most harrowing circumstances. Have you no relatives you might go to?
”

“
I have some cousins, but I don
’
t know them well and dislike to be dependent on others.
”

"I'm sure they would be charmed to have you.
”

She flashed a sharp eye at that.
“
They none of them asked me, and they knew I was alone.
”

“
You could have asked them,
”
he said reasonably.

“
You mean go
begging!
Pride is a bad trait for one in my circumstances, but
—”

“
Let us call it by its other name, self-respect, which is a good trait in anyone. I had thought you would be closer to your extended family.
”

“
No, I hardly knew them. Well, here it is nearly nine-thirty. Time for me to turn in.
”

“
To what?
”
he inquired with a lazy smile.
“
A princess? Your sad tale calls to mind Perrault
’
s
Cinderella.
”

“
No, that would require a prince, I believe.
”

Whewett shrugged, trying to lighten her morose mood.
“
And our Prinney doesn
’
t even care for slender young ladies. He prefers more bulk, preferably with a touch of silver hair. Good night, Augusta. I haven
’
t the heart to remind you to brush your teeth,
”
he said, rising to go toward the door.

Grace went with him to bolt the door. She stopped with an exclamation of surprise.
“
There is no lock!
”

He looked down, then at the other side of the door.
“
I
’
m safe. There
’
s one on my side.
”