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Authors: Miriam Minger
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should not set foot in my house until you're certain that I'm free
of disease?"
"I wasn't thinking that at all," he replied,
his expression one of curious surprise. Then he smiled slightly, as if amused.
"By all means, go in. Ertha's had the household staff working for days to
have everything ready for you."
Silently cursing her heedless tongue and telling
herself she must be more careful so as not to arouse suspicion, Susanna
softened her tone, although she remained annoyed. "If you'll kindly excuse
me, then." Without waiting for him, she walked up the stairs to the door.
She certainly didn't need him to escort her everywhere, especially not into her
new home.
"I'll see you at dinner, Miss Cary. Enjoy your rest."
Susanna glanced over her shoulder to find Adam striding
back toward the carriage, and for the first time, she noticed that he walked
with a slight limp. Yet his bearing was straight and strong, his pace powerful;
it was obvious that his disability did not hamper him as he untethered the
spirited chestnut stallion and led the animal away.
Had he suffered some injury? she wondered, stepping
into the spacious hall. And what did he mean by saying that he'd join her at
dinner? Since when did the hired help sit at the table with their employers?
She had never eaten one meal in Lady Redmayne's elegant dining room, but had
always dined with the other domestic servants in the kitchen.
"If you'll follow me, Miss Camille, I'll show you
upstairs to your room," Ertha said, gesturing to Elias to unload the
trunks as she followed Susanna into the hall. With another wave of her hand,
the other servants scattered, returning to their assigned tasks. "Miss
Camille?" she repeated.
Susanna heard the housekeeper, but she felt as if her
feet were rooted to the floor as she gazed in rapt awe about her. From what she
could see while standing in the hall, the interior of the house was not in the
least stuffy or somber, as Lady Redmayne's country manor had been. Golden
sunlight pouring from open doorways reflected upon the fine furnishings and
polished parquet floor, the hospitable scene easing Susanna's fatigue.
She heard a soft chuckle and turned to find Ertha
smiling at her, the housekeeper's good nature clearly restored after the
earlier awkwardness between them.
"How about a quick tour of the house, Miss
Camille? I'd be pleased to show it to you. Since you were so little when you
were here last, it will be like seeing it for the first time."
Susanna nodded, and eagerly followed Ertha from one
sumptuously decorated room into the next: the dining room, dominated by a huge
mahogany table that could seat twenty; the library, filled from floor to
ceiling with richly embossed, leather-bound books; a game room with a large
billiard table and tables for playing cards; a splendid forty-foot long
ballroom with mirrored walls and crystal chandeliers; a small music room in
which she planned to spend little time at all, especially since she could not
play the harpsichord; and a drawing room graced by elegant yet comfortable
furnishings, its papered walls hung with family portraits.
She paused before the largest painting, a charming
family scene, and with a sharp pang realized that the pretty blonde toddler
seated atop her mother's lap was Camille while the two boys, perhaps six and
eight, were her brothers who had died so young. Behind them, proud and
straight, stood a bewigged and handsome James Cary, his hand placed lovingly
upon his wife's shoulder.
"Those were happy, happy times," Ertha murmured,
then she turned and gazed directly at Susanna. "Now that you're home, Miss
Camille, we'll know those times again. I'm just sure of it."
Susanna's throat constricted with emotion. Her lips
curved into the most confident smile she could muster, though she knew it also
held sadness. With a last glance at the painting, she moved toward the door,
feeling as if all Cary eyes were upon her, especially Camille's.
"I hope you don't mind me saying
of disease?"
"I wasn't thinking that at all," he replied,
his expression one of curious surprise. Then he smiled slightly, as if amused.
"By all means, go in. Ertha's had the household staff working for days to
have everything ready for you."
Silently cursing her heedless tongue and telling
herself she must be more careful so as not to arouse suspicion, Susanna
softened her tone, although she remained annoyed. "If you'll kindly excuse
me, then." Without waiting for him, she walked up the stairs to the door.
She certainly didn't need him to escort her everywhere, especially not into her
new home.
"I'll see you at dinner, Miss Cary. Enjoy your rest."
Susanna glanced over her shoulder to find Adam striding
back toward the carriage, and for the first time, she noticed that he walked
with a slight limp. Yet his bearing was straight and strong, his pace powerful;
it was obvious that his disability did not hamper him as he untethered the
spirited chestnut stallion and led the animal away.
Had he suffered some injury? she wondered, stepping
into the spacious hall. And what did he mean by saying that he'd join her at
dinner? Since when did the hired help sit at the table with their employers?
She had never eaten one meal in Lady Redmayne's elegant dining room, but had
always dined with the other domestic servants in the kitchen.
"If you'll follow me, Miss Camille, I'll show you
upstairs to your room," Ertha said, gesturing to Elias to unload the
trunks as she followed Susanna into the hall. With another wave of her hand,
the other servants scattered, returning to their assigned tasks. "Miss
Camille?" she repeated.
Susanna heard the housekeeper, but she felt as if her
feet were rooted to the floor as she gazed in rapt awe about her. From what she
could see while standing in the hall, the interior of the house was not in the
least stuffy or somber, as Lady Redmayne's country manor had been. Golden
sunlight pouring from open doorways reflected upon the fine furnishings and
polished parquet floor, the hospitable scene easing Susanna's fatigue.
She heard a soft chuckle and turned to find Ertha
smiling at her, the housekeeper's good nature clearly restored after the
earlier awkwardness between them.
"How about a quick tour of the house, Miss
Camille? I'd be pleased to show it to you. Since you were so little when you
were here last, it will be like seeing it for the first time."
Susanna nodded, and eagerly followed Ertha from one
sumptuously decorated room into the next: the dining room, dominated by a huge
mahogany table that could seat twenty; the library, filled from floor to
ceiling with richly embossed, leather-bound books; a game room with a large
billiard table and tables for playing cards; a splendid forty-foot long
ballroom with mirrored walls and crystal chandeliers; a small music room in
which she planned to spend little time at all, especially since she could not
play the harpsichord; and a drawing room graced by elegant yet comfortable
furnishings, its papered walls hung with family portraits.
She paused before the largest painting, a charming
family scene, and with a sharp pang realized that the pretty blonde toddler
seated atop her mother's lap was Camille while the two boys, perhaps six and
eight, were her brothers who had died so young. Behind them, proud and
straight, stood a bewigged and handsome James Cary, his hand placed lovingly
upon his wife's shoulder.
"Those were happy, happy times," Ertha murmured,
then she turned and gazed directly at Susanna. "Now that you're home, Miss
Camille, we'll know those times again. I'm just sure of it."
Susanna's throat constricted with emotion. Her lips
curved into the most confident smile she could muster, though she knew it also
held sadness. With a last glance at the painting, she moved toward the door,
feeling as if all Cary eyes were upon her, especially Camille's.
"I hope you don't mind me saying
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