country. Even Annabelle’s gone rusty.’
‘Rustic?’
‘That’s what I said. Now, I found them all husbands and I’ll find you one.’
‘I don’t want one,’ said Frederica quickly. ‘Men are all philanderers.’
‘Don’t I know it,’ said Lady Godolphin gloomily. ‘Ah, well, sweet are the uses of amnesia, as the Bard says. We must struggle to find the best. You can’t say any of your sisters married a philanthropist.’
But Frederica was thinking of the duke.
‘Don’t look so sad,’ said Lady Godolphin. ‘Minerva ain’t up to puffing you off, so I’ll do it.’
‘It is very kind of you, but …’
‘Of course, you could return to your pa,’ said Lady Godolphin with a wicked gleam in her eye.
‘No,’ said Frederica. ‘Can’t I just go on working here?’
‘Of course not. Pembury wouldn’t allow it, for a start.’
Mary came bouncing in. ‘Sarah, I mean, Miss Millet, I mean, your pa is below and he’s in a taking.’
Frederica turned white. She was afraid of her father’s rages.
‘Tell the reverend we’ll be down as soon as we’re ready,’ said Lady Godolphin. ‘Ring for my maid.’
‘You might have told me you was the Quality,’ mumbled Mary as Lady Godolphin was swept off to the dressing room by her maid.
‘I thought I no longer was,’ said Frederica sadly. ‘Idid not think anyone would find me. My real name is Frederica Armitage. Now I am to go to London and have a Season.’
‘Oh!’ Mary clasped her work-reddened hands. ‘I’ve never seen London. Just think o’ the shops and parties and theatres.’
Frederica gave her a watery smile. She had become very fond of Mary.
‘I’ll take you with me,’ said Frederica suddenly. ‘I’ll make you my lady’s maid.’
‘I dunno,’ said Mary doubtfully. ‘I don’t know laces or jewellery or French or …’
‘I could teach you.’
‘But her ladyship won’t like it.’
‘She won’t mind,’ said Frederica. ‘ Please , Mary.’
‘If I do,’ said Mary severely, ‘you’ll need to know your place and not be so friendly-like. And you can’t go downstairs in your cap and apron. Let me fetch that dress you come in, and while I get you ready, you can tell me how you come to be working here under another name.’
Frederica was made ready in a very short time indeed but it was a full hour before Lady Godolphin considered herself ‘finished’ enough to go down. She was wearing a red-and-white-striped merino gown, cut low on the bosom and disgracefully short about the ankle. Over her fat shoulders she wore a fine Paisley shawl. Round her neck she wore a rope of pearls, and on her head a turban of gold gauze embellished with two tall osprey feathers.
The Duke of Pembury had never really liked LadyGodolphin until that moment when she erupted into his library with Frederica in tow. She blasted the vicar with a long tirade about his loose morals with all the zeal of a Methodist, leaving the poor vicar, who had been about to castigate his daughter, speechless.
At last, Lord Sylvester interrupted her. ‘I am anxious to return to my wife, Lady Godolphin. I think it would be best if I took Frederica with me.’
‘Minerva ain’t up to a Season,’ said Lady Godolphin . ‘I’ll take her myself. She can stay with me until things at that vicarage have been made respectable again.’
‘And what do you have to say to that, Freddie?’ asked Lord Sylvester. His voice was kind. Apart from his wife, Lord Sylvester liked Frederica the best of all the Armitage sisters.
Frederica turned to Lady Godolphin. ‘Can I take Mary with me?’
‘Who’s Mary?’
‘The chambermaid with whom I worked.’
‘I have plenty of chambermaids.’
‘I wanted to take her as my lady’s maid.’
‘You can’t turn a chambermaid into a lady’s maid. My Martha is the making of me,’ said Lady Godolphin , revolving slowly so that her charms might be viewed to their fullest.
Frederica gulped. ‘I could train her. I really
‘Rustic?’
‘That’s what I said. Now, I found them all husbands and I’ll find you one.’
‘I don’t want one,’ said Frederica quickly. ‘Men are all philanderers.’
‘Don’t I know it,’ said Lady Godolphin gloomily. ‘Ah, well, sweet are the uses of amnesia, as the Bard says. We must struggle to find the best. You can’t say any of your sisters married a philanthropist.’
But Frederica was thinking of the duke.
‘Don’t look so sad,’ said Lady Godolphin. ‘Minerva ain’t up to puffing you off, so I’ll do it.’
‘It is very kind of you, but …’
‘Of course, you could return to your pa,’ said Lady Godolphin with a wicked gleam in her eye.
‘No,’ said Frederica. ‘Can’t I just go on working here?’
‘Of course not. Pembury wouldn’t allow it, for a start.’
Mary came bouncing in. ‘Sarah, I mean, Miss Millet, I mean, your pa is below and he’s in a taking.’
Frederica turned white. She was afraid of her father’s rages.
‘Tell the reverend we’ll be down as soon as we’re ready,’ said Lady Godolphin. ‘Ring for my maid.’
‘You might have told me you was the Quality,’ mumbled Mary as Lady Godolphin was swept off to the dressing room by her maid.
‘I thought I no longer was,’ said Frederica sadly. ‘Idid not think anyone would find me. My real name is Frederica Armitage. Now I am to go to London and have a Season.’
‘Oh!’ Mary clasped her work-reddened hands. ‘I’ve never seen London. Just think o’ the shops and parties and theatres.’
Frederica gave her a watery smile. She had become very fond of Mary.
‘I’ll take you with me,’ said Frederica suddenly. ‘I’ll make you my lady’s maid.’
‘I dunno,’ said Mary doubtfully. ‘I don’t know laces or jewellery or French or …’
‘I could teach you.’
‘But her ladyship won’t like it.’
‘She won’t mind,’ said Frederica. ‘ Please , Mary.’
‘If I do,’ said Mary severely, ‘you’ll need to know your place and not be so friendly-like. And you can’t go downstairs in your cap and apron. Let me fetch that dress you come in, and while I get you ready, you can tell me how you come to be working here under another name.’
Frederica was made ready in a very short time indeed but it was a full hour before Lady Godolphin considered herself ‘finished’ enough to go down. She was wearing a red-and-white-striped merino gown, cut low on the bosom and disgracefully short about the ankle. Over her fat shoulders she wore a fine Paisley shawl. Round her neck she wore a rope of pearls, and on her head a turban of gold gauze embellished with two tall osprey feathers.
The Duke of Pembury had never really liked LadyGodolphin until that moment when she erupted into his library with Frederica in tow. She blasted the vicar with a long tirade about his loose morals with all the zeal of a Methodist, leaving the poor vicar, who had been about to castigate his daughter, speechless.
At last, Lord Sylvester interrupted her. ‘I am anxious to return to my wife, Lady Godolphin. I think it would be best if I took Frederica with me.’
‘Minerva ain’t up to a Season,’ said Lady Godolphin . ‘I’ll take her myself. She can stay with me until things at that vicarage have been made respectable again.’
‘And what do you have to say to that, Freddie?’ asked Lord Sylvester. His voice was kind. Apart from his wife, Lord Sylvester liked Frederica the best of all the Armitage sisters.
Frederica turned to Lady Godolphin. ‘Can I take Mary with me?’
‘Who’s Mary?’
‘The chambermaid with whom I worked.’
‘I have plenty of chambermaids.’
‘I wanted to take her as my lady’s maid.’
‘You can’t turn a chambermaid into a lady’s maid. My Martha is the making of me,’ said Lady Godolphin , revolving slowly so that her charms might be viewed to their fullest.
Frederica gulped. ‘I could train her. I really
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