Maid to Be Mine: A Regency Cinderella Story (5 page)

“
What's this?”

“
A shovel.”

“
I
know
it's a shovel,” Cynthia said with a roll of her eyes. “What do you expect me to do with it?!”

“
What do you suspect I'll expect you to do with it?”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, momentarily confused by his question. “I don't know, Robert. Pound you over the head with it?!”

“
No, but you're close.” As he walked away, Robert turned around and winked at her. “You get to shovel horse droppings, Princess.”

Chapter Five

“
Mama!”

Roland, Jemima, Georgiana and Edith were playing a game of whist in the drawing room. Roland was partnered with Jemima, and her two daughters were partnered on the opposite side of the table. Edith had been trying to get her mother's attention for some time now, but Jemima could predict what her daughter would say, and she had no interest in hearing it. She was too engrossed in her cards to care.

“
So, I have an interesting bit of news,” Roland said.

“
And what might that be, R-Rolly?” Jemima asked. No matter how many times she said it, his preferred name never quite rolled off her tongue.

“
This should be of some interest to your daughters,” Roland continued. “I mean, you
do
want them off your hands, do you not?”

“
If by
off my hands
, you mean
married
... then yes, that would be wonderful. However, I think we both know Edith will never be married,” Jemima said. “She has been on the shelf for so long, I believe she might be collecting dust!”

“
Mama!” Edith shouted again. “Mama, this is an outrage!”

“
You deny that you're a spinster, dear?”

“
That's not what I'm referring to!” Edith turned her eyes to Cynthia, who was standing in the corner of the room with a teapot in her hands. Ever since they arrived, Cynthia had been serving their tea. She was so ashamed of her current predicament, she hadn't bothered to make eye contact with anyone, not even Edith. “I'm talking about Cynthia! Having her pour our tea is just... it's just
wrong
!”

“
Is that why you've been trying to get my attention, Edith? Because you wanted to complain about my treatment of Cynthia
yet again
?”

“
Mis
treatment is more like it!” Edith exclaimed. “Can we not end this nonsense? Haven't you proven your point?! Cynthia is one of us! She's part of the family, and she doesn't deserve to be treated in such a way!”

“
Then you can stand with her, if you'd like. However, I am not certain they would have room for you in the servants' quarters...”

Edith had half a mind to throw down her cards and storm out of the room; however, she did not question her mother's threat. As much as she wanted to assert her opinion, she knew where to draw the line. As wicked as Rolly and her mother were, they surely wouldn't mind making a servant out of Edith as well.

“
Speaking of which...” Rolly spoke up, then turned his attention to Cynthia. He picked up his teacup and wagged it in the air. “Cynthia, I could use another cup of tea, if you don't mind?”

Cynthia stepped forward and sighed. “Very well...”

“
Nuh uh uh!” Rolly clicked his tongue as he cautioned her. “That is not how you're supposed to address me, is it?”

“
Very well,” Cynthia repeated, and with a wince, she added, “
my lord
.”

“
Master
would also suffice. Yuk yuk yuk.”

When Cynthia went to pour his tea, she resisted the temptation to pour it in his lap. After the way he treated her, a bath in scalding tea would be the least he deserved.

“
Fill my cup too, Cynthia!” Georgiana demanded. Cynthia, unfortunately, had no choice but to do as she was told. Her gaze briefly landed on Edith, who was regarding her stepsister with a piteous pout.

Cynthia retreated to the corner with her teapot, and the game of whist resumed. Jemima and Roland's team lost for the third time in a row, which Jemima secretly attributed to Roland being a slowtop. The countess demanded a change of partners, so Georgiana and Roland swapped chairs. Once everyone was seated, Jemima asked, “So, Roland, you said you had some news?”

“
Oh my! I nearly forgot!” Roland's hand flew to his open mouth. “How dense of me! What I meant to tell you is... we are to have a new neighbor! Someone is moving into Ridgeley Manor.”

“
Really?!” Jemima gasped. “And where did you hear that?”

“
From a friend of a friend.”

“
Who is he?! Do you know?!” Georgiana squealed. Earlier they had talked about marriage, and that conversation had been lingering in her mind.

“
His name is James Albray, Earl of Charmington,” Roland said. “From what I hear, he is unmarried... and actively seeking a wife!”

“
Well, he certainly sounds charming!” Georgiana's back straightened. While she was certainly intrigued, she did not want to look
too
interested, because if she was too interested, she thought she might look desperate. “Is he old?” she asked.

“
Not in the least,” Roland said, assuaging her fears. “He might be a bit older than me, but I think we're of a similar age.”

“
We should invite him over,” Jemima suggested haughtily. “I am sure he would love to meet another earl who lives nearby.”

“
Have you met him?!” Georgiana asked, her question eclipsing her mother's suggestion.

“
I met him once, but it was several years ago,” Roland replied.

“
Is he handsome?!”

When Roland chuckled, the rolls on his stomach wiggled. “I daresay I am not the best judge of that, Lady Georgiana.”

“
Oh, please!” Georgiana rolled her pretty blue eyes. “A man can judge when another man is attractive just as easily as a woman can judge another woman! Whether you care to admit it or not, it is true!”

“
Very well. He is... handsome,” Roland sheepishly confessed.

“
Young, handsome, titled, eligible...” As she listed the new arrival's attributes, Jemima held up her fingers. “Georgiana, he might be a suitable match for you!”

“
Do you think so, Mama?” Remembering she did not want to look too eager, Georgiana tightened her lips and smoothed her hands over her dress. “Well... I am not
too
excited, but I
would
like to make his acquaintance. I would not, after all, want to end up like Edith. At three and twenty, I am nearly a spinster myself!”

“
You are too pretty to end up like Edith, dear,” Jemima assured her. Had she bothered to look in Edith's direction, she might have noticed the expression of disgust on her eldest daughter's face. “As for Lord Charmington, I think we should meet him as soon as possible. When does he arrive?”

Chapter Six

“
He's here!” Georgiana shouted. Ever since she found out Lord Charmington was due to call on them, she had been waiting by the window, anxiously anticipating his arrival. “Mama, that must be him!”

Jemima joined her daughter at the window and tried to get a glimpse of the man on horseback. However, their view was restricted to a side profile; it was too soon to determine if he was handsome or not. “Sit down, Georgiana!” her mother said. “We would not want him to catch you watching him, would we? You mustn't look too eager to make his acquaintance. Go sit by Edith and try to look poised.”

Georgiana did as she was told. She even picked up a book and tried to look busy, as if his arrival was of little note to her. Edith, who was now seated on the settee with her sister, tried to scoot away as far as she could. At the moment, her mother and sister were hardly her favorite people in the world.

“
Cynthia!” Jemima squawked. “Cynthia!”

Her stepdaughter turned around, feather duster in hand. At her stepmother's behest, she had spent the better half of the morning scattering dust and cleaning the windows. “Yes, my lady?” Cynthia addressed her stepmother with respect, even though the words were like poison on her tongue. At present, she had the displeasure of dusting the sitting room where her stepmother and stepsiblings were awaiting the earl's arrival.

“
You will need to make yourself scarce,” Jemima demanded. She did not want her youngest daughter to be subjected to any unnecessary competition. Even though Cynthia was now a maid, she was an undoubtedly beautiful girl. She did not want Lord Charmington's eye roving to her stepdaughter, so it was essential to eliminate Georgiana's rival from the picture. “Whatever you do, don't you
dare
tell Lord Charmington your true identity. If you do, I will have you thrown out of the house!”

Jemima glanced over at Rolly, who was woolgathering in the corner. She had hoped to have his support, but Rolly had more hair than wit, which was no small feat, because his hair was already thinning. “Rolly!” Jemima shouted at him.

When she addressed him, he was seconds away from shoving a finger up his nose. It desperately needed picking; however, he had sense enough to wait until he was alone. “Hmm?”

“
I need you to agree with me!” Jemima said. “Please explain to Cynthia that she will be thrown out of the house if she tells Lord Charmington she's my husband's daughter!”

“
Oh. Yes.” Rolly nodded. “Cynthia, you need to be quiet, or she'll toss you out!”

“
Better yet...” Jemima continued, “don't look at the earl. Don't speak with him, don't make eye contact with him, avoid him at all costs!” Satisfied with her edict, Jemima grinned. “Do you understand me, Cynthia?!”

“
Yes, my lady.”

The door opened, and Robert entered the room. Today, he was working as a butler, a footman, and a valet to Roland. As soon as he entered, his eyes were drawn to Cynthia. Robert thought she looked crestfallen, so he smiled. Cynthia didn't seem particularly fond of him, but he hoped the gesture was reassuring. “Lord Montforth, you have a visitor,” Robert announced.

“
Very well. Send him in, boy,” Roland demanded, then he turned his attention to Cynthia. “And you, my dear Cynthia, need to leave. Do as your stepmother says and hide yourself away until the earl has left.”

Cynthia threw the feather duster on an end table and stormed out of the room with Robert, who held the door for her as she exited. When she and Robert were alone in the hallway, she let out a roar of frustration. “I hate them!” she screamed.

“
Shh...” Robert held a finger to his lips, encouraging her to keep her voice down. “These walls are not soundproof, you know. You should keep your voice down, lest your stepmother decide to make things more difficult for you.”

“
Will you tell me about him?” Cynthia requested.

“
About who? Lord Charmington?”

“
Yes!” Cynthia's eyes lit up. “I want to know about him too!”

Robert rolled his eyes at her request. “Well, I can tell you one thing about him. He has the most ridiculous name I've ever heard. Charmington? Honestly?! He might as well call himself Lord Magnificent.”

“
So you'll tell me about him?”

Robert crossed his arms. “And what, pray tell, do you want to know about Lord Magnificent?”

“
Everything!” Cynthia exclaimed. “If he's kind, if he's pleasant, if he's--”

“
With a name like
Charming
ton, I'm sure he's all those things and more,” Robert chuckled. “Now, I better retrieve him from the foyer before he loses some of his brilliance. Earls don't like to be kept waiting.”