when I ride.”
“Come sit and let me do your hair,” Millie Anne said and gestured to the stool in front of the small dressing table. “I don’t want nothin' to do with those horses. They’re too big fo’ me,” she said, shuddering.
Brooke watched in the mirror as the girl dressed her hair, pulling her heavy gold tresses up to the crown of her head, then fastening the curls with gold combs. Once she had secured the hair, Millie pinned a dark green hat to the front.
“That’s perfect,” Brooke said, and Millie glowed at the compliment. “Considering the way you dress my hair, I would have thought that you had always been a lady’s maid.” She reached up and patted the hand that rested on her shoulder. “And I’m really glad that you’re my lady’s maid.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Millie Anne beamed all over. Evidently, she didn’t receive many compliments. Brooke couldn’t help thinking that at least one good thing had come out of her trip to Moss Grove--it had gotten the girl out of the cane fields.
“Tell me something,” Brooke said, pausing as she stood up. “Were you going to be Hesione’s maid?”
Millie Anne shook her head. “No ma’am. She has her own maid,” the girl said, placing the hairbrush and combs back down on the dressing table. “’Sides, Mammy wouldn’t want me to.”
“Why?”
“Well--I,” Millie Anne hesitated.
“I won’t say anything.”
“Mammy don’t like Miz Hesione. And she’d thrash me good if she knew dat I was talkin’ about her. But . . .” Millie Anne grinned. “Mammy said Miz Hesione is lazy, spoiled, and not good enough for Master Travis.”
Brooke wanted to know more, but she didn’t want to let on that Millie Anne had given her some valuable information. Instead, she said, “I think Mammy is probably a good judge of character. Tell me, why does everyone call her Mammy?”
“When she was much younger, she had a child, but he died with de fever when he was one. After dat, she never had no more youngens, so she started motherin’ everyone else and we done called her Mammy ever since. She seems to understand everythin’ no matter what de problem we has.”
“I haven’t known her long, but there is something comforting about Mammy,” Brooke said. “What’s her real name?”
“Esther,” Millie Anne said. “Is dere anything else dat you be needin’?”
“Is Mr. Jeffries in his room?”
“Yes’um, he’s packing. I can show you. I’m headin’ dat way now.”
Brooke followed the maid out of the room and down to Mr. Jeffr ies’s room. Brooke saw that the door was open, but she rapped on the door jamb just the same. Jeffries stood by the bed. A trunk was open nearby and clothes were strewn all over the bed. Millie Anne knocked louder than Brooke had, and Mr. Jeffries glanced their way. Smiling, he motioned for them to enter.
Brooke stepped into the room, staying close to the door since it wasn’t proper for a lady to be in a gentleman’s room. He was supervising the folding of the last of his clothes as his temporary valet placed them in the trunk.
“I’m going to miss you,” Brooke told him.
He gave her a smile as yet another garment was added to the contents of the trunk.
“I’ll finish dat fo’ you,” Millie Anne said to Ulysses, taking the shirt from the servant.
“I’ll be back in a few months to check on you, then I shall have to return to England,” Mr. Jeffries said.
“I see it as you’re leaving me with the enemy,” Brooke said, cheerfully pouting as she stood just inside the door.
He chuckled. “I don’t believe Jackson Montgomery would have put you in this situation if he didn’t expect that you could handle yourself.”
Brooke didn’t know how to respond.
When she didn’t reply, Jeffries arched an eyebrow. “You don’t strike me as one to give up easily. After all, it’s only a year and then you both can go your separate ways, providing he doesn’t go through with his impending
“Come sit and let me do your hair,” Millie Anne said and gestured to the stool in front of the small dressing table. “I don’t want nothin' to do with those horses. They’re too big fo’ me,” she said, shuddering.
Brooke watched in the mirror as the girl dressed her hair, pulling her heavy gold tresses up to the crown of her head, then fastening the curls with gold combs. Once she had secured the hair, Millie pinned a dark green hat to the front.
“That’s perfect,” Brooke said, and Millie glowed at the compliment. “Considering the way you dress my hair, I would have thought that you had always been a lady’s maid.” She reached up and patted the hand that rested on her shoulder. “And I’m really glad that you’re my lady’s maid.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Millie Anne beamed all over. Evidently, she didn’t receive many compliments. Brooke couldn’t help thinking that at least one good thing had come out of her trip to Moss Grove--it had gotten the girl out of the cane fields.
“Tell me something,” Brooke said, pausing as she stood up. “Were you going to be Hesione’s maid?”
Millie Anne shook her head. “No ma’am. She has her own maid,” the girl said, placing the hairbrush and combs back down on the dressing table. “’Sides, Mammy wouldn’t want me to.”
“Why?”
“Well--I,” Millie Anne hesitated.
“I won’t say anything.”
“Mammy don’t like Miz Hesione. And she’d thrash me good if she knew dat I was talkin’ about her. But . . .” Millie Anne grinned. “Mammy said Miz Hesione is lazy, spoiled, and not good enough for Master Travis.”
Brooke wanted to know more, but she didn’t want to let on that Millie Anne had given her some valuable information. Instead, she said, “I think Mammy is probably a good judge of character. Tell me, why does everyone call her Mammy?”
“When she was much younger, she had a child, but he died with de fever when he was one. After dat, she never had no more youngens, so she started motherin’ everyone else and we done called her Mammy ever since. She seems to understand everythin’ no matter what de problem we has.”
“I haven’t known her long, but there is something comforting about Mammy,” Brooke said. “What’s her real name?”
“Esther,” Millie Anne said. “Is dere anything else dat you be needin’?”
“Is Mr. Jeffries in his room?”
“Yes’um, he’s packing. I can show you. I’m headin’ dat way now.”
Brooke followed the maid out of the room and down to Mr. Jeffr ies’s room. Brooke saw that the door was open, but she rapped on the door jamb just the same. Jeffries stood by the bed. A trunk was open nearby and clothes were strewn all over the bed. Millie Anne knocked louder than Brooke had, and Mr. Jeffries glanced their way. Smiling, he motioned for them to enter.
Brooke stepped into the room, staying close to the door since it wasn’t proper for a lady to be in a gentleman’s room. He was supervising the folding of the last of his clothes as his temporary valet placed them in the trunk.
“I’m going to miss you,” Brooke told him.
He gave her a smile as yet another garment was added to the contents of the trunk.
“I’ll finish dat fo’ you,” Millie Anne said to Ulysses, taking the shirt from the servant.
“I’ll be back in a few months to check on you, then I shall have to return to England,” Mr. Jeffries said.
“I see it as you’re leaving me with the enemy,” Brooke said, cheerfully pouting as she stood just inside the door.
He chuckled. “I don’t believe Jackson Montgomery would have put you in this situation if he didn’t expect that you could handle yourself.”
Brooke didn’t know how to respond.
When she didn’t reply, Jeffries arched an eyebrow. “You don’t strike me as one to give up easily. After all, it’s only a year and then you both can go your separate ways, providing he doesn’t go through with his impending
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