of Prudence’s arms crossly, then looked around the room. “Is this where they put you? This isn’t even as large as our bathroom at home!”
Prudence’s habit of placating Victoria stiffened her resolve not to complain. “Well, how much room do you think I need? I might be larger than you, but I still fit perfectly fine in here.” She looked at the girl standing in the doorway. “You must be Elaine,” she said, then bit her lip. She’d been here but a short time, but had already broken one of Mrs. Harper’s rules.
Do not speak unless spoken to.
Elaine looked at Victoria, training and good manners warring on her pretty face. The moment spun out awkwardly while Victoria, the patience of Job expressed in the stubborn set of her mouth, waited for her cousin to join her in her modern sensitivities. Elaine hesitated for another second and then, with the same brilliant smile that showed years of superior Buxton breeding, held out her hand.
The moment contact had been made, Victoria jumped in smoothly, “Elaine, this is my dearest second sister, Prudence. Prudence, this is my cousin, Elaine.”
Though Prudence had heard about Elaine from the girls for many years, their opinions were always mixed. It seemed that, away from her mother, Elaine was a darling girl. With her mother, though, she was an unbearable ninny.
Nevertheless, Prudence smiled in greeting. It wasn’t her place to judge. Especially now.
Victoria turned back to Prudence. “This is unacceptable. You can’t stay here. This isn’t fit for a farm animal, let alone my sister.”
Over Victoria’s shoulder, Prudence saw Elaine cringe. She couldn’t agree without insulting the daughter of the house, and besides, what could Victoria do about it?
She patted Victoria’s shoulder. “It’s perfectly fine for now. It’s not like this is forever. And I won’t be spending much time up here anyway.”
“That’s right,” Elaine agreed. “She will mostly be with you and Rowena. Mother’s maid is so busy she is hardly up here at all.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes and gave her cousin a black look. Elaine ignored her and walked about the room as if she’d never seen it before. Which, Prudence thought wryly, she probably hadn’t. She stopped in front of Prudence’s dressing table. “Is this your mother?” she asked, picking up the photograph and looking at it with a puzzled frown. “She’s very pretty.”
“Yes it is, thank you. She died several years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Elaine said, putting down the picture.
Something about the way she said it made Prudence think she’d already known exactly who the woman in the photo was.
Elaine turned back to Victoria. “We should go. It’s almost time to dress for dinner and Mother will be livid if she finds out we’ve been up here.”
Victoria’s lip trembled, but Prudence gave her a little push. “Now go on. Let me change and wash and I’ll be downstairs shortly.”
“Promise?” Victoria asked.
“Promise. Now tell me how to get to your room.”
After the girls had left, Prudence quickly changed and redid her hair. Anything to keep from thinking about how isolated she felt. To her there could be nothing worse than being alone in the world. She didn’t feel alone after her mother had died because her family had been there; even if they weren’t blood, she knew she could always count on them. Now that Sir Philip was gone, she only had Rowena and Victoria. Victoria was little more than a child and delicate to boot and Rowena had always been so fickle and irresolute. Anxiety crawled over her skin as the reality settled in—only a fool would rely on Rowena.
But what choice did she have now?
Shoving the thought out of her mind, she looked at the photograph of her mother and then back at herself in the mirror. There was little resemblance to the sweet-faced, diminutive woman she remembered. Her mother’s hair had been a sunny brown and her eyes sky blue, while her own hair was as
Prudence’s habit of placating Victoria stiffened her resolve not to complain. “Well, how much room do you think I need? I might be larger than you, but I still fit perfectly fine in here.” She looked at the girl standing in the doorway. “You must be Elaine,” she said, then bit her lip. She’d been here but a short time, but had already broken one of Mrs. Harper’s rules.
Do not speak unless spoken to.
Elaine looked at Victoria, training and good manners warring on her pretty face. The moment spun out awkwardly while Victoria, the patience of Job expressed in the stubborn set of her mouth, waited for her cousin to join her in her modern sensitivities. Elaine hesitated for another second and then, with the same brilliant smile that showed years of superior Buxton breeding, held out her hand.
The moment contact had been made, Victoria jumped in smoothly, “Elaine, this is my dearest second sister, Prudence. Prudence, this is my cousin, Elaine.”
Though Prudence had heard about Elaine from the girls for many years, their opinions were always mixed. It seemed that, away from her mother, Elaine was a darling girl. With her mother, though, she was an unbearable ninny.
Nevertheless, Prudence smiled in greeting. It wasn’t her place to judge. Especially now.
Victoria turned back to Prudence. “This is unacceptable. You can’t stay here. This isn’t fit for a farm animal, let alone my sister.”
Over Victoria’s shoulder, Prudence saw Elaine cringe. She couldn’t agree without insulting the daughter of the house, and besides, what could Victoria do about it?
She patted Victoria’s shoulder. “It’s perfectly fine for now. It’s not like this is forever. And I won’t be spending much time up here anyway.”
“That’s right,” Elaine agreed. “She will mostly be with you and Rowena. Mother’s maid is so busy she is hardly up here at all.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes and gave her cousin a black look. Elaine ignored her and walked about the room as if she’d never seen it before. Which, Prudence thought wryly, she probably hadn’t. She stopped in front of Prudence’s dressing table. “Is this your mother?” she asked, picking up the photograph and looking at it with a puzzled frown. “She’s very pretty.”
“Yes it is, thank you. She died several years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Elaine said, putting down the picture.
Something about the way she said it made Prudence think she’d already known exactly who the woman in the photo was.
Elaine turned back to Victoria. “We should go. It’s almost time to dress for dinner and Mother will be livid if she finds out we’ve been up here.”
Victoria’s lip trembled, but Prudence gave her a little push. “Now go on. Let me change and wash and I’ll be downstairs shortly.”
“Promise?” Victoria asked.
“Promise. Now tell me how to get to your room.”
After the girls had left, Prudence quickly changed and redid her hair. Anything to keep from thinking about how isolated she felt. To her there could be nothing worse than being alone in the world. She didn’t feel alone after her mother had died because her family had been there; even if they weren’t blood, she knew she could always count on them. Now that Sir Philip was gone, she only had Rowena and Victoria. Victoria was little more than a child and delicate to boot and Rowena had always been so fickle and irresolute. Anxiety crawled over her skin as the reality settled in—only a fool would rely on Rowena.
But what choice did she have now?
Shoving the thought out of her mind, she looked at the photograph of her mother and then back at herself in the mirror. There was little resemblance to the sweet-faced, diminutive woman she remembered. Her mother’s hair had been a sunny brown and her eyes sky blue, while her own hair was as
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