Denny's presumptions. Collis found Denny's displays amusing. Rose merely found him wearisome.
Denny was a smallish man, and although he claimed to be quite young, his reddish hair did not quite cover his shining pate. He was no taller than Rose, although he tried to look down his nose at her. She hoped this gave him a crick in his neck.
Denny was a right pest. His drawers were still drooping about her recruitment when he'd never been asked. She, a mere ignorant housemaid, had been chosen to train with the Liars, while he, trusted confidant of the former spymaster himself, was now nothing more than a bored valet.
She'd feel sorry for him if he weren't so bloomin' obnoxious about it.
"Good afternoon, Denny."
A petulant expression crossed his face. "Oh, hello,
Miss
Lacey." His upper lip curled. "I heard you caused quite a mess for my young master to clean up."
Collis, cleaning? The image boggled the mind. She opened her mouth to correct Denny, then stopped. There was no reasoning with those who wouldn't reason. Denny was simply Denny. She nodded instead. "There is indeed a mess."
Satisfaction shimmered in his flat blue gaze. He slid his gaze toward the parlor, where the Sergeant had yet to emerge. "They've been talking you round and round for hours."
Oh, how you want me to ask, don't you, Denny
? Rose tilted her head. "How tolerant of them to allow you time off to listen."
Denny blinked, then backpedaled. "Well, of course I haven't actually
heard
anything."
"Indeed. Of course." The parlor doors opened and the Sergeant beckoned her in. She sent a sweetly innocent smile toward Denny. "Do remember to hang my shawl properly, will you, Denny? It landed on the floor last time I visited." She had the small pleasure of seeing the Sergeant, who took the quality of service very seriously, send an affronted glare Denny's way before she entered the gates of purgatory. Denny, irritating as he was, was the least of her worries.
In the parlor, Rose found Sir Simon, Lord Etheridge, and his wife, Clara, who sent Rose an encouraging smile. Rose had expected to see Lady Agatha as well. Then again, Lady Raines didn't get about much now, since riding in the carriage made her ill.
"I pop like a bottle of bad wine after half a block," she'd told Rose regretfully. Rose wrinkled her nose at the thought. Yes, that whole childbearing lot could wait. It was too bad, for Lady Agatha might have weighed in on Rose's side. As it was, there was no denying the disapproving tension in the room. Rose sat when invited to but refused tea. Her stomach was right tight enough, thank you.
"Where is Collis?"
Rose folded her hands to hide their shaking. "He is outside, on the walk."
"Doing what, pray tell?"
"Flirting." Rose was surprised by the snap in her own tone. She amended her comment. "Talking."
"Hmm. Knowing our Collis, I suspect
flirting
is the better description." Lady Etheridge stood to pull the bell rope for the Sergeant. "Sergeant, would you kindly drag Collis away from the ladies? We're ready for him now."
"Might I pull him by the ear?" The Sergeant was crisply eager.
Clara considered his request for a moment. "No. I fear he's too old for that."
"Pity," the Sergeant said without rancor. "Likely I couldn't reach it anyway."
Rose watched this interplay with interest. Clara rose from the arm of her husband's chair and patted Rose's arm on her way out of the parlor.
"Not to worry, dear," Clara whispered. "But… be polite. And don't fidget." Clara's gaze flickered back toward her husband and Sir Simon. "Good luck… anyway." She walked from the room, leaving Rose more disconcerted than before.
Oh, fry it
. If Clara was worried, then there was indeed something to worry about. She'd tried to be a good student and she'd mostly succeeded, if one didn't count firearms. Her sex, now—this could cause issue.
Although Lady Raines and Lady Etheridge were part of the Liar's Club, they were not quite considered to be actual Liars themselves. She
Denny was a smallish man, and although he claimed to be quite young, his reddish hair did not quite cover his shining pate. He was no taller than Rose, although he tried to look down his nose at her. She hoped this gave him a crick in his neck.
Denny was a right pest. His drawers were still drooping about her recruitment when he'd never been asked. She, a mere ignorant housemaid, had been chosen to train with the Liars, while he, trusted confidant of the former spymaster himself, was now nothing more than a bored valet.
She'd feel sorry for him if he weren't so bloomin' obnoxious about it.
"Good afternoon, Denny."
A petulant expression crossed his face. "Oh, hello,
Miss
Lacey." His upper lip curled. "I heard you caused quite a mess for my young master to clean up."
Collis, cleaning? The image boggled the mind. She opened her mouth to correct Denny, then stopped. There was no reasoning with those who wouldn't reason. Denny was simply Denny. She nodded instead. "There is indeed a mess."
Satisfaction shimmered in his flat blue gaze. He slid his gaze toward the parlor, where the Sergeant had yet to emerge. "They've been talking you round and round for hours."
Oh, how you want me to ask, don't you, Denny
? Rose tilted her head. "How tolerant of them to allow you time off to listen."
Denny blinked, then backpedaled. "Well, of course I haven't actually
heard
anything."
"Indeed. Of course." The parlor doors opened and the Sergeant beckoned her in. She sent a sweetly innocent smile toward Denny. "Do remember to hang my shawl properly, will you, Denny? It landed on the floor last time I visited." She had the small pleasure of seeing the Sergeant, who took the quality of service very seriously, send an affronted glare Denny's way before she entered the gates of purgatory. Denny, irritating as he was, was the least of her worries.
In the parlor, Rose found Sir Simon, Lord Etheridge, and his wife, Clara, who sent Rose an encouraging smile. Rose had expected to see Lady Agatha as well. Then again, Lady Raines didn't get about much now, since riding in the carriage made her ill.
"I pop like a bottle of bad wine after half a block," she'd told Rose regretfully. Rose wrinkled her nose at the thought. Yes, that whole childbearing lot could wait. It was too bad, for Lady Agatha might have weighed in on Rose's side. As it was, there was no denying the disapproving tension in the room. Rose sat when invited to but refused tea. Her stomach was right tight enough, thank you.
"Where is Collis?"
Rose folded her hands to hide their shaking. "He is outside, on the walk."
"Doing what, pray tell?"
"Flirting." Rose was surprised by the snap in her own tone. She amended her comment. "Talking."
"Hmm. Knowing our Collis, I suspect
flirting
is the better description." Lady Etheridge stood to pull the bell rope for the Sergeant. "Sergeant, would you kindly drag Collis away from the ladies? We're ready for him now."
"Might I pull him by the ear?" The Sergeant was crisply eager.
Clara considered his request for a moment. "No. I fear he's too old for that."
"Pity," the Sergeant said without rancor. "Likely I couldn't reach it anyway."
Rose watched this interplay with interest. Clara rose from the arm of her husband's chair and patted Rose's arm on her way out of the parlor.
"Not to worry, dear," Clara whispered. "But… be polite. And don't fidget." Clara's gaze flickered back toward her husband and Sir Simon. "Good luck… anyway." She walked from the room, leaving Rose more disconcerted than before.
Oh, fry it
. If Clara was worried, then there was indeed something to worry about. She'd tried to be a good student and she'd mostly succeeded, if one didn't count firearms. Her sex, now—this could cause issue.
Although Lady Raines and Lady Etheridge were part of the Liar's Club, they were not quite considered to be actual Liars themselves. She
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