of a shining and beautiful future was nothing more than a mirage; it all came crashing in on her and the weight of it was simply staggering.
Getting slowly to her feet, she felt as though she were a hundred years old. Bitter. Disillusioned. Disappointed. Utterly and completely alone. Stumbling toward the door, Percy refused to cry until she was far away from their gleeful and prying eyes.
“You can’t leave us!” Richard protested. “Mother says you have to watch us! Now that you won’t be marrying that horrid man next door, you’ll be with us forever!”
The very thought of it filled her with horror. “I do not have to do anything because I am an adult. And when people are intentionally cruel to me, it is my right to leave their presence.”
With that, Percy sailed from the room and headed toward the narrow stairs that would take her to her own very humble chamber. Once behind closed doors, she gave in to the tears. It wasn’t the terrible gut wrenching sobs. She’d exhausted herself with those the night before when she considered the horrible possibility that Daphne might be right about Algernon. Now she was too tired for anything more than the endless parade of silent, stinging tears that rolled down her cheeks as she mechanically stripped off her soiled clothing.
The grease had soaked through the dress entirely, staining her stays and chemise as well. Ultimately, Percy removed them all and donned her wrapper which was draped over the foot of the bed. Taking the clothing over to the washstand, she used a wet cloth to dab at the stains, removing as much of them as she could. Only then did she apply soap and begin to work on removing them fully.
When she heard a soft knock at her door, Percy used the sleeve of her wrapper to dry her eyes. She knew it wasn’t her sister because Daphne never knocked. She simply entered, criticized and left. It was a maid by the name of Agnes, one who worked primarily in the kitchen and laundry, the same one who had acted as a chaperone for her on the outing she’d enjoyed with Algernon.
“I heard what the children did, miss,” the girl said softly. “I brought you this from the laundry. It might help.”
Percy looked at the small pot the girl held out to her. She accepted and a whiff of the contents made her eyes water all over again. “Good heavens, what is it?”
“Best not to ask. It’ll get the stain out though. And when regular washing is done, that’ll get the smell out. Luckily tomorrow is laundry day,” the girl said. “What with the ball and everything, Mrs. Fennelworth said not to waste good money on cooking a supper for everyone so it’ll be the best day for washing. The children will have more of the beef pies and the servants could will do with a hearty stew made from the leftovers to be had from today’s dinner.”
The fact that Daphne made her servants subsist on table scraps was utterly repugnant. “I’m sorry for how you are all treated. I’ve no notion of how my sister manages her household except to say that it must be poorly.”
The girl smiled. “Not to worry, miss. Most of us are here only long enough to get a letter of reference and then we go elsewhere.”
“Daphne gives you letters of recommendation?” Percy asked skeptically. Her sister hardly seemed the sort to welcome her servants seeking better positions for themselves.
“Oh no, miss! We all wait and ask Mr. Fennelworth for that. He’s not so bad,” the maid said. “I’m sorry about your dress… and I know it isn’t my place to say, but don’t trust what Mrs. Fennelworth tells you. I know she’s been saying awful things to you about Mr. Dunne next door, but I don’t think he’s the sort that would play fast and loose with another’s feelings. I saw the way he looked at you, and that wasn’t put on.”
“I wish I could believe that, Agnes. The truth is, we’re little more than strangers and I’ve no reason to trust him,” Percy admitted.
“You’ve got no reason to trust your sister, either! My cousin is one of his parlor maids and she says he’s a good man and a good employer. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat their staff.”
“I’m sure that’s true, Agnes, but they say all is fair in love and war. I’m afraid that