Keeping the Castle - By Patrice Kindl Page 0,52

to him, you know you do! Indeed, I think you two are much alike. We live in an age of manners, when it is accounted a virtue never to speak plain. But you and Mr. Fredericks pay no mind to such conventions; you say what you think.”

My jaw dropped open. I knew I had a ready tongue, but really! “I? I am as rude as Mr. Fredericks? I?”

The tears in her eyes had receded and she was laughing. “Do you know, Miss Crawley, if I had suggested the same thing to Mr. Fredericks—that you are alike in that way—I believe he would have responded in exactly the same way, both in phrasing and intonation.”

At least I had gotten her to forget her troubles enough to laugh, and I thought it worth it, even at the expense of being the object of her laughter.

15

“A BOLT FROM THE BLUE.” I have sometimes read of an unexpected event described in this way, and now I know exactly what is meant by the phrase.

A blue sky, a sunny, mild day. The usual list of worries and troubles runs through one’s mind, but nothing that cannot be overcome, nothing that will not reach a satisfactory conclusion eventually, if not today, why then, tomorrow. An ordinary day, in fact. And then lightning strikes from out of that innocent blue sky and all that remains is the smoking ruins of one’s every hope and every dream.

Busy with my household duties, I allowed Charity to snare Lord Boring and take him off for a stroll about the grounds. I had become resigned to the fact that I could not trust him to refuse her overtures when I was not available, and Mama and I had a great inventory of linens before us that morning. How was I to know the danger? How could I have guessed?

They were gone for a long time: several hours, in fact. Mama and I concluded, correctly, as it happened, that they had gone to the Park. At last they returned.

“Boring, go and speak with Stepmama,” Charity ordered as soon as they were within doors, and Lord Boring obeyed.

“Mrs. Winthrop, may I have a word with you in private?” he said, avoiding my gaze.

“Why certainly,” Mama said, looking a bit surprised. They retired to the little boudoir near the dining hall, leaving a startled silence behind.

Or at least, a startled silence on my part. Charity sat down and clasped her hands in her lap, with a smug look on her face. Prudence knew that something of great moment was in the air. She cast enquiring glances at Charity, which Charity ignored.

At last, unable to bear the suspense, Prudence said coyly, “And so, dear sister, have you any news you wish to tell us?”

“Thank you, Prudence,” Charity replied, “but I think it best if we wait for Stepmama.” Both sisters darted sudden looks in my direction, which were immediately withdrawn.

After an interval of some ten minutes Lord Boring came out. Mama stood in the doorway, her face white, her dark eyes meeting mine with an expression I could not interpret.

“Charity,” she said, “come here, please.”

Charity rose and followed her into the boudoir. As she did so, Lord Boring said, “I—you won’t want me any further, will you? For the moment, I mean? My mother wished me to return.”

“Very well, Boring,” Charity said, “you must go to your mother. We will see you tomorrow morning, however.”

“Yes, yes of course. Till the morning, then.” He bowed, smiled uneasily upon Prudence and me and made his escape.

Charity was with Mama for an even shorter period of time. When she came out, Mama beckoned to me. When I joined her in the boudoir, she, like everyone else for the past twenty minutes, avoided meeting my eyes.

“Sit down, Althea, dear. I—that is, Charity and Lord Boring have some news which I should like to break to you—or rather, not break to you, only tell you—in private. She—they plan to marry. Lord Boring proposed this afternoon and she accepted.”

“Charity and . . . Lord Boring?” My mother nodded. “They plan to marry?” She nodded once again, looking at me anxiously. I shook my head at her. “Oh, Mama, you cannot be serious! Did Charity tell you so?”

“Lord Boring told me so first, Althea. Charity confirmed it, as I also was incredulous. After so many months of marked attentions to you, to turn around and propose to Charity! I could scarcely believe it. And yet, my dearest”—here she rose and put her