get her out of the house and away from the oven so I don’t have to eat a dinner portion intended for a family of bears anymore.” He hated the way he sounded desperate, but not nearly as much as he hated the way he made Rae sound desperate.
“Simon, it’s not an odd request at all. She is my sister now. I’d be delighted to invite her to go calling or shopping with her, and I hope you understand that I’ll soon be introducing her to my only friend. I believe you already know her: Lady Belgrave.” She grinned. “I would have done so already, but—” She bit her lip.
“But?”
Lucy’s cheeks reddened. “I heard she hasn’t been feeling well.”
Simon released a bitter laugh. “I assure you, she is.”
“But your mother…” Lucy trailed off, still unable to so much as look at him.
“Mother intimidates her,” Simon said.
Lucy’s jaw dropped. “Your mother?”
Simon nodded stiffly, his throat constricting. He felt like he was betraying Rae by telling that to Lucy.
“But your mother has been nothing but kind to me, I couldn’t imagine her being anything less to someone like her.”
Lucy was right; Mother had been extremely kind to both Lucy and Rae, one of which hadn’t deserved it by Society’s standards. Having a bastard son, Lucy knew all about being scorned and ridiculed.
“She has been,” Simon acknowledged. “And I’m sure given enough time Rae will see that a caterpillar is more threatening than Mother. But until then, she needs an ally. Someone her own age.”
“For a man who first said he didn’t know what the problem was, you sure have a specific solution.”
Simon barely cracked a smile at her jest. “I wouldn’t say that. I’m just praying it’s what she needs. Otherwise, you might as well send me to Bedlam now.”
“I’m sure it’s not as bad as that.” Lucy stood and went back to putting away books. “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind sharing your dinner portion tonight?”
“Not tonight.” Though he’d like nothing less than to ease his own discomfort as quickly as possible, Giles needed Lucy tonight. Tomorrow night would be a better time. It could even be a celebration dinner for Giles. Ignoring her confused look, Simon said, “Rae usually starts setting food on the table about quarter to seven. Why don’t you, Giles, and Seth come at seven tomorrow night when she places the last heaping dish out and join us.”
“We’d be delighted,” Lucy said.
“Simon? Oh, there you are, dear,” Mother said, walking over to him, her green skirt rustling with each step. “I need a favor.”
He sidestepped to his left to let Lucy walk past him. “Yes, Mother?”
“Lucy and Seth will need to leave soon and I need to step out and run an errand, can you please stay and lock up?”
“Why don’t you lock up now?” Simon took out his pocket watch. “It’s only an hour early.”
“And risk losing patronage?” The horror in her voice could only be feigned. “I think not.”
“It’s not as if you’re losing money,” Simon reminded her.
“Still, my good name is at stake,” she said with a sniff. “It won’t harm you to stay here for another hour, will it?”
“No, of course not, Mother.”
Before the words were out, she handed him her key. “Make sure you wait until six o’clock exactly before you bar the door. I don’t want to open the scandal sheets tomorrow to read about Lady Derring being in a huff because she couldn’t return her book on time and will have to make a special trip all the way across the street again tomorrow to return a book that should have been returned six months ago.”
“I shall stay until two minutes past six to make sure there is no such travesty,” Simon said then kissed his mother on top of her head. He hoped one day Rae would let her guard down and accept his family as hers.
32
Rae wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. Cooking was hard and hot work, she thought as she sank in the chair furthest from the oven.
Simon had offered to hire a cook almost every day since they’d returned to London. That was the last thing Rae wanted. Without a need to cook, what else would she do with her day? She hadn’t any real friends to speak of. Sure, she could visit Lady Townson, but other than her having played the role of Rae’s chaperone for a few weeks, they had little else in common.
One day she’d have to get over her fear