up a gorgeously jeweled garment.
“Um, I believe that is called a stomacher, my lady.”
“Do you think she can have it ready in time for the ball?”
“It mainly needs airing and pressing. I don’t see why not.”
“It’s badly bent,” Mariah said, trying to straighten the boning.
“I think you should let Miss Newton fix it,” Benna said, before the other girl damaged the brittle old garment.
Mariah nodded and lowered the garment. “Yes, she knows everything about clothing. This was probably something ladies wore when she was young.”
Benna had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing. Unless Newton—the countess’s lady’s maid—had been born in the early part of the last century, she wouldn’t have dealt with such a garment before.
“What are you going to wear, Ben?” Mariah asked as they scooped up the various parts and pieces of the huge dress Mariah had chosen.
“It’s a surprise,” Benna said.
“That’s no fair—I told you.”
Benna just smiled and turned back to the trunk. “Do you want these shoes, too?”
Mariah frowned at the wood and velvet shoes, which looked to be motheaten. “No, I’d never fit my foot into those.”
Benna closed the trunk and they carried the dress down to Newton—who looked skeptical but promised she would do her best—before heading down to the stables.
They were on the second-floor landing when they heard voices below.
Mariah caught at Benna’s arm and held her back.
When she turned, the girl held a finger up to her lips. “Shhh,” she whispered, pulling Benna toward a recessed doorway, clearly intent on spying on whoever was down in the huge foyer below.
Benna shook her head. “No, Lady Mariah.” She headed down the hall in the opposite direction of the grand staircase toward the smaller set of stairs that came out near the solarium. Benna didn’t wait to see if Mariah followed. She could eavesdrop and spy if she wanted, but Benna would have no part in it.
She heard Mariah’s footsteps behind her. “You’re no fun,” she grumbled as they descended the stairs. “That was Ria and some of her fancy guests from London. We could have sneaked a look at them.”
“You’ll see them all at the party, my lady.”
“Pfft! I’ll get to go for two hours after dinner and then Uncle Jago will send me home early. He said I’m too young to stay until the unmasking.” She scowled. “I don’t know why Catherine gets to stay.”
“I daresay because she’s two years older than you.”
“Oh, fiddle.”
Based on what she’d seen of Mrs. Valera’s guests so far—which, granted, was only Fenwick—Benna didn’t think either girl should go to the party. But then that wasn’t her decision.
“Where do you want to take the gig today?” she asked, turning the subject.
They ended up driving into the village and Benna decided to have the wainwright, Mr. Jeffers, look over the little cart while they went to the Jolly Taxpayer Inn.
“You must try their scones with cream,” Mariah assured her. “They are even better than Cook’s—but you mustn’t tell her I said that or she’ll never let me have another.”
Benna wasn’t sure it was entirely proper for the daughter of the house to take tea at an inn with her uncle’s secretary, but there was little enough to do while they waited the hour Mr. Jeffers said would be needed to grease the axels and inspect the undercarriage.
Mariah ate not one but three scones and chattered happily about the ball, leaving Benna free to go over and over the prior evening.
She’d hardly seen Jago today, but then what had she been expecting? That he’d corner her in her office for another torrid encounter?
“—don’t you think, Ben?”
Benna looked up from her half-eaten scone. “I’m sorry, my lady?”
“Don’t you think Ria is in love with my uncle?”
Benna blinked at the unexpected question. “Er, I’m sure I don’t know, my lady.” She hesitated, and then did something despicable. “Why? Have you heard something?”
Mariah leaned across the table, even though they were the only two eating in the tiny coffee room. “I heard her talking to Mama on Saturday.”
“Mrs. Valera called on the countess?”
Mariah nodded. “She brought over the most beautiful hand-painted shawl that she is loaning Catherine.” She paused, frowning. “She didn’t offer to loan anything like that to me.”
“That was nice of her—to make a special trip just for a shawl,” Benna prodded shamelessly.
“No, it wasn’t just that. She also came by to drop off something Mama had asked her to pick up in Redruth—something from the chemists.”
“What makes you think she was in love with your uncle?”
Oh