and apron. Soot sullied more than one corner of the apron, but the dress was mostly clean. Ill-fitting and plain, but clean.
“Yes, Miss Smith. She has been a guest of the home recently, hasn’t she?” Lord Bryant’s voice was less assured than normal.
“The only guest we have had is Mrs. Jorgensen and her children.”
There was a sharp intake of air from Lord Bryant’s direction, but she didn’t dare look to see if he had recognized her. Patience had made it past Mr. Gilbert and was through the doorway. She practically ran down the hallway to the kitchen, where she deposited her bucket of ashes. It was a good fifteen minutes before common visiting hours. And he hadn’t sent a card, so no one knew he was coming. Did Lord Bryant always do exactly as he wanted?
What to do next? Find Mr. Woodsworth and warn him of the situation? Put on her wig and casually walk into the room, claiming Mr. Gilbert was addlebrained? But he wasn’t addlebrained; he had been very kind to her. She couldn’t tell such an untruth.
She paced back and forth in the kitchen, shaking her hands while she thought. She had to warn Mr. Woodsworth, at the very least. She turned to head back to the main house but stopped when she saw Mr. Gilbert come into the kitchen.
“Has Mr. Woodsworth seen Lord Bryant yet?” she asked without waiting for him to speak.
Mr. Gilbert gave her a quizzical look. “How did you know that was Lord Bryant?”
“You didn’t say his name?”
“I’m quite certain I did not.”
“He is rather well known.”
“Is he?”
“Ask any of the women of the household. They would agree with me.”
Mr. Gilbert narrowed his eyes. “However you know it, Lord Bryant has a strange request.”
“What is that?”
“He is hoping that you would bring in the trays for tea.”
“He asked for me?”
“Yes.”
“By name?”
“I would hardly expect Lord Bryant to know your name.”
“Then maybe he meant Molly.”
“No, he specifically asked for the maid who had been emptying ashes.” Mr. Gilbert cleared his throat. “Do you have a problem with serving tea to the baron?”
“Of course I have a problem with bringing him tea. That isn’t my duty. It isn’t even a maid’s duty. Mrs. Jorgensen should be the one to serve tea.”
“Mrs. Jorgensen is usually not here. Mrs. Bates would normally serve tea, and when she is unavailable, a maid would serve tea.”
“But not this maid.”
“I have never known you to shirk from any of the tasks you have been asked to do. Even the ones you have been deplorably bad at.” He stepped forward. “When a guest asks for something this reasonable, especially a titled guest, we find a way to accommodate.”
“But—”
“Are you afraid for your person?” Mr. Gilbert’s face softened. He had protected her many times from Mrs. Bates, either by showing how things were done or at times distracting Mrs. Bates from how long it took Patience to do certain tasks. She hated to disappoint him now. “Mr. Woodsworth will be in the room. You will never be alone with him.”
Mr. Woodsworth being there made it even worse. However, whatever else she was afraid of, it wasn’t that she would come to bodily harm. “No.”
“Then I’m afraid you will have to do it.”
Patience gritted her teeth and finally nodded. There was no fooling Lord Bryant at this point anyway. If he had asked for her, that meant he had already recognized her.
She tucked a few strands of unruly hair back into her cap. Her fingers were glazed with a fine layer of dust and ash and her apron a mess. Mr. Gilbert must have noticed her distress. “You may have five minutes to clean up while I inform cook that an early morning visitor has arrived. She will have the tea ready when you are.”
After washing her hands as best she could, Patience rushed off to her room to change out of her apron and cap. She had no mirror in her small room, but she did have a few more hair pins. She hastily shoved them into her hair, hoping they would contain at least a few more of her curls. Blast Lord Bryant. Would the man never leave her alone? If it weren’t for him, she would be quietly finishing off the last few days of her service here. Mr. Woodsworth hadn’t asked her to attend any more functions with him, and she was finally able to concentrate only on her tasks at his home, her whole purpose in coming.
She hurried