it was time to turn the tables on her inquiry. “If Lord Copperpot dislikes servants in his bedchamber when he’s not about, what were you doing coming in?” Beau countered, crossing his arms over his chest and giving her another false smile.
She pulled up her shoulders and lifted her chin, clearly affronted. “I am Lady Wilhelmina’s maid. I was sent here by Lady Copperpot, who asked me ta put away her shawl.” Miss Notley lifted the shawl as evidence before brushing past him to put it in the wardrobe.
Beau turned toward her and inclined his head. “Well, if you must know, I wanted to take a look at his lordship’s clothing to see if I could be of service to any of it.” He did his best to sound affronted as well. It often helped in such situations.
Her mistrustful stance softened a bit at this logic. When she turned back to look at him, some of the skepticism had left her eyes. Beau seized the opportunity to straighten his shoulders and take a deep breath. He was going to have to completely start over with this one. She’d clearly set her cap against him.
Perhaps he should attempt to charm her again. Obviously arguing with her wasn’t getting him anywhere. He usually preferred to leave the charming bit to Worth, but Beau certainly could display charm upon occasion when he was inspired to.
He cocked his head to the side, bit his lip, and smiled at her. “I may be temporary, but I do try to do my very best work no matter when and where the occasion takes me.”
That stopped her short and she looked him up and down. It was really too bad she was such a mistrustful sort because she was quite pretty. The freckles along the bridge of her nose were downright intriguing… Where the hell had that thought come from? What was he, lusting over angry lady’s maids now?
She arched a pale brow again. “There’s no harm in wantin’ ta do a proper job, Mr. Baxter, but somethin’ tells me ye weren’t looking at the clothing before I came in.”
“Why, pray tell, would you think that?” he countered, the fake smile still plastered to his face, while simultaneously thinking that Miss Notley was astute, quite astute indeed. Blast it.
“Fer one thing, ye weren’t anywhere near the wardrobe.” She crossed her arms over her chest again, blinked at him, and gave him a tight, fake smile too.
Damn it. The usual falsehoods weren’t working on her. They both eyed each other carefully. She was going to be trouble. Geniality hadn’t worked. Charm hadn’t worked. And effrontery only seemed to beget more effrontery. Very well. Perhaps they were to be enemies. Either way, he wasn’t about to allow a mistrustful lady’s maid to ruin his carefully laid plans.
“I had just come in and was on my way toward the wardrobe,” he replied.
How the hell had he got into this tit-for-tat with a female servant? It was entirely ridiculous, and a waste of valuable time. Even if he was still enjoying it…a bit.
Marianne shut the wardrobe door with a loud thump and turned from him. “Fine. Whatever ye say, Mr. Baxter.” But her tone clearly implied she didn’t believe a word of it. “I’m willin’ ta give ye the benefit o’ the doubt, but I’m warnin’ ye, if I see ye so much as pokin' yer nose in the water closet if it don’t belong, I’ll bring it directly to milady’s attention, and don’t think I won’t.”
Blast. She’d clearly set her cap against him. More charm was in order. “I wouldn’t dream of, as you say, poking my nose ‘where it don’t belong.’” He certainly wasn’t about to poke it in the water closet, of all places.
He’d anticipated a variety of issues during this particular mission: being recognized, or failing to be a convincing valet when it came to his duties, but he hadn’t counted on—hadn’t even considered, really—being taken to task by another servant.
He narrowed his eyes on her this time. He didn’t like it when he encountered anyone who was as certain of themselves as he was.
She brushed past him again and made her way toward the door. “See that ye don’t.”
Beau’s nostrils flared. The woman’s egregious self-assurance made him want to grind his teeth. And he never wanted to grind his teeth. In fact, he prided himself on keeping his cool at all times.
Regardless, he refused to allow her the last word. He would leave first. Besides, he