Page 13 of A Marquess' Season of Secrets
Juliana shook her head. “Forty.”
“Thirty sounds more reasonable, Milady. I simply must attend to the other chores you have given me.”
Juliana almost grinned in triumph. She had wanted thirty minutes, but she had to haggle with her maid to make her think she was the one who decided on the number.
“You drive a hard bargain, Kersey. Very well, thirty it is.”
The woman said nothing for some time and then gasped. “You tricked me! Oh, Milady!”
“Who? Me? What a thing to accuse me of,” Juliana replied, tongue in cheek.
The maid laughed and resumed brushing her hair. The woman was such a bubbly, kind person whom Juliana adored. They had been together for seven years, and the abigail was never too far from Juliana’s side.
Kersey knew her every secret, fear, hope, and dream and never judged Juliana for her shortcomings. In short, the woman was an essential person in Juliana’s life, and she couldn’t do without the maid.
“I noticed the new painting you’re busy with,” the abigail said. “I do not recognise the setting.”
“It’s Clarington Manor. I found the house beautiful and decided to paint what I could recall.”
“It already looks beautiful, but I’m surprised you would want to paint such a place when you had a horrible experience there. I hope I never meet Lord Somersby.”
Kersey gave a little shiver of fear, slightly pulling on Juliana’s hair. She had been appalled to hear about the abusive earl and had had a few choice words to say about him.
“I hope I never meet him again,” Juliana added. “Once was enough. I wonder if his mother knows about his cruel ways? If she does, she is just as much to blame as he is.”
Juliana could not abide by cruelty, whether to people or animals. She found it despicable and believed such acts should be punished. However, life wasn’t fair, and people like Ralph got away with many unspeakable acts.
“Shall I make some hot chocolate for you?” Kersey suggested. “I’ll add extra cinnamon just as you like it.”
“How is it that you know what I want before I even know it?”
“I have magical powers and often read your mind, Milady. Right now, you’re telling me to bring you two almond biscuits with the hot chocolate, or is it three?”
Juliana pulled her lips to the side as though she were thinking hard. “Hmmm, perhaps you need to work on your mind-reading abilities because I was thinking about four almond biscuits.”
The abigail nodded. “Four it is, Milady.”
“Or perhaps five.”
Kersey’s eyes slightly widened, but she said nothing. She undoubtedly disagreed with Juliana, but she would never admit it. Too many biscuits would spoil Juliana’s dinner, and her abigail knew it well.
Juliana chuckled. “Three biscuits are just fine, Kelsey.”
The abigail’s relief was immediate. “Thank you, Milady. I shall return soon. Please, do not fall asleep.”
Juliana had to promise she wouldn’t, although she did feel sleepy after all the hair brushing. Surely it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if she had just a little nap? Her abigail would take at least twenty minutes to make the hot chocolate and carry the tray up the stairs to her. Twenty minutes was the perfect little nap to keep her going for the rest of the evening.
“Milady!”
Juliana felt someone gently shaking her. She opened her eyes, finding her maid looming over her.
“You have to get up, Milady. Your parents wish to see you in the drawing room.”
“Now?”
“They told me they wished to see you as soon as possible. They seem excited about something.”
Juliana rolled to a sitting position and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What on earth do they have to be excited about? They already sold my necklace and spent most of the money on a new carriage and horses, and I doubt Grandfather has agreed to give them more money.”
