Page 36 of A Marquess' Season of Secrets
“She has made herself an expert on all things French,” his sister declared. “She hasn’t an inch of French in her, Nash! At least Mama was half French.”
“I think Prinny would frown upon your discussion.”
“The Prince Regent orders copious amounts of French champagne, and his very abode is decorated in a French style. I cannot understand what sort of relationship this country has with France. We are at war, but we praise their fashion and art.”
The two countries’ history was complicated, but people lived with it as best they could.
“Do you know that Isabella can speak French?” Nash revealed and immediately groaned.
Speaking about Isabella was enough to begin a war with his sister. Nash braced himself for his sister’s tirade about how wrong he was to let a stranger into the house and promote her to just below Mrs Black’s position in the household.
“That woman is the bane of my existence!” Ellie claimed.
“How is that possible? You barely know anything about her.”
“Precisely! She could be a murdering wench waiting for the right moment to slit our throats while we sleep.”
Nash grimaced. “That’s a rather grisly image, Ellie dear. Isabella hasn’t a murderous bone in her body.”
“Are you suddenly an expert on a woman who cannot supposedly recall anything about her own life?
Nash was usually content to let his sister have her little temper moment as they were few and far between, but he tired of the same argument over and over again.
“The physician confirmed her condition, Ellie, which you know very well. She suffered a nasty gash to her temple, and if you can recall, she had a nasty bruise on her brow. Her head injuries have caused her memory loss.”
His sister snorted. “Or she could be a wonderful actress. And what is this about her speaking French? How is that even possible? She is but a commoner.”
“If she is but a commoner, then she is the most intelligent of her kind. Commoners do not typically read with such ease, speak in perfect French, or have arithmetic knowledge.”
Nash wanted to test if Isabella had any other academic skills, but he didn’t want to appear too excited about it. It wouldn’t do for the master of the house to put so much attention on his female servant and inadvertently cause a scandal. Even his own servants were given over to scandal and could say something damning in the wrong ear.
Ellie put her knife and fork down and sat back. “What is this I hear? A commoner who has the education of a middle or upper-class person? If that is not a cause to worry, then I do not know what is! She is dangerous, I tell you. Best you listen to me before she destroys your life, Nash.”
Nash had to laugh. “What the devil are you on about? What could Isabella possibly do to destroy me? She has nothing but gratitude towards me, and she does her work well. Do calm yourself, Ellie, and think about what you’re saying.”
Ellie’s eyebrows rose so high they threatened to disappear into her hairline.
“I beg your pardon? Can my brother truly be defending a servant above listening to his own sister?”
“It is nothing like that, and you know it,” Nash protested. “Do not read into matters that do not require so much thought. The household is better off with her in it.”
Ellie pulled her head back and shook her head. “I never thought I would live to see this day.”
“What day would this be? One where you do not always get your way?”
His sister’s mouth dropped open. “I cannot believe you would say that to me!”
Upon seeing his sister’s watery eyes, Nash sighed and attempted to do damage control.
“Please be reasonable about this, Ellie. Do you not trust your own brother’s judgement? Have I not looked after this family and estate for the last ten years?”
“I do trust you, Nash,” Ellie admitted. “But you are too trusting of others. I do not have a good feeling about this woman. Every new piece of information I learn about her only makes me worry more about you. If I had done what you did, what would you say to me?”
“I would applaud you for your humanity,” Nash insisted.
“That is not true at all. If I found a man dressed in commoner’s garments on the side of the road, put him into my carriage, brought him home where I personally assist in nursing him back to health, and give him a position in this house, how would you feel?”
Nash could see where his sister was going with all this, but there was one significant fact that she was not mentioning.
