Page 21 of Refining the Debutante
Where Gray House smothered herenthusiasm for life, being outside filled Miranda with a sense of freedom. Mrs. Guttridge did not care for her presence in the house and had begun to send her on errands to town. This was one task Miranda did not complain about. Despite the occasional strong winds, wet roads, and chilling rains, unusual for the summer season, the fresh sea air revitalized her soul.
“What is it today?” Sarah asked Miranda once they were on the dirt path that led to town.
“Cardamom,” Miranda answered. “I am unfamiliar with the spice, but fortunately, my ignorance ensured me of your company.” Her friendship with Sarah grew stronger every day.
“Your timing is excellent,” Sarah said. “I was to hang the rugs with the other girls. I despise beating rugs. The dust chokes me.”
Miranda grimaced. The very idea of such a chore made her want to rescue Sarah. “I will have to keep claiming ignorance so you and I are forced to walk to town more often.”
Sarah paused in her step. “Lately, I forget who you used to be.”
“I know the feeling.” Miranda gave her a small smile. The easy comradery between them usually began with teasing and laughing about Miranda’s past indiscretions, but more and more, it turned into deep conversations.
The more distance they put between themselves and Gray House, the more she felt parts of her soul creep back. The place seemed to drain all the happiness out of a person. The road to town was long, but they detoured to walk along the rocky beach to see the white fingers of the ocean curl upon the sand. A hard rain had bathed all of Kent the night before, and they frequently had to hop over large puddles of mud once they returned to the path.
At the edge of town, Miranda paused before a large puddle straddled between two hedgerows.
“Oh, go on.” Sarah nudged her.
Miranda scowled, but she was never one to shy from a challenge. She took a deep breath and lunged over the puddle. The mud on the other side was thick, and her feet slid upon contact. Her body propelled backward into the watery brown slime.
Miranda opened her eyes and blinked away the drips of dirty liquid. She sputtered and wiped her mouth with her arm as she sat up. Sarah hitched up her skirts and took dainty steps around the edge of the puddle, where it was not so very deep.
“Here,” she said. “Give me your hand.”
Miranda gladly accepted the assistance and stood. “Why did you not suggest I walk around the side like you?” She wiped at the grime dripping from her dress, but it was useless since her bare hands were just as filthy.
“I only just thought of it,” Sarah said with a straight face, which suddenly crumpled into a humorous grin. “Oh, come now, it was just a bit of fun.”
Miranda grimaced. “I guess I do owe you a little merriment after dragging you to Gray House.”
“Maybe a little.”
Miranda linked arms with her, and Sarah recoiled against the dripping sleeve. “Ugh!”
Miranda giggled. “Just sharing the spoils of my battle.”
“You probably won’t even change your dress when we get home,” Sarah said, sticking out her tongue. “You wouldn’t want to risk smelling decent.”
“Carrying water to my room to wash in is a great deal of work!”
The two were laughing and pushing each other as they entered an outside market where people bought and sold food. Only, not many seemed to be buying—just milling about, arguing.
“Mama,” a boy who couldn’t have been older than five or six said from across the way to his mother, “we can’t go home yet. We forgot to buy food.”
“Hush,” his mother said, urging her son home.
Miranda’s smile dropped.
“The food prices have increased again.” Sarah pointed to a sign outside a shop that always smelled of tantalizing meat pies, but Miranda’s attention remained on the boy.
“Poor dear,” she murmured.
The child glanced back at Miranda, then hugged close to his mother. Miranda must have looked a fright. Still, the thought of the boy hungry bothered her. She understood poverty on a different level now. Her own stomach suddenly gnawed in sympathy. At least Lord Aldington’s kitchens were well stocked and Miranda had the potential to meet her own needs. She and Sarah began walking again to their destination, but Miranda took one last glance at the hungry little boy before he disappeared behind a corner.
When she dragged her gaze forward again, it was in enough time to keep from barreling into a gentleman. Sarah pulled Miranda out of the way before they shared a muddy encounter.
Miranda looked sideways at the man as they passed him, and the blood drained from her face.
