“It does not happen often, does it?” I asked testily.
I was pleased that at least Mr. Davis and Mrs. Bowen looked ashamed, with Mrs. Bowen bordering on wretched. “Only when his lordship has been made unhappy,” Mr. Davis said.
And he’d been made unhappy today by Lady Cynthia’s running down a man in the street, a story everyone in Mayfair likely knew by now. “Good heavens—why on earth do you stay here?” I demanded of all present. “There are masters respectable enough in other houses, and wives who will not put up with that sort of thing.”
Mr. Davis regarded me in some surprise. “We stay because it’s a good place—you’ll see. His lordship is generous to the staff. Always has been.”
“I see. And sending a young woman as sacrifice every once in a while is a small price to pay?” My mounting anger made my blood fire in my veins. “Well, I will not have it. Not in my kitchen.”
“Mrs. Holloway, I understand your unhappiness,” Mrs. Bowen said. “I share it. But what can we do? I try to keep the maids occupied away from his lordship, but it is not my house. Her ladyship ought to keep him under her eye, but she cannot.”
I full well knew Mrs. Bowen was right. Some gentlemen are highhanded enough to believe everything they do is justified. Those who have power and wealth behind them are only encouraged in their prideful thinking. The frail Lady Rankin likely knew what was going on but hadn’t the strength to confront him about it.
My heart sank at the thought of having to look for another place when I’d only just found this one. The kitchen was well stocked, the house efficiently run, and the street near to an omnibus that would take me easily to the place in London where my heart was. Why, oh why, did the master and his base needs have to ruin a perfectly good situation?
My fury made me reckless. “I won’t have it,” I repeated. “Ellen, sit down and calm yourself. I will take Lord Rankin his coffee.”
Photo by Silvio Portrait Design
Jennifer Ashley is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shifters Unbound series, including Guardian’s Mate and White Tiger, and the Mackenzies series, including The Scandalous Mackenzies and Rules for a Proper Governess. A winner of a Romance Writers of America RITA Award, she also writes as national bestselling and award-winning author Allyson James and as bestselling author Ashley Gardner. She lives in the Southwest with her husband and cats, and spends most of her time in the wonderful worlds of her stories.
You can contact her online at jenniferashley.com and visit her at facebook.com/JenniferAshleyAllysonJamesAshleyGardner and twitter.com/JennAllyson.
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