1. Behind a Lady's Smile by Jane Goodger

Author:Jane Goodger [Goodger, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-06-07T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

The next day after breakfast, Tillie arrived, smiling brightly as she walked into the main parlor, as if she were walking into a party being held in her honor. She had the blondest hair Genny had ever seen in her life, like sheep’s wool, though her brows were considerably darker. Oddly, she wore a shapeless dull brown dress, which didn’t seem to match the rest of her at all, for even at first glance she seemed far livelier than the clothing she had on.

“Oh,” she breathed as she looked around, brown eyes wide. “This is the prettiest room I’ve ever seen.” She turned quickly to face Genny. “And you must be Miss Hayes. Such a pleasure to meet you. My goodness, how pretty you are.”

Genny had to smile, for the girl was a whirlwind of enthusiasm, her face animated, her smile bright.

She spun to face Madeline, and it seemed to Genny that this girl was incapable of moving slowly. “Madeline, I know I thanked you before, but I want to thank you again for this opportunity. England. Goodness, I never thought I’d be traveling across an ocean. I wrote my dear mother as soon as I got the role.”

“Position,” Mitch corrected.

Her smile faltered a bit. “Yes, position,” she said with slightly less spirit. Then, she smiled again, so abruptly Genny was taken slightly aback. “Look at your hair,” she exclaimed, coming up to Genny and circling around her. “You were right, Madeline. I can’t wait to get my hands in it.” She laughed, and Genny joined her, though a bit uncertainly. “Not like mine,” she said, and to Genny’s shock, she removed her hair and held it up like a prize. Where her hair had been was a tightly pinned mass of dark brown hair. Seeing Genny’s expression, she laughed again, rather a braying sort of laugh that made one cringe. “It’s a wig, you silly girl. Ha! I do believe she thought I’d just scalped myself. I decided I would wear this ugly brown dress but I fear I didn’t want to part with my lovely hair just yet.”

Genny looked from Mitch to Madeline, uncertain how to react to this strange creature claiming to be her maid. She had no experience of how a maid should act, but she was fairly certain this was not it.

“Mother,” Mitch said, softly but with an authority that Genny had come to recognize. It was his “tone of steel,” the one he used when he was very upset but not willing to let it show. “May I have a word with you?”

Madeline simply waved a hand at him. “Tillie, do please get into character. Really, child.”

Instantly, Tillie changed. It was fascinating; almost as if another person had entered the room, a girl who looked like Tillie but . . . wasn’t.

“Yes, ma’am. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go and mend your stockings,” Tillie said, adding a deferential little curtsey.

Madeline clapped her hands in appreciation. “Marvelous, marvelous.” Tillie made a deep curtsey, accepting the accolades with grace.

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