A Proper Charade by Esther Hatch

Author:Esther Hatch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2020-04-30T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

PATIENCE KNOCKED SOFTLY ON THE door to Mr. Woodsworth’s study.

“Come in.”

She took a deep breath to calm herself. It had been two days since their walk together in Green Park, and she didn’t want to come off as too friendly to her employer. But she also couldn’t help but see him as a friend. They had danced together, walked together, and spoken together so often that she forgot at times to remain subservient when he was around. But she would remember it now. She was here only as a maid, or in this case, a governess. The children had prepared something for him.

She pushed the door open and immediately curtsied the way she had been practicing. Perfectly, just as a maid should curtsy.

Mr. Woodsworth sat at his desk. Several stacks of papers were neatly placed around him. He set down his pen. “Ah, Patience, you are just the woman I was hoping to see.”

She was? “Me, sir?”

“Yes, I have been working on that list of yours, and it is finally complete with six men. All quite serious, and all ranking baronet or higher. Not a mister in sight. Come, let me show you.”

She hesitated. Having Mr. Woodsworth take notes on the men she might marry one day suddenly felt inappropriate. He didn’t know that was what he was doing, but she did, and she wondered at her audacity to ask such a thing. “Actually, the children are waiting for you. It seems they have a surprise planned for you and your sister.”

He waved his hand. “This will only take a moment. I don’t like feeling beholden to anyone, and it still irks me that I haven’t even gotten you the first three gentlemen after all you have done.”

Patience sighed. There was nothing to be done but get it over with. She trusted Mr. Woodsworth’s judgement. If he said these men were good men, he would be correct. What better way to start her first Season than armed with a list of possible candidates?

“Come,” he said again. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of the drawer next to him and unfolded it. Just as before, it was filled with neat rows and columns. Only this time, there were more of them. He stood and motioned for her to take his place in his chair. Not knowing a way out of this situation she had created, she complied.

Mr. Woodsworth went down on one knee to the side of her. His eyes shone as he leaned forward, pointing to each category and describing how he had decided on which attributes to include. The top row was filled with them. Benevolence, propensity to drink, propensity to gamble, the average time a position was held by their employees. Where on earth was he getting this information?

“I can add any other gentlemen if you feel they should be listed. I don’t have to limit it to three.”

“No.” Patience felt empty looking at these men, reduced down to the most basic of character traits.

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