Sally James by Fortune at Stake

Author:Fortune at Stake
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Susannah considered for a long time before coming to the conclusion that the best way of gaining surreptitious entry into Lord Chalford’s town house, in Grosvenor Square, was to become friendly with one of the inhabitants. The notion of once again playing the serving maid came to her and she laid her plans accordingly.

‘Aunt Sarah never comes out of her room until noon after a party,’ she explained to Amanda. ‘I shall borrow a dress from Jane and use my old cloak and see whether I can contrive a meeting with one of his own maids. Early morning should be the best time, before many people are about, and you must cover for me here, saying I have gone to do some urgent shopping, or something of that nature, if anyone should miss me.’

‘What if anyone recognizes you, hanging about outside his house?’ Amanda demanded. ‘It would look decidedly peculiar, especially since you appear to reject all his advances! Would it not be better for us to call on him on some pretext and gain entry into the house that way?’

Susannah shook her head.

‘No, for then there would be footmen and butlers about, and how could I make an excuse to go up to his bedroom? No one notices a maidservant, if she is quiet and unobtrusive. I dare say even if Lord Chalford himself caught sight of me at a distance in his own house he would not look twice, or recognize me.’

Amanda had her doubts on that score, but she could see Susannah was determined, and as she had no better alternative to offer she shrugged and reluctantly promised to do what she could to aid her cousin. Susannah therefore set off on the following morning, garbed in a severe black gown and shabby, but once elegant, grey cloak, to hover near Lord Chalford’s house and observe the habits of his servants.

Within three days she realized that one maid, a little older than she, seemed always to go off with a large basket towards Piccadilly and return with meat and other provisions. Susannah cautiously followed to find the girl busy haggling with butchers in Newport Market. On the following day she herself took a basket and bought some meat, then managed it so that she collided with Lord Chalford’s maid as they were both turning back towards Grosvenor Square.

Smiling, apologizing, anxiously making sure nothing had been spilled from either basket, Susannah began to walk with the other and expressed surprise when she discovered their way lay together. She was soon encouraging Polly, homesick for her large family in Shropshire, to tell her all about her work and her hopes that Benjamin, the second footman, would soon offer a more tangible proof of his admiration than the approving smiles he had so far bestowed upon her.

‘He’s so handsome!’ Polly enthused and Susannah sourly wondered if all females were swayed by good looks.

‘Does he favour any of the others?’ she asked idly.

‘Well, he do smile at Betsy,’ Polly confessed.

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