The Devil of Clan Sinclair by Karen Ranney

Author:Karen Ranney [Ranney, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency, Historical romance, Fiction
ISBN: 9780062242457
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-07-29T21:00:00+00:00

“I can’t work like this, Mr. Paul,” the maid said, sniffing into the corner of her apron.

If it hadn’t already been stained with the polish she’d spilled earlier, he would have demanded she find a handkerchief instead.

“With her looking out of the corner of her eye at me like she’s waiting for me to make a mistake.”

“Cook is overworked like the rest of us,” he said, hoping to calm the girl. “I doubt she cares as much about what you’re doing as long as it doesn’t affect her workload.”

“She wants me to clean the pots. I’m no scullery maid,” she said.

Did she know she stunk of onions, so strongly that the library reeked?

He smiled, an expression that had always caused the maids to flutter their eyelashes and giggle. In the last month, however, his smile had no effect on the female staff at all.

The household was in shambles, but he was trying to muster everyone together. He was the de facto majordomo since Albert had left and the position was vacant. Eudora had died, the dowager countess had taken to her rooms, Virginia was ill, and Ellice was too young to assume any command. He alone was there to mitigate the disagreements and hear the whines and complaints from the ten staff members.

The maids listened better than the men. He had fired the stable master for insubordination, but the man was refusing to leave.

“I don’t take my orders from you,” he said. “When the dowager countess fires me, I’ll consider myself gone. But not by you.”

The stable master’s mutiny had been joined by the coachman. Hosking was another one he’d fire when he got the power.

“All the downstairs maids are taking turns,” he said to the girl now. “You can’t expect Cook to fix all the meals and scrub all the dishes.”

She sniffled again. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his temper in check.

“Do it today,” he said, smiling at the maid. “Just today, and I’ll find a schedule to accommodate everyone.”

She wiped the corner of one eye, sighed dejectedly, and took herself off to the kitchen. No doubt she would whine about her new chore for as long as she had to do it.

What did she expect him to do? Lavina hadn’t died solely to upset her schedule. Trying to find a replacement for the scullery maid had been difficult. Once likely candidates learned Lavina had died of smallpox and the household was still battling the disease, they weren’t in any hurry to work at the Countess of Barrett’s home.

Virginia would survive. He’d been at her door many times over the past week, engaged in a battle with her maid.

Hannah wouldn’t allow him to see her. No matter what he promised or threatened, she refused to let him inside the room.

All he had was Hannah’s word that Virginia hadn’t been damaged by the disease.

“She only has one or two scars on her face, Paul.”

“You’re sure?”

Perhaps he should dismiss Hannah as well. The girl didn’t know her place, witness her frown just before she’d closed the door in his face.

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