The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

Author:Olivia Waite
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-06-24T16:00:00+00:00

Catherine was halfway through a reply to a very curious beekeeper in Melliton when she heard a throat being cleared behind her. She smiled when she saw Lucy—though a Lucy who looked unusually stern and serious. “What is it, love?”

“Mrs. Griffin is in need of a new apprentice engraver,” Lucy said. “I think we should ask Eliza Brinkworth if she’d like the job.”

Catherine set her pen down and turned in her chair. “Is Eliza not improving? Mrs. Shaw said—”

“Eliza is doing as much as she can, while knowing that she’s not doing as well as she ought,” Lucy said, her voice quiet but steady. She bit lightly at her lip, then continued: “I know it’s not my place—but I think she’d be happier with Mrs. Griffin than she is here with us.”

“But her talent with a needle—”

But Lucy was already shaking her head. “Talent is not the same thing as choice—and between embroidery and drawing, she evidently prefers the latter. She’s a sweet girl, and a clever one. But she said Mrs. Shaw is always catching her drawing, that she sneaks time for it.” The astronomer stepped forward and turned one palm out as she pled her case. “Why shouldn’t she consider an apprenticeship in the art she loves best? Something that gives her more scope than what a single household can offer her.”

And there it was; denial withered on Catherine’s tongue. Of course Eliza would want to spend her paid hours doing bigger and better things than embroidery—why settle for a craft so domestic and ephemeral when she could be learning to produce art, or at least the kind of work the public would notice. “You’re right,” Catherine said to Lucy. “We’ll ask her.”

Once settled upon, the change took remarkably little time. Within a week, Eliza was happily putting her drawing and drafting skills to work as Mrs. Griffin’s apprentice. Joan was promoted in Eliza’s place, and the whole house seemed to take a deep breath of relief. Joan turned out to be a living treasury of stain-removal recipes, and was even able to get the Prussian blue off Lucy’s gown. The occurrence of minor accidents dropped dramatically, and even Mrs. Shaw was twice caught humming cheerfully under her breath by the stillroom maid.

Catherine pulled another knot tight on the cushion she was covering with berry bunches. The mix of red and burgundy flowed under her hands like stage blood: dramatic and striking to the eye, but ultimately meaningless. Just something for an idle lady to do to pass the time.

As beautiful and useless as Catherine herself.

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