Evelyn looked down at her hands, a little smile playing about her lips. “Why, I think perhaps we could,” she said. “But for now,” she glanced at the angle of the sun, “I think we might need to be getting back. This has been so very pleasant, Mayson. Thank you much for this lovely feast, and for this beautiful afternoon on the water. I cannot think when I have been happier or more greatly amused.”
“Thank you,” Mayson said, “for spending this time with me. I so rarely get to talk about books and other places around the world. This has been a great pleasure.” He stood, stretched out his hands and assisted her with getting to her feet.
Her small hands were warm in his, strong and lightly calloused. She did not pull away immediately
They smiled at one another, and in harmonious accord, began packing up the picnic things. And as happily as two children, swinging the picnic basket between them, they set off back up toward the house. As they walked, great thunder clouds built up in the sky above them and the first few drops of rain fell upon them. Evelyn picked up her skirts with one hand, and laughing they ran up the path. They arrived at the kitchen door just ahead of a torrential downpour.
“We must do this again,” Evelyn said. “Next time, it will be my treat.”
“Your wish is my command,” Mayson replied. “I will be happy to do this as often as you will allow.”
For a moment he allowed himself to dream, as he had not allowed himself for several years.
Chapter 13
Evelyn accepted a tall stack of laundry from Mrs. Smith, the laundress. As she did so, two of the upstairs maids came in chattering to each other. Molly Sue, the maid who had been there the longest, said to Betty, the newest maid, “Did you see those handbills?”
“What handbills?” Betty inquired absently, as she wrestled a large laundry basket over to the rest of the soiled household linens.
“The ones that are posted all over town, and on the main message post in the center of the square,” Molly Sue replied.
“Oh. I’ve not been to town,” the new maid replied. “I haven’t even had my third half day yet, nor my quarterly pay, so’s I’ve been just resting up in my room.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Molly Sue remarked. “I’m so sorry. I forgot. Of course you haven't been to town, but you can go on your next half-day after we get our quarterlies, and see the sights.”
“I hear it’s not much of a town anyway,” Betty shrugged off the suggestion that she was missing out on something. “Just a village, really.”
“I guess that is true,” the older maid admitted, “but it’s our village and it has everything that we really need. There's a notions shop, a milliner, a greengrocer, a butcher, and a bakery where they make the best sweet rolls. There is even a little newsstand that sells books sometimes.”
At this, Evelyn turned her full attention to the chattering maids. “Yes, books,” Molly Sue said in reply to her questioning look. “I guess you and the Duchess don’t have enough books to read.”
“Oh, the Duchess and I have plenty of books to read. It is just that sometimes I would like books of my own to read just for my quiet time alone.”
“Is she terribly hard to work for?” Molly Sue asked. “The last companion said she was extremely particular.”
“Not really,” Evelyn said. “In fact, in many ways she's very sweet, very kind. You just have to understand her. Older people do have their particular ways. She has an amazing sense of humor, and says some of the most astonishing things. I rather like her. She reminds me of a neighbor we had when I was a child.”
“Well, that’s a miracle and a wonder,” Molly Sue said. “I guess that means you might be staying for a while.”
“I hope to,” Evelyn replied. “But what were you talking about just now?”
Molly Sue frowned for a moment, as if try to remember what they had been talking about. “Oh, those handbills.”
“Yes. You said they were all over town.”
“So they are,” Molly Sue commented. “They are all about Mr. Rutley from over at Hillsworth posting a reward for anybody who heard, or seen about, his nephew.”
“Has the nephew gone missing?” Evelyn inquired.
"Oh, yes,” said Molly Sue. “Several years ago, really. They say that he went out fishing and all they found of him was his hat and his broken fishing pole on the bank of the millstream. It was in full spate that day, so they think maybe he fell in and got washed away, but nobody ever found his body.”
“How very strange,” Evelyn said. “Did they not make a search at the time?”
“Oh, yes, of course they did. They made a huge search, with dogs and everything. But they still didn't find him. Some people think that maybe Mr. Rutley did away with him so’s he could get the estate.”
“That’s certainly a chilling thought,” Evelyn said. “What do you think happened?”
“I really have no idea,” Molly Sue said offhandedly. “That was before I hired on here. I was still living at home, which is up on the other side of London. Then my momma took me to the hiring agency to look for a position, and, well, I’ve been here ever since.”
