Prologue
Beth Jenkins extended her legs and arms in a languid, satisfied stretch. She rolled over, hopeful but found the space next to her empty. The angle of the sunlight streaming through the crack in the curtains gave her the reason.
I suppose Lisa had to report for work downstairs. Ah, well. I would have enjoyed round two of teaching her the joys of intimacy with a woman.
She sat up and extended her arms overhead. The sheet dropped to her waist, her exposed nipples pebbling in the cool room. Heedless of her nudity, she leaned over to sip the tea left by Emma, her personal maid, before slipping out of bed. As she meandered to the washbasin for her morning ablutions, she heard the rap of knuckles on her door before Emma slipped inside.
“Lady Althea wishes to see you.”
“Right-o. Fetch me a day gown, please?” Beth knew not to keep her cousin and guardian, Lady Althea Egerton, waiting. She yanked a comb through her chin-length cinnamon curls.
Moments later, she bounced into the library to where Althea’s desk occupied one end of the room.
“You wished to see me, cuz?” Thankfully, Althea found her affectionate nickname amusing rather than annoying.
The dark-haired woman stood to lean her knuckles on her desk, using her several inches and six years over Beth’s to her advantage. Althea’s spine was rigid, her pen tapped on the desk where she’d been working. “A second maid has given notice. She would not tell me why until I pressed her. Can you guess what the reason was?”
“Godsakes,” Beth swore under her breath. Louder, she guessed, “Lisa?”
Althea nodded, lips pressed together.
“I am very sorry, Althea. I promise to do better.” Beth ducked her head, scuffing her toe in front of her.
“You said that last time.” Althea sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat. “I understand. I do. I’ve told you before, I don’t disagree with your parents’ approach to life, but we must balance it with society’s rules for the sake of your reputation. In part so we do not run off all the help.”
Beth peeked up at her. “She was lovely. I resisted for ages, tiptoeing around, making sure she understood my attentions and returned them. I swear she did… I suspect she shocked herself with her interest and is running away.”
“Which is her prerogative. She’ll have an easier time of it if she doesn’t pursue any interest in girls, sadly. She hasn’t your freedom to ignore social mores when you like, as she needs a job.”
“I hope you gave her a good reference. I certainly would. She was a magnificent kisser. And those breasts!” She hid her grin by twirling to pace past the seating area done in burgundy with gold accents.
“Beth. Focus. Please.”
“Right. I beg your pardon again. I thought you were looking into servants from the school?” She referred to the School of Enlightenment, where Althea had sent her to attend multiple courses exploring independence, relationships, and her sexual identity.
When Althea had first brought her home, Beth had been eighteen with newly awakened yearnings in her body that she didn’t fully understand. She’d seen enough at her parents’ house, even as a younger child, to view physical intimacy as fun and self-control as overrated.
When her open-minded, spiritual parents had died suddenly a year ago, Althea’s father became her guardian. Beth had enjoyed all the liberties and outlooks of a boy, free of society’s views regarding proper etiquette for women. The abrupt change to the strict and religious household Althea had been raised in was too much for both Beth and the earl. She’d fought his very strict rules before succumbing to depression, at which point Althea had stepped in.
Althea had rescued her from that hell, and Beth had celebrated her newfound freedom. So when she’d found herself attracted to servants, visitors, or even, in one awful case, one of Althea’s shop employees, she’d acted on it.
Within weeks, her cousin had realized she could not handle Beth and the store and had cast around for help. Althea had been invited to join a group who called themselves the Enlightened Salon but had been unable to attend a meeting due to overseeing the shop. Nevertheless, she’d reached out, and upon their recommendation, enrolled Beth in the School of Enlightenment.
Beth had joined the introductory course, then the advanced course, and thrived. Most of the advanced classes were about various forms of relationship building and physical intimacy. These were her people. While she knew she’d maintain friendships with the less judgmental of the introductory course group, these girls would be lifelong sisters.
Indeed, her closest friend Penelope had been in the advanced classes with her.
“I am waiting on a response from the headmistress. Could you not behave for a few more weeks?”
“I have said before, it depends on your definition of behave. I always pose it as an invitation, making it their choice.” Beth arched her brow as she turned back toward the desk from the fireplace, trailing a hand over the soft wine velvet of the settee cushion top.
Althea sighed again. “I gave her a good reference and some funds. I also told her I thought you could help place her if she was interested, given your extensive network. She declined.” She lowered her chin to give Beth a stern look.
“I can still make inquiries. I shall try to limit my affections to men for the time being, as they hardly ever feel the need to depart the premises afterward.” Beth was proud of her wide range of contacts.
Althea barked a laugh despite herself.
“How is the expansion plan going?” Having wound her way through the seating area, Beth wandered over to the desk to look at her cousin’s paperwork. Math was not her strong suit, but she wanted to show her support. She’d also found a way to help Althea, but her cousin would not like some aspects of it, so if Althea had solved the issue, Beth would not mention her idea.
