“I think she published it anonymously because she is a woman.”
He nodded. “Something about her voice makes me recall how the women of my acquaintance speak, although I of course haven’t the foggiest notion of whom those women might be.” He sighed and set the book aside. “How are you, my lady?”
“Wilton has procured a razor for you.” She held it out in both hands.
He picked it up and examined the blade. “I must say, I am elated at the prospect of looking more respectable, but I am not sure I know what to do. How do men remove their whiskers without cutting themselves?”
“It is curious that you remember how to walk and read but not how to shave. Wilton and I surmised that in your other life, you had a valet who did it for you.”
He closed his eyes for a long moment. “Yes. That seems likely.”
Adele wondered again if perhaps Smith was a very wealthy man. That was troubling, because as she grew more fond of him, it seemed increasingly likely that they were not even of the same social class. Not that she harbored any illusions that there might be a romantic connection between them; that was not Adele’s fate and she knew it. But she could admit to passing fancies where this handsome man was concerned.
Smith walked to the door without explaining where he was going, and everything about him had the confidence of a man who was used to acting on his whims. Adele chased after him, all the way to his bedroom, where he stared at the washstand.
“Perhaps you could help me,” he said, looking right at Adele.
“This is a bit outside of the scope of my normal duties. That is, I take care of an old woman. I’ve never shaved a man before. But Wilton said to summon him if needed.” She crossed the room to grab the bell pull.
“I’d really prefer you did it.”
“That is an extraordinarily terrible idea, sir. I have no experience with a razor. I might slice your head right off.”
He laughed and looked back at the mirror. “All right, I’ll start. I need a mirror, though. And do you have any… shaving soap?”
“Oh. Yes, I know where the earl keeps his when he stays here. I shall return swiftly.”
She tried not to obsess over all the ways Smith could injure himself if he attempted to shave as she went to the earl’s quarters. She took the old mirror the earl kept there; it had a crack at one corner and some tarnishing, but she figured it would do. She grabbed the shaving soap from its place there, too. On her way back down the hall, she passed the countess’s bedroom. “Is that Miss Paulson?” she called out.
Adele sighed and stuck her head in the room. “Yes, my lady. Did you need something?”
The countess lounged in bed as she had for the last week, recovering from what Dr. Willis insisted was just a cold. Adele wondered sometimes if the countess was not being overly dramatic “Oh, not right now. I would like to ask you to add the bookshop to your rounds in town this week. I am nearly finished with my book.” The countess patted the book on her night table.
“Yes, of course.”
“Can you fetch me something to drink as well? I should like some tea.”
“Yes, I’ll take care of that.”
“Thank you, my girl. That is all.”
“If I may, do you intend to ever meet our house guest?”
“I will when am less tired and more presentable.”
“Are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. A little sleepy. I think I shall take a nap now. Please close the door on your way out.”
Adele questioned the wisdom of ordering tea if the countess was just going to sleep, although she wondered if perhaps claiming to want a nap was just the countess’s way of dismissing Adele without seeming rude.
Some companionship. When Adele had taken this position, her father and the Earl of Sweeney had argued that they just wanted someone to sit with the countess, and Adele had imagined she’d spend the bulk of her time sitting with the countess as they read books or did needlepoint. That had been how it was the first few months, but as the countess’s health failed, she seemed less interested in a companion and more interested in someone to wait on her.
She sighed and flagged down a maid. “Please convey to Cook that the countess would like some tea. I have to bring something to Mr. Smith.”
“Yes, my lady,” said the maid before reversing course to head to the kitchen.
Adele took a deep breath and headed for Smith’s room. He sat in front of the water basin. A maid must have come by in her absence and put clean water in the basin.
