“I suppose not.”
From over her cup, Mary slanted a look across the room. “My, my—two gents are looking this way.”
Sally followed her gaze and saw two men near their own ages standing at the bar.
“Sit up straight,” Mary whispered sternly, “and do close your mouth.”
Sally only then realized she was staring at the men, mouth drooping open. She hurried to close it and sat up straighter on the bench.
“The fair one’s mine,” Mary whispered through smiling lips.
But it soon became obvious that the fair one had set his sights on Sally.
The slight, wiry man with light hair and dark eyes was handsome indeed. He smiled boldly at Sally as he walked over, and she felt her face, already warm from the ale, burn red.
“Name’s Davey. And my mate here is George. Mind if we sit with you lovelies?”
Mary giggled coyly and scooted over on her bench. Sally still stared dumbly at the man named Davey.
“I’m Mary and this is Sally,” Mary said and kicked her under the table. Sally again closed her mouth and followed Mary’s lead in making room on her bench. Davey sat down right next to her.
“Evenin’, Miss Sally. Yer a sight for these weary eyes, I can tell ye.”
Sally looked away from his admiring stare, biting on her lip to keep from smiling too broadly.
As the evening wore on, Sally’s cheeks glowed warmly from Davey’s many compliments and the second glass of ale he bought for her. Not since Dickie’s father had a man given her such admiring attention. And Sally drank it in.
Sighing, Mary gave up and turned her focus to the bearded, dark-haired man named George.
A week later, Sally and Mary met out in the lane as planned, each with their respective charges.
“You’re coming out again tonight, I trust,” Mary said, bouncing little Colin Whiteman in her arms.
“I cannot. They only gave me the night out last week because it was my birthday.”
“I’m surprised the new missus gave you that much.”
“Well, it was the master who did it. I let the day slip in his hearing.”
“Very clever.”
“I suppose I was desperate for some time away.”
“’Course you were. And the way Georgie tells it, Davey is very desperate indeed to see you again.”
Sally tried to close her lips around her teeth, but she could not help the smile that overtook her.
“Is he?”
“Yes. Says you are the handsomest girl he’s ever seen.”
“He didn’t.”
“He did.”
“Must have had too much ale that night, then.”
“Don’t be foolish, Sally. You have very pretty ... hair. Just—well, try to keep your mouth closed. And don’t stand up quite so ... tall.”
