“James,” Camilla called after him. “If you want to bring your breeches back to me, I will mend the rip and they will be like new.”
Once again, all three stopped and stared with wide eyes, but James appeared more confused than the other two with his creased forehead.
“It is all right,” she assured them. “Make haste, and I will repair them.”
James glanced at the older woman, who shrugged. He started to his room, but then turned back to Camilla.
“Thank you,” he said.
She smiled. “For what?”
“For not scolding us.” He grabbed his sister’s hand, and they turned and ran to their rooms.
Her heart twisted. Could her sister have lied again? What had Kat been doing to Malcolm’s children? Unless, of course, she had reprimanded them because of the way their father had instructed them to treat her. That must be it.
“And I thank you, Mrs. Worthington.” The maid bobbed, then turned, but Camilla grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“Would you please explain something to me before you leave?”
“What might that be?”
“Why do the children call me Camilla?”
Confusion marred the maid’s face, her forehead wrinkling her expression. Perhaps Camilla shouldn’t have asked, but she really needed to know.
“Have you forgotten, Mrs. Worthington?”
“Apparently so.” She massaged her temples. “I think my mind has been scrambled from my long and tedious journey.”
“Well, you specifically instructed us not to use the name their father calls you. They see how upset you get when he uses that name, so they call you by your given name.”
Camilla released an agitated sigh and trailed her fingers down to rub the back of her neck. So, that was the reason Malcolm called her Kat. It was meant to upset her. Yet why would her sister usehername? Malcolm and the children should be calling her Katherine.
Certainly another mystery to unravel.
“I’m sorry I have frightened those poor children. I shan’t do it again. After you help them change, have them come to the parlor. I wish to speak to them.”
The maid nodded and hurried into Lizzy’s bedroom.
Camilla took slow steps down the stairs, her heart so low as to scrape the floor. She walked into the parlor and sank into the closest chair. Before condemning their father for doing illegal activities, she had so much work to do. First, she needed to repair the hearts of those two adorable children. She couldn’t have them thinking she was a bad person. Indeed, she may be the only family they have, and if their father went to the gaol, Camilla might be the one left caring for them.
*
Staring at herselfin the full-length mirror, Camilla groaned and twisted her mouth in distaste. The indecent rusty-red evening gown trimmed with dark brown lace looked horrid on her. Besides exposing much of her shoulders and bosom, the garment was too tight. The stays nearly squeezed the breath right out of her. Several times she struggled to lift the shoulders so they wouldn’t drop down her arms, but they refused to go theway she wanted. She couldn’t have people see her like this. She couldn’t even look at herself without blushing.
“Beth? Could you choose another gown for me?” she called to the maid.
Beth scurried around the room picking up articles of clothes, and then stopped with her arms overloaded. “Why? It’s the dress ye like to wear when ye entertain dinner guests.”
Camilla frowned. She had only been here a day before Malcolm informed her of their upcoming dinner guests. She wanted to tell him how inappropriate that was, since she was fatigued from her journey, until she remembered her arrival had been a surprise to him. If Mr. Worthington was the monster her sister had described, he wouldn’t cancel just because his wife was tired.
Beth dropped the clothes on the bed before coming to Camilla, stopping behind her. The maid ran her fingers over Camilla’s hairstyle.
“Mrs. Worthington, I must say I do like yer ’air when it’s wound up tight like this, so refined and sophisticated. It’s different from ’ow ye used to wear it.”
Camilla brushed the tip of her finger across one of the tendrils by her ear. “I want to look my very best for our company tonight.” She bit her lip in hesitation, but just had to ask. “Remind me again who is in attendance this evening?”
Beth giggled. “I think yer mind is still jumpin’ around from yer trip.”
