“Alice is smart. I want to help her.”
Maude let out a laugh. “Right. Well, teaching her to read Shakespeare isn’t going to pay the rent or put food on the table.”
Phoebe winced. It was a fair enough point. One she had heard before. But she wasn’t here to debate the merits of the humanities. “I know that, but secretarial work is a real possibility for her. She only needs to complete a course. If I could just—”
Maude shook her head. “Alice didn’t have time for that.”
“How doyouknow her?” Will asked with a narrowed gaze.
But she was not cowed by his tone and merely lifted her chin. “I have a reputation in the neighborhood for my connections. She came to me asking for work, so I found her a position as a maid in a fine house. Asafeone,” she added with a knowing look. “Only a widow and her daughter there.”
With no husband to create trouble for a young maid.
“That’s a fine story, but I want proof,” Phoebe insisted. “And I won’t leave until I know she isn’t… isn’t—”
“Selling herself?” Maude let out a bitter laugh. “No, don’t worry. She hasn’t stooped to my level. And I’ll make sure sheneverhas to.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Save your words,” Maude snapped. “I know what you lot think about women like me. But it’s easy to judge when you’ve never been in my place. And I’m not interested in your pity either. Your school is all well and good for the girls with families that can help them, but Alice needs to be practical.”
Phoebe sighed and brushed a hand over her face. “I just don’t understand why she didn’t tell anyone she was leaving. Could you at least give me her address so I can write to her?”
Maude maintained her steely expression. “She needs to focus on her work.”
“Surely she can handle the occasional letter,” Will put in.
“That isn’t for you to decide.” Maude then gestured to Phoebe. “You stick to keeping this lady of yours out of trouble.”
“We’re friends,” Will said just as Phoebe bit out, “I’m not his lady.”
Maude’s face filled with unexpected mirth and she held up her hands. “Right. My mistake.”
Before Phoebe could clarify their relationship, someone rattled the doorknob.
A muffled voice came from the other side. “Why thedevilis this locked? Maudie?”
“Oh fantastic,” Maude grumbled. “You two need to leave.Now.” Then she raised her voice and addressed the person on the other side of the door. “Just a minute!”
“That’s Fairbanks, isn’t it,” Will barked. “Let him in so I can give him a piece of my mind.”
Maude shot him an odd look as Phoebe tugged on his sleeve. As much as she wanted to see Will take the earl to task, she much preferred to not be discovered in a den of iniquity this evening.
He glanced back at her and his thunderous expression vanished. “Sorry.” Then he addressed Maude. “Is there somewhere we can hide?”
“Try the closet.” She gestured toward a door on the other side of the room then gave Will an assessing look. “It will be a tight fit with the two of you in there, though. I’ll get him out of here as fast as I can.”
They scurried over to the closet and Will let out a grumble as he opened the door.
It really wasverysmall.
“You go first,” Phoebe suggested.
Will had to crouch down just to fit, which meant the only space left for her was between his legs. She took a steadying breath and entered, leaving the door open just a sliver. Phoebe’s back was to Will’s front and the heat radiating off his body mingled with the woodsy scent of his cologne, invading her senses. He was hunched so far over, he could embrace her if he wished. Phoebe was filled with the urge to press against him, to feel his strong arms around her once more. Her heart thundered in her chest as she leaned back just a little, but Will reacted as if he had touched hot coals and straightened so quickly he bumped his head on the closet’s low ceiling.
Well, so much for that.
“Are you all right?” Phoebe had to force the question through her clenched jaw.
