She expelled a long sigh, which told him how relieved she was to hear his decision. With it came a dazzling smile and those tempting dimples. “Thank you, my lord. I promise I will not do anything as foolish as trying to sneak into a ball again. I am in need of this position, and I will not do anything to jeopardize it. You have my word.”
Justin nodded, feeling like the biggest arse in the land. He’d got this poor girl sacked. He’d chased her up the staircase, made her lose her earbob, and then got her sacked. She should want nothing to do with him. The least he could do would be provide her gainful employment for as long as she needed it.
Madeline glanced down and appeared to remember the document in her hand. “Here,” she said, taking long strides toward his desk to give him the paper. “Lady Elizabeth asked me to bring you this.”
“Did she?” Justin asked, quirking a brow. A quick glance at the paper revealed it was nothing more than another bill from the modiste. But the fact that Eliza had sent Madeline as the courier told him something important. His sister clearly wanted him to know she’d located his missing dance partner. “Thank you,” he said to Madeline.
She spun toward the door to leave, but as she was about to step into the corridor, she turned back hesitantly, one hand resting on the door handle. “It can’t be a coincidence, my lord. Can it? That I am here.”
“It’s not,” Justin admitted. “I mentioned our meeting to my sister. But not to worry. Eliza is the soul of discretion. She would never tell your secret, and neither would I. I promise not to make your work uncomfortable. Please stay.”
Madeline nodded. “Thank you, my lord. I will. Though I hope we can both agree to forget about our dance.” Her face flushed a charming shade of pink and her voice lowered to a whisper. “And our…k-kiss?”
“Consider it forgotten,” he replied with a nod.
Relief covered Madeline’s face, and she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Justin stared at the empty space she’d just left, cursing himself seven times a fool for ever mentioning Madeline’s name to his meddling sister. He should have known better. All the women in his family were meddlers. Even Grandmama.
He rested his hands on his hips and poked out his cheek with his tongue. To make her feel more at ease, he’d promised Madeline he’d forget their dance and their kiss, but he had no idea how the hell he’d manage either.
Chapter Fourteen
Maddie left the study quickly, yet she slowed as she climbed the stairs back to Lady Elizabeth’s bedchamber. She needed time to sort through her feelings. First of all, she was embarrassed. She’d never expected to see Mr. Whitland again. She’d counted upon not seeing him again, actually.
She certainly never would have kissed him if she thought she’d see him again, let alone be employed by him. The fact that he knew she’d been sacked by Lady Henrietta for something so silly and fanciful was embarrassing too. It was beyond embarrassing. Her cheeks flamed just thinking about it.
But second of all, she needed this position. Depended on it. Had no other options, in fact. So, she would have to recover from her embarrassment at once. Besides, how often would she see her mistress’s brother? She’d be relegated to the fourth and second floors most of the time. She would remain abovestairs except for meals and outings. There was little chance they would encounter each other.
And thirdly, except for the fact that she’d made a complete fool of herself to her new employer—a marquess, no less!—and kissed him, this position was already better than her previous one. The wages, the accommodation, and her new mistress were all far superior to life at the Hazeltons’.
She would be a fool to leave over a silly bit of embarrassment. If Lord Whitmore didn’t want her gone, Maddie wasn’t about to give up such a lovely place and a generous salary. He’d been nothing but kind to her and had given her no reason to believe he would be anything but kind in the future. He may have misled her about his identity when they met, but she’d misled him too.
As for her most egregious transgression, the kiss. Well, that was in the past, wasn’t it? It wasn’t as if she could have a future with a marquess. Her playacting, her fantasies were over. She was mortified that she’d been found out by the man she’d been playacting with. But that’s what she got for being so selfish as to sneak downstairs and try to insert herself somewhere she didn’t belong. Her one consolation was that he’d lied as well. They were even on that score.
Now, she needed to count her blessings and do her best for Lady Elizabeth. And while Maddie might very well turn pink every time she saw her new employer, she would just have to overcome that for the sake of her sister, her position, and her future. She’d been given a second chance. She’d be a fool not to take it.
She still wasn’t entirely certain how Lady Elizabeth had known who she was just because her brother had mentioned the name Madeline, but did it matter? The fact was, she’d been sacked, and now she was here.
Maddie pushed open the door to Lady Elizabeth’s room. The young woman was perched on a sage-green settee in front of the wide windows, reading a book. Maddie had already learned that her new mistress loved books. It was a charming trait, really. The moment Maddie stepped into the room, Lady Elizabeth pulled the book down to her nose and blinked at her. Maddie kept a blank smile pinned to her face.
“Did you meet my brother?” Lady Elizabeth ventured innocently. “He’s a very nice man. I can assure you.”
Maddie allowed one of her brows to lift. “I think you know I’ve already met your brother.”
The book slid away from Lady Elizabeth’s face to reveal her wince. She quickly snapped the book shut and set it on the settee while standing and biting her lip. “Guilty.”
Maddie nodded. “I am quite grateful, Lady Elizabeth. Please don’t misunderstand me. But I must ask: Why did you do this? Why did you hire me?”
“I hope you’ll forgive me and allow me to explain.” Lady Elizabeth folded her hands together. “The main reason I hired you is because I know what an awful person Lady Henrietta is. It can’t have been pleasant working for her. And I was telling the truth when I said I was sorely and quickly in need of a lady’s maid.” She paused. “And finally, I hired you because you’re the first young lady in whom Justin has taken any interest whatsoever.”
Maddie clapped a hand to her throat. “Interest?” She choked. “But…I’m…I am…a lady’s maid. Surely you cannot mean that your brother and I—”
Lady Elizabeth waved a hand in the air, dismissing Maddie’s words entirely. “You’re a lady’s maid at present. I’ve read enough to know one’s circumstances can change when one least expects.” With that cryptic message, Lady Elizabeth left the room, the book still firmly in her hands.
Maddie watched her go, a riotous mass of confusion still ringing in her head. Her new mistress’s last words had been correct, however. One’s circumstances could change when one least expected. It had already happened to her.
Twice.
