“Yes?” she chirped, a half-smile pinned to her lips.
“Neither of us are to mention a word about Madeline’s former position to Mama or Jessica or Veronica.”
“Of course not. I wouldn’t do that to Madeline,” she agreed.
“Oh, but I’m fair game?” he asked, shaking his head.
“You have my word. From this moment forward, Madeline is simply my new lady’s maid.” And with that, his sister hurried from the room.
Justin stood and paced to the window, where he looked out over the park across the street. He was attracted to Madeline. That was simply a fact. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her for an entire year. Also a fact. But she was a maid. A maid. It wasn’t that he was a snob and couldn’t imagine himself attracted to a maid. On the contrary, he already knew he was wildly attracted to her, and he didn’t give a bloody damn about her station in life. What bothered him was the fact that he was now her employer. It would be beyond dissolute of him to take advantage of a woman in his employ.
Oh, he knew of noblemen who did such things, of course. But Justin had always found it exceedingly distasteful. He prided himself on being a fair and honest employer. He was responsible for Madeline now, and he refused to be the sort of man who chased after the staff in his own household. He shuddered to think of it.
He and Madeline may have shared an enjoyable interlude at a party a time or two, but that was over now. She was his sister’s maid, and he would treat her with nothing but the respect due a member of his household staff. Besides, how often would he see her? He’d made it clear to Eliza that she must not send Madeline on invented errands to find him ever again. If his sister listened, everything would be fine. He took a deep breath. Very well. Problem sorted. There would be no issue whatsoever with him and Madeline living under the same roof.
Chapter Sixteen
“We’re off to Lady Bainbridge’s for dinner,” Mama announced later that evening as Justin entered the drawing room. “Are you certain you don’t want to join us?”
“And be ogled by Lady Bainbridge’s shrill daughter? No, thank you. Have a pleasant time,” he finished with a sweeping bow. Normally, he didn’t go out ’til much later, but he was staying in this evening for reasons he did not care to explore.
“You always think every young woman is after you, Justin,” Jessica said, rolling her eyes.
“That’s because most of them are,” Eliza pointed out.
“Well, what does he expect?” Jessa sniffed. “He’s a handsome, eligible marquess.”
“I suppose the only thing worse than being a debutante is being an eligible nobleman,” Eliza said with a long sigh. “I do feel sorry for you, brother.”
“Thank you, Eliza,” he replied, bowing to his sister. “I appreciate that. Mama has never properly understood my plight.”
Mama waved her hand in the air. “Nonsense. If you would simply choose a bride, you wouldn’t have to worry about all of these young ladies throwing themselves at you. The answer to your problem is quite simple.”
“Not nearly as simple as you make it sound,” he replied as he escorted the three ladies to the front door. His finest coach waited outside.
After the door closed behind them, Justin turned to look at the empty foyer. Normally, he relished the quiet. Normally, he’d be up in his rooms at this time of night reading the afternoon paper and preparing to go out on the town for a night of…well, debauchery. But tonight? Tonight, he was restless. Tonight, he didn’t relish a visit to the gaming hell.
He went back into the drawing room and sat on the edge of the sofa for a moment. Then he stood and made his way to the window and stared out across the street to the park. He turned in a circle and groaned. This was boring. He needed to go out. It was completely unlike him to stay home. What would his cronies think? It was his turn to win the fifty pounds from Edgefield.
But he already knew in his gut why he wasn’t upstairs preparing for yet another night on the town. It was because she was here. Madeline was somewhere upstairs. And Justin couldn’t shake the desire to see her. It was absurd, of course. He had no business with her. And even if he did, it’s not as though he could go up to the maids’ rooms in search of her. That would be inappropriate, bordering on scandalous. No. No. No. He would simply go upstairs to his bedchamber and read. Yes. That was it. When was the last time he'd enjoyed a night in simply reading? He couldn’t wait to get started.
Twenty minutes later, Justin found himself on the second floor of his town house casually walking toward…Eliza’s bedchamber. He hadn’t been on this floor in years. His bedchamber, wardrobe, and bath were on the third floor and his sisters’ rooms and the rooms his mother used when she visited were all on the second floor.
What was he doing here? Oh, he’d gone up to his room and found a book, but after reading the first page again and again, he’d finally tossed it aside and decided to take a tour of the second floor. After all, he should ensure it was up to snuff. It was his sisters’ lodgings as they made their debuts. The rooms should all be in proper order and repair. Not that he didn’t trust his housekeeper and his butler, but one could never be too certain of things. A diligent homeowner should see to each floor upon occasion…ensure there were no problems.
As he approached the door to Eliza’s bedchamber, he noted that it was slightly ajar. When he drew nearer, the sound of soft humming met his ears. It was coming from inside the room. He pushed the door wider with one booted foot and stepped inside.
Madeline stood in front of the wardrobe, bathed in the light from the candles on the nearby mantel and from two candles that sat in braces on either side of the bed. She was folding clothing and humming, a soft smile on her face.
“Working so late?” he asked in a quiet voice.
She startled and turned, but the moment she recognized him, her face softened into a smile.
“My apologies,” he hastened to add. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“I didn’t expect to see anyone here,” she explained. “I’m trying to become familiar with everything before the Season begins.”
He slowly walked to stand a few paces away from her. The lilac scent he remembered from their dance at the Hazeltons’ lingered in the air. It reminded him of spring just around the corner. It suited her. Fresh and happy. “How long have you been a maid?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest and leaning his shoulder against the wall.
