Miss D’Oyly.
“How do you do?” Mina said to each lady in turn.
“We don’t need you any longer. We’ll watch the child until her grandfather returns.”
Susannah suddenly realized Lady Newland was speaking to her.
“But stay nearby,” Lady D’Oyly said and added in a low voice to Lady Newland, “One never knows when a governess might come in handy.”
“She’s not my governess,” Mina said, and Susannah wanted to stop her because let Susannah be the governess, let Susannah disappear. “She is Miss Beasley, and she is my grandfather’s friend.”
All movement in the room ceased. But that didn’t matter to Susannah. Everything had stopped for her as soon as she had entered the room.
“I—” she said. “How do you do?”
She curtsied quickly and sat down just as quickly in the nearest chair, thankfully an out-of-the way one. At this moment, she was doing all she was capable of doing.
“Mmph,” Lady D’Oyly said. “Most peculiar.”
“Mama,” hissed the most beautiful girl in the world, and Susannah died a thousand deaths.
Mama.
“Come here,” Lady D’Oyly said to Mina. “Let me see you, child.”
Mina looked at Susannah, and Susannah managed a nod, so Mina went to Lady D’Oyly.
The lady took Mina’s chin in her hand and turned her head first one way and then the other.
“At least she was spared the earl’s nose.”
Susannah knew Mina would hate being touched that way, and she wanted to jump to her feet and stop it. But she could not stand, she could not breathe.
“—embarrassing me.” The most beautiful girl in the world had said something.
Mina pulled her chin out from Lady D’Oyly’s grasp, backed away.
“You’re the one who needs to stop, Emma,” Lady D’Oyly said.
Emma.
Lady D’Oyly turned all her attention on the most beautiful girl in the world. “You didn’t see how he was looking at you. You don’t know what the marchioness wrote to your father. About how the earl wants a wife. You’ll be a countess come autumn.”
Susannah felt her gorge rise up.
Lady D’Oyly went on, “He must want more children, all he has is the one son, and that one is abroad and will almost certainly die of the French Pox or some other dreadful disease, and Ashthorpe will need an heir?—”
“I can hear you,” Mina said in her loudest voice.
Brave, bold Mina.
“Here we are.” Henry came through the drawing room door with the butler and two footmen following behind, each bearing a tray. He winked at Susannah.
“I didn’t realize the jam tarts had to be made up, but now everything is here. You’ve all met Miss Beasley and Mina, good, now let’s have some?—”
Susannah stood and moved to the door. She got through it and out into the hall before Henry could come after her. But he caught her just as her foot landed on the first stair.
“Susannah,” he called softly.
