And he’d bet his entire estate the room she’d just entered was the one assigned to Miss Sadie Pentry.
???
“Explain.” Pippa waitedin the center of the sitting room of Sadie’s assigned guest suite, her arms crossed and her toe tapping.
Sadie closed the door and moved to the nearest chair. “What were you told?”
“That the dowager baroness was hosting many visitors and had invited both of us to help at the manor for the next month. Then I got here and Maisie informed me that I would be helping as a lady’s maid. And that the lady I’m serving isyou. She neglected to explain how you ended up as a guest.”
“The dowager, that’s how.” Sadie was glad she had taken the opportunity while she walked upstairs to trace the glyph on her amulet, for otherwise Pippa’s thoughts would no doubt bombard her throughout this conversation. Sadie explained how her arrival at Marstede Manor had gone from the baron opening the kitchen door to his mother inviting her to pretend to want to marry him. “I’m fairly certain she wants me here to make the other women look better by comparison.”
“What?” Pippa surged out of the chair she had taken at some point during the narrative. “How dare she imply others would look better standing next to you! You are lovely! You put all the other ladies to shame!”
The exaggerated compliment owed more to friendship than truth, especially since Pippa hadn’t even seen the other women,but Sadie appreciated the sentiment all the same. “I don’t mean physically. It’s all about manners and ladylikeness. If I understood what Madeleine didn’t say correctly, then I have free rein to insult the baron, talk back to him, and all around make a nuisance of myself. All while wearing beautiful gowns and eating delicious food.”
“Madeleine?”
“Lady Marstede. We are apparently supposed to be informal this month and only use first names. For which I’m grateful, for it is hard to remember that I am supposed to answer to Miss Pentry.”
Pippa shook her head. “I don’t know what is harder to believe: that you are calling the dowager baroness by her first name, or that you argued with Lord Marstede. You.” She sat back down. “Sadie, you are the least confrontational person I know.”
Sadie winced, hating that her closest friend only knew such a controlled version of who she really was. She hated that she essentially lied to Pippa, especially when not even her thoughts were a secret from Sadie, but the last time she thought she had made a friend and admitted the truth, that “friend” was the one who made it impossible for Sadie to remain in that village any longer.
Pippa misinterpreted her wince. “That’s not a bad thing. I’m proud of you for standing your ground while facing a baron. I doubt I’d have been so brave.”
“I’m not sure my argument with him deserves to be called brave. It was more a matter of annoyance. He didn’t even let me pull the soap out of my pocket before telling me to leave.”
“Still. I wish I’d seen it.”
“Maybe you’ll see something similar in the coming weeks. That is, if you are all right maintaining the ruse? I don’t expect you to actually wait on me like a maid, obviously.”
“Of course I don’t mind.”
For a moment, Sadie wished her amulet would fail again, for she very much doubted Pippa’s thoughts were as sanguine as her response. Then she hated herself for the very thought. A single morning spent allowing herself to use her magic, and she wanted to fall back on it without good reason. The temptation was simply too much.
Since she still couldn’t read Pippa’s thoughts, though, Sadie gave in and asked the question she wouldn’t have dared to utter if she knew for sure what her friend was thinking, for fear it would give too much away. “Really? You really don’t care that you are pretending to be my maid while I hobnob with nobles?”
Pippa grinned. “Do I wish I could play the lady? Of course. But this is still the most exciting thing to happen to me in years. And I’m too happy for you to really be envious. You could marry a baron, Sadie!”
She scoffed. “No. That is the one outcome that is not possible.”
“Nonsense. You are a wonderful person. He’s sure to fall in love with you.”
“Did you forget I am here to argue with him and make him fall in love with the other women?”
“That might be Lady Marstede’s plan, but the baron won’t be able to help falling for you.”
Though she seriously doubted Pippa’s prediction, Sadie decided to play along. “And then what happens when he realizes I am not Sadie Pentry, but Sadie Winsel, a shop girl with no connections whatsoever?”
“He’ll be too in love to care. He’ll marry you, and you’ll never have to work for Mr. Ferman again.”
As pleasant as never dealing with her employer again sounded, Sadie wasn’t sure being a lady was any better. For amonth, it would be a fun lark. But for the rest of her life? “What would a baron’s wife even do all day?”
Pippa shrugged. “Whatever you wanted.”
Sadie thought of the way most of the women had reacted to Jane’s admission to enjoying making potions. “I don’t think ladies have that much freedom.”
“More than Mr. Ferman gives you, I bet. Come on, Sadie, you can’t honestly say you wouldn’t be excited to become the Baroness of Marstede.”
