Page 52 of The Gentlewoman Apprentice

Her attention slid to Miss Reed. The air in the closed carriage constricted Meg, who wondered if she should further explain the purpose of Miss Reed’s presence in her household.

“And where are you from, Miss Reed?” Meg asked, set on controlling the conversation.

“Bibury, twenty miles east. A speck of a village, but the quaintest you’ll ever see.”

“From a family of weavers?” Mr. Sloan asked.

“Like most everyone there.”

He fell into conversation with Miss Reed about weavers, guilds, cotton, and wool. Then he turned to Meg. “Clever of you, Miss Cooper, to prepare for your shop’s opening. I inherited Sloan Tailoring when it was already a thriving business, and I cannot imagine the work required to start one anew.”

His eyes held a cheerful glow, and Meg’s guilty heart tightened. He accepted her with the same trust and lack of judgement she felt from her valentine. If either of them knew the whole, they would surely think of her differently.

“I’m certain Miss Reed will be a great help,” she said, offering a tight smile.

When the carriage stopped between Sloan Tailoring and Meg’s home, Grace emerged from Mr. Sloan’s with half a pie and a grin to welcome the new lodger. From the other side of the street, Miss Matilde bounced on her heels at seeing Miss Reed.

Meg wished Mr. Sloan a good evening and entered her home with the three other women. They gathered in the kitchen, Grace building up the fires and directing the Havenwood ladies where to find dishes to set the table for supper. Miss Reed went about the work without a fuss and seemed unbothered by the slight halt in her step.

As soon as they were seated, Meg turned to Miss Reed and Miss Matilde. “I must know if I can be discreet.”

Miss Matilde’s fork hovered. “Have you discovered the identity of your valentine at last? Is he handsome? I’ve always imagined him with the loveliest green eyes.”

Miss Reed raised an eyebrow. “I assume Miss Cooper is referring to the profit we’ll gain from our needles.” At Meg’s nod, she continued. “We’ve been told, miss. We are not to speak of our employment here.”

“I am not asking you to lie,” Meg clarified. “I have told Mr. Sloan that you are helping me prepare for my shop’s opening, which is true. Or you may say you are boarders, which is correct in a certain sense. But if you cannot keep a confidence, you must return to Havenwood.”

“Can’t I be as silent as the dead when I wish?” Miss Matilde asked.

“I have never known you to be such a thing,” said Miss Reed.

Miss Matilde giggled. “I promise I can. But why the secrecy?”

The information already shared weighed against Meg’s chest, but without some understanding, these women could ruin everything. Though she did not trust them, circumstance left no other option. “I am apprenticed to Mr. Sloan, and it is against the terms of my indenture to earn money. We must deliver our work directly to customers so he does not suspect.”

Someone banged on the door. Meg opened it to Lord Halverton with Samuel draped in his arms.

She recognized every sign of illness in her baby brother. “What happened?” She shooed them in from the cold.

“Business took me to Gloucester, so I stopped to see Samuel at his school. I found him far more ill than we were led to believe. He asked me to bring him to you, and I obeyed immediately.”

“Lay him on the sofa.”

“Don’t fret; I am not so ill, Meg,” Samuel said between coughs. His voice, though scratchy, was not hoarse.

“The devil you’re not.” She fetched a blanket and settled it around him.

“The headmaster was most evasive,” Lord Halverton said. “I’ll never send Samuel back. Dr. McCully is on his way and will send his bill to me.”

“No,” Meg said, clenching her hands. “I’ll be caring for Samuel and will settle the bill as well.” If she wanted to truly support Samuel on her own, she had to prove she could do so at all times—even when an unexpected illness arose. Paying the doctor would absorb half her savings, but with Miss Matilde and Miss Reed at work on the dozen gowns in the shop, money would replenish soon enough.

Halverton gave her a strange look at the demand, but he agreed to allow her to settle the financial matter on her own. “I am glad you are taking an interest in utilizing your and Samuel’s resources. Have you been reading over your trust documents lately? Do you have any questions?”

Not again. Meg reached for an excuse. “Would you care for tea?” she asked, already on her way to the kitchen.

She explained the situation to the ladies. “You will share the third floor until Samuel improves. It is large enough and there are two beds.”

Miss Reed released a forlorn sigh.