Chapter Thirteen: Ellie

Gasping, I spun around, flour flying up in the air. I'd been so focused on venting my frustrations on the lump of dough, I hadn't heard footsteps. It took me a few moments for my heart to slow to a normal pace. "Oh. Yes. I am well. Did you see the repairs upstairs?"

"Mr. Carson does excellent work," he said with a nod. "If you didn't know to look for it, it would be difficult to see where the repair was made. Is Mrs. Haynes satisfied with the chimney?"

"Yes. She is thrilled with everything that has been done and that she doesn't have to worry about the kitchen filling with smoke again." I grabbed a towel and cleaned off my hands. "You met Miss Sharpe?"

"Yes. We met at the gate. I'm afraid she doesn't exactly approve of me."

"Oh? Why is that?" Why would Miss Sharpe disapprove of the steward? He'd been nothing but kind and helpful when he had no reason to be, and nothing to gain from it.

"Well, I am a member of the Berdwell family, even if it is a distant connection," he said, glancing over his shoulder. "She says she is displeased with the Berdwells, so I am to carry some of her disapprobation."

"Oh. I'm sure it is not your fault." What was Miss Sharpe playing at, expressing disapproval of the most influential family in the neighborhood? It could not end well! "She didn't tell you why she is upset?"

"No, she did not. I will be pondering all day what my cousin could have done to earn her annoyance." He offered a smile. "It isn't every day that I meet someone who dares to express disapproval of an earl. It is as refreshing as it is concerning."

Oh, dear. I shook my head to hide my uneasiness. "I don't think it is any personal reason." How much could I say without it being too much? "She takes the grievances of her friends too personally at times."

"Then, has the earl offended a friend of hers? I'm afraid that doesn't clear up the matter at all. Is it a friend in London? A neighbor here?"

"It is not my place to say." I dropped my gaze to the bread. I really had worked it too much. Mrs. Haynes was not going to be pleased when it came out tough and my stepmother... "Even if it was, it is not your place to make amends for the error."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Turner's brow furrow. "I act on behalf of the earl and I am a member of his family. If I am not to make amends, who is?"

"Most would assume the one who caused the error in the first place." But, if that were the case, the earl before this one would be the one to blame. "But sometimes, that person has died."

His expression cleared. "Oh. So it was the previous earl's mistake that has caused the offense. Well, his family must be allowed to make amends if it is in their power to do so. It would be churlish to hold a grudge otherwise."

What made him so noble, so eager to make amends? Did he hold himself responsible for the entire Berdwell family? "I'm sure once Miss Sarpe becomes better acquainted with your family, she will lessen her disapproval," was all I could think to say.

"You speak as though you have first hand knowledge of her doing so. Never say you earned her disapproval at one time."

Too many times to count! Mrs. Haynes hurried in before I could answer. The woman came to a halt. "Oh. Mr. Turner. This is a surprise."

"Good afternoon, ma'am," Mr. Turner said with a bow and a smile. "I came to ensure everything was as it should be. Are there any other tasks that you require to be done? Any small detail that may have been overlooked?"

Odd. Why was he making the offer when he had just told Mrs. Burke that she would have to take any more requests up with the earl himself before they would be considered? Had he taken my stepmother in dislike as much as I had? Why?

"No. None that I can think of," Mrs. Haynes said honestly. She glanced over her shoulder. "Does Mrs. Burke know you are here?"

"She is aware I entered the cottage, but not my exact location now," Alexander said, his tone a lowered to be conspiratorial. "I will have to offer my apologies to Miss Sharpe on another occasion, since I may have forced them together when I think neither truly wished for it."

Mrs. Haynes' lips quirked as though she were fighting a smile. "I doubt that very much, Mr. Turner. Miss Sharpe refuses to let herself be persuaded or forced into any situation she does not wish to be in."

Except I had essentially forced her cooperation. It was my fault Miss Sharpe was angry with anyone from Berdwell Manor. "She is an admirable lady," Mr. Turner said, not noticing my reaction. "Well. If there is no service I can do for you, I will take my leave and let you continue your work."

The kitchen felt dimmer somehow with his departure. "And what were you speaking of before I arrived?" Mrs. Haynes demanded, keeping her voice low.

"Miss Sharpe informed him that she is not pleased with his family and he was hoping to learn why," I said honestly.

The housekeeper shook her head. "I don't know what she thinks she will gain by doing so. Drawing the earl's attention is the last thing we need right now. The best thing will be to keep our heads low until it is all over."

"Unless she thinks otherwise. If the earl becomes interested in why someone is upset, he might look into the matter, wouldn't he? And then everything will come to light." I couldn't keep the hope out of my voice.

"Or Mrs. Burke will become aware of it and send you away before you can even say a word." Mrs. Haynes heaved a sigh. "Don't play with fire, Ellie. It won't end well."

"Ah, Mrs. Haynes, there you are," Miss Sharpe said loudly as she entered. "I brought your mistress some jelly since she has been feeling so poorly. I trust you will know what to do with it?"

"Of course," Mrs. Haynes said, her tone puzzled. She looked beyond the former governess and gave a vigorous nod. "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Sharpe. I have not put it away just yet. I trust you found Mrs. Burke in good spirits?"

"Oh, yes. I know she is looking forward to seeing her step-daughter again soon, so that must raise her spirits," Miss Sharpe said, clasping her hands in front of her. "I hope you don't mind if I borrow your maid for a few hours. I have some work and it is impossible to find anyone with such short notice."

What? She had a maid of all work.

"I believe that is up to Miss Burke," Mrs. Haynes said, her tone becoming hesitant.

"Oh, I've already told her to take the girl," Mrs. Burke said, pushing past Miss Sharpe to enter the kitchen. "Not that I see what help Ellie will be to anyone. She is the most useless girl I've ever known."

"Come along, Ellie," Miss Sharpe said, ignoring her hostess. "Take off that apron. I have some mending that needs done. I agreed to take on some of Mrs. Burke's work so she is not overly burdened as she waits for her stepdaughter's arrival. It is the least I can do for a neighbor, you understand."

Honestly, I had been staring in astonishment. How had Miss Sharpe arranged this? Had she really out maneuvered Ellie's stepmother? I did as I was bid and hung my apron on the wall. "You have two hours," Mrs. Burke said, her tone warning. "And I am off to visit the earl in the meantime. He will want an update on when Miss Burke will arrive."

Strange that she kept up the pretense, even when every person in the room knew the truth. What was the point?

"Oh, you should have mentioned it to Mr. Turner before he left," Miss Sharpe exclaimed, her tone sweet. "He would have carried the message for you, I'm sure. You must take care, Mrs. Burke. A London physician is a costly expense, and you ought to be economizing!"

Mrs. Burke's face flushed a deep hue. "But, we will be on our way," Miss Sharpe said, taking hold of my arm "Two hours, you say? That will be plenty of time."

Before I could react in any way, Miss Sharpe pulled me out the door and into the fresh air. "What are you doing?" I asked in confusion. "Why am I coming with you?"

Did Miss Sharpe expect to spirit me away right then and there? No, that couldn't be it. Two hours was not enough time to do such a thing as much as I might wish to do so.

"Not here, not now," Miss Sharpe hissed. Though she didn't glance over her shoulder, I guessed it wasn't for a lack of wanting to do so. "Wait until we have put some distance between us."

Was Mrs. Burke watching to see what they did? Would she follow in the hopes of eavesdropping? Biting my tongue, I managed to hold back my questions until we were on the road. "How did you manage this? Mrs. Burke knows you told me everything she told you! I thought she would turn you away without giving you any time of day!"

"Oh, she would have," Miss Sharpe said, her smile becoming smug. "But I took advantage of the fact that Mr. Turner was on hand to distract her. She would not want to make him any more suspicious than he already is."

Which made sense now that I thought about it, but her answer still left questions. "What if you hadn't met him? Once he was gone and had left you with her, why didn't she change her mind?"

"I would have found another way. Perhaps Mrs. Rushman would have been agreeable to a visit? Mrs. Burke couldn't be certain if Mr. Turner was eavesdropping, so she erred on the side of caution. Keeping herself in the earl's good opinion is everything to her now." Miss Sharpe slowed her steps. "Her 'step-daughter' is supposed to arrive tomorrow you know."

"Is she?" I couldn't muster up any interest in when or how my step-sister was to take my rightful place in the neighborhood. "That should be entertaining to see how they manage that."

"How has she stayed unseen in such a small cottage? Someone must have seen her arrive?" Miss Sharpe asked. "The carpenter must have been in all the rooms to do the work and moved about without warning?"

"She spent much of her time in the garden." And I had been annoyed by it. The garden had always been my favorite spot to get away from the rest of the world. Harriet had made the place miserable since she had arrived and I had little peace there. "She does not like the flowers or how the garden was planned out."

"Well, she will have to find something she likes since she is supposed to adore gardens so much." The former governess shook her head. "I am astonished Mrs. Burke thought she would get the earl to make so many repairs on property that is not his concern. She is stretching the responsibilities of a guardian."

"Well, she has managed to convince the man to do it." Given how annoyed Mr. Turner was with the situation, I suspected he knew as well just how ridiculous it was. But when one worked for an earl, could one really complain about a decision made by that nobleman?

"Well, it doesn't give us much time to plan so we will have to do what we can. Whatever happens, we cannot allow Mrs. Burke to go through with her plan. Do you know she believes her daughter will captivate the earl and marry him?"

"She may have mentioned it a time or two," I said with no little sarcasm. "It is her dearest wish."

"Dearest wish or not, it must be stopped."

Coming to a halt, I stared at her. She spoke with such confidence, I might have believed her to have already planned it out. "Why is it that this detail compels you to act?"

Pausing, Miss Sharpe faced me. "Every detail about this horrendous scheme makes me want to act. Put all together, I can see no other recourse but to find a way to end it."

"How? You know what she has threatened. Her London physician is a reminder of the threat. If I say anything out of turn, even speaking to you now may anger her, she will use the physician to send me away."

"Do you really think Mr. Turner will let your absence go unnoticed?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "He is a kind gentleman, but he is no doubt busy. What would he care if anything happened to me or not?"

"He is a steward who also is a cousin to the earl, and that means he has the earl's confidence." Miss Sharpe stepped closer and said in a low voice, "I've thought long and hard about this and I think I have discovered Mrs. Burke's fatal flaw in her plan. Even if Mrs. Burke does take action, what will prevent Mrs. Haynes or myself from revealing all? There will no longer be an incentive for us to remain silent if you are gone."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means we are at an impasse, even if she hasn't realized it. If you act, she will punish you with Bedlam. If she were to do that your friends will not stand for the injustice. So we simply have to act quickly before she can do anything."

My head ached from trying to follow her reasoning. "What do you want to do?" The thought of being free of my stepmother's threat was an appealing one. While I wasn't ready to commit to anything, she was willing to hear Miss Sharpe's idea.

"I believe you should use the masquerade ball to your advantage. Go in disguise and approach the earl. Lay out the evidence and make him know the truth."

"How?"

~*~

Thoughtfully, I walked back to Meadowbrooke after my visit with my friend. Miss Sharpe had shown me what would be my costume, if I agreed to the plan. But I hadn't been able to bring myself to say yes. Would it do any good? Would it be worth the risk? Should I just keep her head down as Mrs. Haynes believed and hope I could wait it out?

"Get inside!" Mrs. Burke shouted from the doorway of the cottage. "You have been gone longer than I agreed."

"My apologies," I said, keeping the same pace as I walked up the path. "I trust Mrs. Haynes was able to see to your needs while I was away?"

"Don't speak to me as though you were the mistress of this house," Mrs. Burke snapped. "I am in no mood for your impertinence."

Pausing a few feet away, I frowned at her. "Did the earl refuse to see you?"

"If you must know, yes! He did! Of all the impudent men! How dare he refuse to see me? I'm of a good mind to send Harriet back to London and let him know she is not coming at all."

"Maybe you should."

"I didn't ask for your advice." Mrs. Burke narrowed her eyes. "Did you and that old spinster have a pleasant time?"

Wary of saying too much, I paused before I said, "If by 'old spinster' you mean Miss Sharpe, then yes. We made a good start on the mending."

"Well, she will have to continue that without you. I do not intend to make it a habit to give your services to others without compensation. No woman of sense lends out her staff."

I didn't know whether or not a lady did, so I held my tongue. I stepped off the path to go around. "Where do you think you're going?" Mrs. Burke demanded. "I'm not finished yet."

"I'm going around to the kitchen door as you instructed me to do," I said, pausing. I didn't even look over my shoulder. "Mrs. Haynes will need my help to prepare dinner. Unless you wish the meal to be delayed?"

Without waiting to get her response, I hurried on. I heard her sputter as I went around the corner of the cottage. And then I heard something else: the happy sound of a baby laughing.

Who had come to visit that Mrs. Burke didn't know about?

"There you are," Mary Miller said as soon as I stepped into the garden. She had her hands on her hips. "I came to get the truth of the matter from you, Elinor Burke. Just where have you been?"

It had been five years since Mary had been a maid in Meadowbrooke Cottage. She'd left to marry Tom Miller, and it had been her brother-in-law who had cleaned the chimney for us. I'd always thought she had something to do with the boy being convinced to do it.

"I'm sure Mrs. Haynes told you I was visiting Miss Sharpe," I said, smiling at the toddler she had on her hip. "How did you get in without Mrs. Burke seeing you?"

Mary waved her hand. "Do you think she cares about a former servant? It wasn't as if I knocked on the front door to offer my greetings. Mrs. Haynes refuses to answer me. Is she here to stay?"

"As I've already told you, if you've come to learn all the gossip you can so you can pass it onto the rest of the neighborhood, you have come to the wrong place," Mrs. Haynes said sternly. "There's nothing we have to say about it."

"If I wanted gossip, I would find plenty of that in the village," Mary said as she sat down. She bounced her toddler on her knee. "And the things I've been hearing! I've had arguments with at least two people this week and they all insist they heard it straight from Mrs. Rushman, of all people!"

Mrs Haynes sent a warning look at me, though what she thought I would say, I don't know. "We're aware of what's being said, Mary," I said with a sigh. "I appreciate your loyalty, but don't, I beg you, cause more trouble yourself by defending me."

"You're aware?" Mary repeated, her eyes widening. "Well, why haven't you done anything to stop it? Mrs. Haynes, you and I were here when that woman just left Miss Ellie here! And now suddenly Miss Elllie isn't Captain Burke's daughter? I mean, not his legitimate daughter."

"Mary!" Mrs. Haynes said sharply. "Enough. Leave it be."

"Leave it be? That's how rumors and whispers get turned into facts in people's minds," Mary argued. "And don't tell me to hush, Mrs. Haynes. I'm not a maid to be told what to do anymore."

"It is not Mrs. Rushman's fault she believes it to be true," I said quickly to head off an argument between them. "But arguing about it won't do any good."

"No good? Have I stepped foot in a crazy house?"

I couldn't keep from flinching. She was justified to think that since she didn't know everything we knew. Still, it wasn't easy to hear.

"What I have heard has been the worst sort of rumor!" Mary continued, not noticing my reaction. "Even I know it is ridiculous! How could the vicar's wife of all people get her information so twisted up and wrong?"

"Because she has been told it is the truth, and it is just the sort of thing she would believe," Mrs. Haynes asid sharply. "Lord forgive me for speaking ill of the vicar's wife, but there it is."

Despite her annoyance, laughter made Mary's eyes sparkle. "I think everyone would agree with you. You should make her aware of the error right off. Now, she will be even more humiliated to be proven wrong."

"It is not the place of a servant to correct anyone, especially when she is the wife of the vicar," Mrs. Haynes said, pouring hot water into the teapot. "We would be having a sermon on the duty of knowing one's place next Sunday if I did so."

"Well, then, the vicar himself! You must go to him immediately. He wouldn't appreciate knowing that his wife has been spreading falsehood!"

"No, we cannot," I said quietly. "Mrs. Burke has pressed us into silence on the matter." I hesitated, and then added, "She has her reasons for the neighborhood to believe her tale

Mary's brow furrowed. "She has her reasons? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what Miss Ellie just said, and that's all you can expect us to say on the matter," Mrs. Haynes said sharply. "You're correct. You are not a maid under my direction, but that also means you can't expect to be privy to the goings-on of the house."

If she hadn't been holding her toddler, I believe Mary would have crossed her arms. "Well. I suppose I will have to work out for myself what 'goings-on' are going on."

Part of me hoped she would.