Chapter Nineteen

 

Five days had passed since Alice visited Cliff Heights House, Johnathan’s country house, which would soon be hers as well. Each time she thought about it, she became that much more excited. Johnathan had been by yesterday to help her with a shelf in the back room, but today he had another engagement and would not be able to drop by. It was interesting that she felt disappointed she would not be seeing the man and wondered how she could have felt otherwise.

She was just opening the door to the shop, a basket of food items on her arm, when a voice cried out to her from across the road.

“Alice!” Patrick was in a panic, and Alice’s heart rose into her throat. “Alice!” He ran across the road, his hand gripping the hat he held in his hand so tightly, Alice was certain it would remain crumpled once he released it.

“Patrick, calm down,” she said firmly.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Miss Alice,” he said and then gave her an awkward bow.

She shook her head. It could not be bad news if he was so concerned for his manners. “No, you are fine. What is the matter?”

“I’m gonna ask Sally to marry me,” he said proudly.

“Is that so?” Alice asked bemusedly. “And when do you plan to do so?”

“Later today, I think.”

Alice set her basket on the ground in front of the door. “Oh, I am very happy for you,” she said as she leaned in and gave him a quick hug. And she truly was happy for him. His face beamed and, for some reason, she was reminded of Thomas, who had the same carefree demeanor. “You must bring her by sometime and share the news with me together. Perhaps you can come by for tea tomorrow.”

“I guess we could do that,” Patrick said, although he seemed worried.

“Look,” Alice said, nodding down the footpath, “here comes Sally now.”

The woman of their conversation walked up to where they stood and smiled. “Hello, Alice,” she said.

“Good morning, Sally.” She glanced at Patrick, who kicked at the ground like a schoolboy. “Sally, I was wondering if you and Patrick would like to come by tomorrow for tea.”

Sally’s smile grew. “That would be lovely,” she replied.

“Wonderful,” Alice said. “I will see you here, say around three?”

Sally shot Patrick a hard glance and when he said nothing replied, “Yeah, that would be fine.”

Patrick cleared his throat and Alice wondered if he would be asking Sally to marry her right there in the street. However, instead of proposing, he glanced at the dock and said, “Well, I’d best get back to work or I’ll be out of employment.” He smiled broadly at Sally, bowed to Alice and then ran back across the road and was soon out of sight.

Sally shook her head. “That man will be the death of me,” she said. “You were right, men are odd creatures.”

Alice laughed as she turned the key in the lock. “Would you like to come inside for a cup of tea?”

As Alice bent down to pick up the basket, Sally said, “Here, let me get that for you.”

Alice did not have the chance to respond before Sally was already through the door and heading to the back. “There is no need…” Alice called after the woman.

Sally waved her away. “I love to help,” she said as she placed the basket on the kitchen table. “I was supposed to be a lady’s maid, but that didn’t happen.”

“Is that so?” Alice asked as she removed a small bag of sugar and placed it on a shelf.

“Yeah,” Sally replied as she took a package of flour from the basket, “but the Duchess decided she didn’t want to live in Cornwall. Said it was too far from London and wanted to be closer to her friends. She moved to some village in Kent I’ve never heard of.” Alice stared at the woman, and she stopped and gasped. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t even think when I started helping…”

Alice laughed again. “No, I am glad for the help,” she replied as she handed the woman a glass jar of preserves. “I was wondering what you are doing for work now.”

Sally sighed. “I’m helping at the inn, but I don’t like it much. It’s not the work so much but I prefer working for the same person every day, not cleaning up after people I don’t know.”

Once the basket was empty, Alice placed it in the corner. She placed a few logs into the fireplace and once the fire was started, she hung a kettle on the hook over the flame. As they waited for the water to heat, Alice put a few biscuits she had purchased onto a plate and set them in the middle of the table.

“So, do you have any family here?” Alice asked as a way to keep the conversation going as she prepared the tea.

“No,” Sally replied sadly. “My mother died when I was very young, a fever, and my father was killed in a carriage accident just two years ago.”

“I am so sorry,” Alice said. “I did not know.”

Sally smiled. “And how would you? No, it’s all right. I now live with my sister and her family. It’s not easy for them, they have five children already, but right now there’re not many choices for women who aren’t married.”

Once the tea was ready, Alice placed the teapot next to the biscuits and poured for them both. Sally gingerly took a single biscuit, as if it were a delicate piece of edible china. “Have as many as you wish. I have plenty.” Alice laughed. “If I eat too many myself, I am afraid I will have to get new clothes.”

Sally laughed and grabbed two more.

“You know,” Alice said as she took a biscuit for herself, “I was just thinking I will be in need of a lady’s maid once Lord Blackmoore and I are married. Would you be interested in a position working for me?”

Sally’s eyes lit up. “I would love to work for you!” she said with much enthusiasm. “But, wait, where will I live?” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “I think Patrick is going to ask me to marry him this evening.”

“Is that so?” Alice asked innocently. “And how is it you know this?”

“He has kept on about us having dinner at the inn tonight, which makes no sense whatsoever when we could eat a perfectly good meal at my sister’s house.” Though she seemed to make light of the situation, her cheeks had gone a bright pink.

“Well, if that is the case, I believe Lord Blackmoore has a cottage on his land where you and Patrick can live, if you would like that.”

“Oh, that would be ever so helpful,” Sally said as she clasped her hand to her breast. “I…er…was wondering…well, you see…”

Alice gave her a smile. “What is it?”

“Well, since I know Patrick will be asking me tonight, I was wondering if you might be able to help me with my hair. I mean, I can work a brush through any other woman’s hair, but my own? It’s so unruly, the only thing I can do is pull it back and cover it.” Then she seemed to realize what she had admitted and she looked ready to cry. “I’m sorry, Alice. I don’t know what’s come over me! You’ve asked me to be your lady’s maid and I’m asking you to fix my hair. What you must think of me.”

Alice patted the girl’s hand. “Nonsense,” she said. “I would be honored to help you. You are the first friend I met here in St. Mawes, and it would make perfect sense for you to ask.” Then a thought occurred to her. “In fact,” —she went over to the small wardrobe and pulled out a purple muslin gown with yellow flowers stitched around the hem and bodice— “I would like you to have this for this special evening.”

Sally began to cry. “I-I can’t take that,” she said. “It’s much too beautiful for the likes of me. I mean…I’ve never owned anything so grand in my life.”

“Well, it is yours now,” Alice said as she hung it from a peg on the wall. “Now, would you like another cup of tea before we begin the process of readying you for dinner?”

“I would love that,” Sally said. Then she rushed around the table and gave Alice a hug so tight, Alice wondered if she would be able to breathe properly again. “Thank you so much!”

They talked more about whatever came to mind as they finished their tea. Sally looked so happy, and Alice could not help but share in the woman’s excitement. Once they finished their tea, Alice set about helping Sally dress. Although it should have been an odd feeling, Alice thought it a bit humbling. Here she was, dressing the woman who would be her lady’s maid. If her mother could see her now, she would fall into a dead faint. And her father? He would drink himself into a stupor and blame her for humiliating him. However, Alice was glad to help her friends. They had treated her with dignity and respect, and she was thankful for that.

As Sally turned this way and that in front of the large mirror, tears came to Alice’s eyes as she observed how happy the dress made the woman. However, it was more than the dress, it was the idea of being married, which brought to mind Johnathan. The rogue who had disgusted her now charmed her. His words, his smile, everything about him, she found herself cherishing. And being apart, like today, caused her to miss him.

“What do you think? Do I look all right?”

“No,” Alice said as she moved away from the vision who stood before her. “You look more than all right. You look beautiful. I am sure Patrick will stumble walking beside you.”

Sally laughed, though a tear ran down her cheek. “Thank you for this,” she said emphatically. “I wish I had something to give you of value.”

Alice smiled and shook her head. “You already have. I cherish our friendship.” She gave Sally a hug. “Now, come and sit at the table and I will fix your hair.” She pulled a basket from a shelf and removed a tin of pins and a small hairbrush. “I am afraid I do not have a curling iron, but I am sure I can do something that will be acceptable.”

As she brushed Sally’s hair, that humbling feeling returned. Never again would she disrespect her lady’s maid. Not that she ever had, of course, but more than once Esther had not fixed her hair as she had asked. Granted, that was because she refused to give up her severe styles, but regardless, she had spoken a bit sharply at the poor woman and now she felt terrible.

“When Patrick asks, will you say yes?” Alice mumbled through the pins she held in her lips as she had seen Esther do.

Sally laughed. “Of course, I will. I want nothing more.” Then she looked up at Alice in the mirror. “But I am worried about something.”

“What is that?” Alice asked as she pinned another strand of hair up into place.

Sally blushed profusely. “Well, I have never kissed a man before. What is it like?” When Alice laughed, Sally quickly added, “It’s not that I believe you’ve kissed a lot of men, or even Lord Blackmoore for that matter…”

“No, you are fine,” Alice assured her. “Tell no one, but I have kissed one man, many years ago. A man I loved dearly.”

“And?”

“And it was a beautiful thing, the most wonderful feeling in the world.”

“Have you kissed Lord Blackmoore yet?” Sally asked. Her cheeks were now a deep crimson, and Alice almost laughed.

“Not yet,” she replied. “But I am sure it will be just as pleasant.”

Sally sighed. “You are so lucky to be marrying Lord Blackmoore,” she said dreamily. “To be in love, is such a wonderful thing, isn’t it?”

Alice considered Sally’s words. She was not certain love would be the word she would use, but she did have strong feelings for the man. What those feelings were exactly, she could not say, but they were there nonetheless. “I am lucky, indeed.” She pinned the last strand of hair into place. “There. What do you think?”

“Oh, it is wonderful!” Sally gushed as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“Now, see he does not insist on taking you up to one of the inn’s rooms after you have finished eating.”

Sally gasped. “Of course not! I am not that type of woman.”

“I am only teasing,” Alice assured her. “Now, go, or you will be late. And be careful; you will have every man in town begging for your hand on your way to the inn.”

“They can try all they want,” Sally said firmly. “There is only one man for me.”

Once Sally was gone, Alice closed the door to the shop, deep in thought. There used to be only one man for Alice, but now that was changing, and as she felt herself happier thinking of Johnathan, she also felt a pang of guilt. What if she was betraying Thomas by marrying Johnathan? Yet, he was the one who had left her alone, not she. No, it was time for her to give her heart to someone new. It was finally time for her to move on.