Page 11 of A Well-Trained Lady

“I would,” she said, looking a touch sheepish, “but I fear my stomach prefers it if I face backward. I know it’s odd, but I suppose it is what I grew used to over the years, and now I cannot convince my body otherwise.”

I had nothing to offer besides an unenthusiastic nod before I focused out the window nearest me. I shuddered to think what Mother would say if she were to witness an unrelated gentleman taking the seat next to me—and without a proper chaperone present. But then again, I would not be here at all if Mother had known of Papa’s forced invitation for me to visit Fairhaven.

The carriage shifted under Augustus’s weight, and I sensed him move in beside me. The decently-sized cab now seemed infuriatingly small as he shut the door and gave two distinct taps on the roof. With the initial jerk of the carriage reminding me what I had just agreed to, I attempted to draw in a calming breath. The air was stagnant and heavy.

“And you,” Ruth began, and I glanced at her before realizing she was speaking to Leah. “You must be Bella’s maid? Leah, was it?”

Leah sent me a hesitant look, and I gave her a slight nod of permission.

“Yes, miss.”

“Are you from London?”

“No, Somerset.” Leah did not offer more.

“Somerset? Of course, you would be from near Bath. I spent my childhood there. Oh, how I miss it. Though I must say, you will probably love Dorset just as much if you allow yourself. It is beautiful beyond description. And there are some great footpaths near Fairhaven you must take, for there is no better way to see the surrounding area than exploring. Do you not agree?”

Leah gave a slow nod and looked to me, her expression clearly entreating me to intervene. It was one thing to be made to ride inside a carriage with your mistress and her friends, but it was quite another to be treated as though you were one of them. Poor thing.

“How tired you look, Leah,” I said, eager to make amends for snipping at her on the way out. I tilted my head to the side and examined her. “You must be exhausted from all your labors to have me readied so early. Do you care to rest a while?”

It took only a moment for Leah to realize the liberation I’d granted her. “Thank you, miss. I believe I may just sleep all day.” Leaning against the side of the carriage, she closed her eyes.

Augustus’s gaze flicked to me, but I pretended to not notice.

“The houses in this part of Mayfair are quite large.” Ruth looked out the window again, her hands resting on the shallow sill, taking in the passing scene.

“Is your Town house nearby?” I tried not to feel self-conscious with Augustus listening.

Ruth shifted in her seat to more fully face me. “Oh, but we do not have a Town house. We’ve been staying with the Whitmores just a few streets over. Mrs. Whitmore has a daughter—Candace—who is about to turn one and twenty. Only a year older than me.” She brightened. “And only a few months younger than you. Do you recall me mentioning them at the ball?”

“I recall you mentioning the name Whitmore.” I paused, attempting to keep the jealousy from altering my voice. “Though I did not realize they had a daughter about our age.”

“Oh yes. And she is the loveliest person in all the world. Is she not, Augustus?” I refused to look at him, but Ruth’s eyes danced as they returned to me, evidence that Augustus had not refuted her claim. “You shall love her as readily as I do. I am certain of it.”

“Then I shall look forward to our introduction.”

“I am surprised you do not yet know one another, being that this was her second Season.”

I clasped my hands in my lap, uncertain how to explain, particularly under Augustus’s watchful eye, that I would have known Miss Whitmore had we moved in the same social circles. We did not. True, we both attended Lord and Lady Brimhall’s ball, but that was likely an anomaly, considering the Whitmores had not been invited based off their own merits but as relations. Yet I could not say as much without giving airs to my higher status, and I had no desire to make Ruth, or even Augustus, feel lesser. “Likely the sheer number of young ladies during the Season prevented our meeting.”

“Are there so very many?”

“Oh, yes. Hundreds just among the ton.”

Ruth quirked her brow. “I imagined far less, but I suppose I would not know as I’ve not had a Season.”

I tilted my head. “Is that not why you were in Town?”

“No. Well, obviously we were for a small part of it, but that was not our purpose for coming to London. Augustus had business to attend to, so he brought me along knowing how I longed to visit Candace. And we saw much of Owen in the evenings. You remember Augustus’s brother?”

“Of course,” I said, though most of what I recalled about him came from stories Augustus had told me. “Does he reside in London now?”

“Currently.” Augustus offered a tight-lipped grin in lieu of more information, so I returned my attention to Ruth.

“So how long was your stay?”

“In the end it was just over a fortnight.” She looked at Augustus. “And aren’t you glad we stayed those extra few days, cousin? For had we not, I never would have encountered Bella at the ball.”