Page 19 of Falling for a Footman

Twelve

“Do you know the newfootman...” Charlotte pretended to struggle to remember his name when Miss Walker brushed her hair the next morning.

“James?” Miss Walker asked.

Charlotte watched her in the mirror as she carefully brushed her hair.

“Yes, him. Do you know when he started working here?” she asked.

It was highly unlikely that he had not been here when the candlesticks were stolen. But as she had lain in bed last night the thought had occurred to her that that was where she needed to start if she wanted to ascertain whether he was the thief or not. She needed to know whether he had even had the opportunity to steal the candlesticks.

“In the beginning of the month, I think,” Miss Walker answered.

Charlotte met her maid’s eyes in the mirror and saw the questions in them. Miss Walker was too well-trained however to voice them. Further questions would only make her more suspicious, and Charlotte certainly did not want to draw her attention to the fact that she fancied James. There was one question she needed the answer to though.

“Was he here when you went back to take care of your grandfather?” she asked Miss Walker.

Miss Walker’s grandfather was one of the tenants at the estate. He was severely plagued by arthritis but could usually manage on his own. He had had a couple of weeks where he was bedridden, and Charlotte had allowed Miss Walker to return to take care of him even though the season was not yet over.

Charlotte could see Miss Walker’s brows furrow, probably in thought, before she answered.

“Yes, he was. He definitely was. I remember Jane came by with a basket of food from Cook and she told me about the new footman. She thought he was very handsome,” as she said this, she raised her eyes and met Charlotte’s in the mirror.

Charlotte quickly averted her gaze but was certain that Miss Walker had been able to see the blush on her cheeks.

“You don’t expect him of being the thief, do you, Lady Charlotte?” Miss Walker asked. It was unusual for the maid to ask questions without being spoken to and Charlotte raised her eyes to her once more.

“Of course not,” Charlotte quickly assured her. There was no reason to raise suspicion with Miss Walker.

“I am glad. I like James myself, although not as much as some of the other maids of course,” she revealed in a way that clearly told Charlotte how sought after James was. “I did hear something strange from Cook; that she had met him the other night when she had been up because she heard a rat. She chased it to a guest bedroom and there she met him.”

Charlotte frowned as she thought this through.

“When was this?”

“The night Her Grace’s pearls were stolen,” Miss Walker remarked.

Charlotte tried not to show which effect the words had on her but was fairly certain that she did not succeed. James had been here when the candlesticks where stolen. James had been up at night when her mother’s pearls had been stolen. Charlotte had gone from being suspicious to feeling almost certain that James was the thief. Nevertheless, she would need evidence though.

***

When Charlotte’s motherand Lucy prepared to visit Mrs. Miller the next day, Charlotte pledged a megrim and hid in her room until they had left. Her father was away on business in Taunton and would not return until that evening. She was in effect alone in the estate since her three younger siblings were still confined to the nursery and schoolroom.

Now all she had to do was find a way to figure out whether it was James or not that had stolen the necklace and the candlesticks. And if she found out about his annoying habits and flaws in the meantime and that made her lose all interest in him, Charlotte would not mind at all.

She had thought repeatedly about whether she should alert her parents to the suspicion but without any proof, she felt certain that her parents would not do anything. They were both very law-abiding and would not even consider searching James' belongings on Charlotte's suspicion alone. And even if it was him, who had stolen the necklace and the candlesticks, he would most likely have given it to the rider he had spoken to yesterday. No, she needed to be able to provide her parents with more than mere suspicions. She needed proof although she was not sure how to provide it.

Walking through the hallways without being noticed proved rather difficult; she ran into Miss Walker almost immediately upon exiting her room.

"My lady, you should be in bed. I was just on my way to your room with a tonic upon the duchess's instructions," Miss Walker stated.

Charlotte sighed inwardly. Of course, her mother could not simply let her adult daughter suffer a headache without trying to cure her.

"I thought fresh air would do me good," Charlotte lied. "I feel as if an iron band has been fastened around my head," she added for emphasis, hoping that she was not putting it on too thick.

"Oh, then you definitely have to drink Cook's tonic. It helps me every time my head hurts," Miss Walker divulged and lifted the tonic almost as if she was going to feed it to Charlotte.

Charlotte saw no other choice but to retire to her room and drink the tonic. It did not sit well with her stomach but other than that she felt no effect of it.