~*~
Actually, it was Mrs. Jacobs who iced Erva’s knee, as well as confide that she, Lady Ferguson, was the talk of the town. Not only was she known as a talent, but people kept speculating how long Will and she had been in love.
Wasn’t that just the way people were? Through a revolution, a demanding of rights, and war, people were more interested in a love match than anything else, especially a scandalous one. Erva reminded herself yet again that Will had a reputation as a ladies’ man. She would be just another notch on his bedpost.
Or would she?
“Mrs. Jacobs,” Erva interrupted the maid’s fishing for more information about her and Will. “Do Miss Emma and Miss Lydia visit Will, er, Lord Hill often?”
The maid blinked, but then shook her head adamantly. “Nay, not once, my lady.”
“Not once?”
Mrs. Jacobs sighed, and Erva’s heart stung. She knew Will had been too good to be true. She braced herself for the truth.
“Lady Ferguson.” Mrs. Jacobs actually took one of Erva’s hands and held it tight. “General Lord Hill rents this house from my master, Mr. Williams, who’s out of town on business. So I have not known the lord very long. But I tell ye, my lady, in all that time, there has never been a woman in this house, nor in his chamber, and I would know, since this house runs because I do. Ye might think me simple or stupid, but I pride myself on being the queen of the house, since I run it. And I know everything. Those rumors about the lord are false, and I’ve tried many a time to counter the claims, but still they stick.” She pulled on Erva’s hand a little more. “Please forgive my forwardness, my lady. But I’m so glad ye came. Now people will know how kind and decent Lord Hill is, because they already fawn over ye, and they’ll see what kind of man he is. They’ll see the truth of the matter.”
Erva squeezed Mrs. Jacobs’s hands as she thought of a response. Internally, she was jumping for joy, thinking that maybe, just maybe the rumors weren’t true. Perhaps that’s why she was so attracted to him, because he was honest, kind, brilliant...oh God, the list went on and on. And he was not, repeat not, a rake.
“I would never think you simple or stupid, Mrs. Jacobs. In my mind, you are the queen of the house.”
“Ah, thank ye, ma’am. I’m so glad ye came, so glad of your love for Lord Hill.”
Love? She wasn’t in love, was she? A serious case of lust, yes, but love? Jumping into love proved reckless, breaking the rules was, as Mrs. Jacobs might say, simple and stupid.
However, fighting through all Erva’s thoughts was the reminder that she had done everything right for her marriage. She’d played by the rules. She hadn’t gone to bed with her husband until she knew he was serious about her—three months into the relationship. When her ex-husband, Cliff, had pouted over her gun skills, she’d purposely shoot wide. She’d covered up the fact that she was knowledgeable, because she knew it bothered him. She’d supported him, nurtured him, and even tried to pretend she didn’t know he had cheated on her with one of her own students. She’d done so much, followed all the guidelines, but look where it had gotten her.
It wasn’t so much that Cliff had broken her heart, and he had. It was more that by the time she signed the divorce papers she had been humiliated. Yes, she’d been embarrassed because of the things he’d done, but what shook her to her core was the fact that she’d disgraced herself. Not once had she been true to her heart.
“There now.” Mrs. Jacobs smiled as she smoothed the purple evening dress Erva wore. “Ye look simply beautiful, my lady.”
Erva took Mrs. Jacobs's hands in hers again. “Thank you.” Once more, she wanted to say something else, add to her gratitude, but the words seemed evasive. So she repeated herself. “Thank you so much.”
Surprising Erva, Mrs. Jacobs gave her a quick hug. “My pleasure,” she whispered, then pulled away while straightening the dress one last time. “Now, I want ye to enjoy yerself at the banquet, my lady.”
Erva decided then and there she would. And as she did so, she’d figure out a way for Will not to die.