The Lady in Disguise

Chapter Twenty-nine (part one)

Oh, yes! It's Ladies' Night and the feelin's right... and all that... So happy to finally get to this chapter!

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"Oh! Well, the more, the merrier. Care to join the party?"

Emilia shrugged at Prudence, then followed as Miss Poole disappeared back into the kitchen, of all places. She couldn't imagine what Miss Poole was doing down here and why she would call it a party, but apparently, she wasn't alone. Both Miss Marbury and Lady Adele were seated on the benches on either side of the weathered kitchen table, all in their nightgowns.

"Oh! Have you joined as well?" Miss Marbury stood. "How very nice!"

Evie rushed forward, hissing low. "I told you three. Mrs. Stern might be on her day of rest, but that doesn't mean she's restin' at all." She glanced back toward the servants' hall. "And she ain't deaf neither."

Miss Marbury covered her mouth, then whispered through her fingers, "I'm so sorry."

Evie sighed. "Y' see, this is why I suggested you have your little sorree in the drawing room or—"

"It is a soiree," Miss Poole said, taking the bench on Lady Adele's side. "And we aren't paying you enough to go fetching things from here to there, I'm sure."

"I think you are," Evie said.

Emilia turned to Evie, surprised. "Have you a deal with them as well?"

"Aye." Evie grinned. "I'm making more pocket money than I know what to do with this week."

Emilia had to respect her sense of industry.

Mopsy also seemed quite happy to join the party. He slipped from her grasp, popping up between Lady Adele and Miss Poole, staring at the board in the middle of the table, piled with cheeses, fruits, and bits of bread.

"You see, after last night's disastrously silent dinner put us off our supper completely," Miss Poole began, taking a seat, "my French friend and I stole down here for a little late night repast and dear Evie was kind enough to accommodate us and we thought, we might make a little party of it tonight with Cecilia as well?"

"We did think we should invite you," Miss Marbury put in, "but you seemed in such a hurry to go to bed."

Emilia had actually been in a hurry to speak to Prudence, and for everyone else to go to bed so she could see to that pile of laundry. "Yes, well... I was just coming down to collect Mopsy here. He craves my company."

Mopsy suddenly seemed supremely uninterested in her, now that Lady Adele was dangling a bit of cheese for him. He slavered over it as if he'd never had a bite of food in his life before gobbling it up.

"But I really wanted to see that my clothes were prepared for tomorrow," Emilia went on, turning to Evie. "Do you think I could look in to—"

"But the clothes are just fine, Miss Crewe." Prudence pushed her toward the table, whispering, "Didn't Evie say they came out well? Stop fretting and join the party or you'll look suspicious."

Emilia reluctantly took a seat. She truly didn't like others interfering with her work, especially laundering. She had a long history with Miss Prudence's dresses and didn't trust others to care for them properly. And, really, she was certain she looked suspicious anyhow, creeping about with her supposed maid in the middle of the night.

"Nous aurons besoin d'un autre verre de brandy pour Miss Crewe," Lady Adele said.

"Nay, two," Miss Poole said. "Miss Finch must join us as well. Only you must tell us your first name."