His Lady Mistress

Elizabeth Rolls129ing, otherwise her tongue could do untold damage to the newLady Blakehurst’s reputation.He’d vowed to protect Verity. He’d deal with her eatinghabits later.After several wrong turnings, Verity finally found the rightcorridor and what she hoped was the right door. She rememberedthe portrait of a very sour-faced lady hanging besidethe door from her tour with the housekeeper. Naturally beforeher marriage she had slept in one of the guest chambers, notthe Countess’s chamber.She opened the door and wondered if she had found theright room, or if she had misheard Mrs Henty. This was asitting room, not a bedchamber. But all the lamps were lit,as if in preparation for someone.Hesitantly she went in, trying to remember what thewoman had said when she pointed the room out. They hadn’tgone in. The mistress’s apartments, my lady. His lordship isat the end of the corridor. Verity had shied away from goingin.Apartments. So this must be the right room. A door stoodslightly ajar on the far side. Wondering at the softness of therichly patterned carpet under her slippered feet, Verity wentto peep through the other door. Her eyes widened. Surelysuch a huge and sumptuous bedchamber couldn’t be meantfor her. Could it?A very shabby nightgown lying across the neatly turneddownbed, assured her that this was most definitely her chamber.She felt hot with embarrassment that the maid who unpackedshould have seen her pathetic night attire. She couldjust imagine the tittering and whispers in the servants’ hall.It would not take long for the truth of her marriage to reachthe ears of the servants. Servants always knew everything.Looking around, she discovered her father’s campaignchest in a corner. Its battered, travel-scarred timber lookedcompletely out of place in the elegance of this room. A teartrickled down her cheek and she wiped it away with a shakinghand. Even here in her bedchamber she dared not weep. It