His Lady Mistress

Elizabeth Rolls143eyes. ‘Well. I dare say that’s all settled.’ She looked at Verityfirmly. ‘If your ladyship wouldn’t mind a word of advice.Your hair.’Verity flushed. Her hair was awful. The only way she couldmanage it was to scrape it back into the most severe bunimaginable. Otherwise it curled around her face in the mostannoying way, falling into everything she did. But the bunmade her face look so hagged.‘You need to cut it a bit. Just around your face so it cancurl. Soften things a bit, that would.’‘Cut it?’ Verity stared. Who would do that?The answer came. ‘I could cut it for you, my lady. I waslady’s maid to the master’s mother until she died. And I’llshow Sarah how to dress it better. Lovely hair, it is. So thickand curly.’ She nodded in a very decisive sort of way. ‘That’ssettled then. We’ll do it tonight.’With Mrs Henty as an ally Verity’s days became far busierand happier. There seemed all manner of things requiring themistress’s personal intervention. Such as the garden.‘A disgrace it is, my lady!’ said Mrs Henty roundly. ‘Themaster and Mr Richard spend all their time on the estate andthe garden is going to rack and ruin. Barnes is getting on andunless he’s pushed he won’t do anything beyond the lawns,hedges and trees. Why, you wouldn’t believe the trouble Ihave to go to finding some flowers for your sitting room andthe drawing room!’Verity swallowed. Mrs Henty appeared to think LadyBlakehurst had only to give orders and it would all happen,but how would Max view it? As interference? And that otheritem of information that Mrs Henty had let drop with seemingcasualness... She shied away from that. The garden wouldbe far easier. Surely if Max could see that she was trying tocarry out her responsibilities as mistress of his house...if shemade it clear that she wished for his guidance...