Free Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid by Maureen Driscoll

saved from more of Miss Merriman’s
flirting by the arrival of Warren, Rutherford and Overton, much to the displeasure
of Lady Barrington.  As far as Ned was concerned any – or all – of them were
welcome to her.
    “Excuse me, my lord, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt,” said a
deceptively humble Rigg, who’d appeared at his side, “but I must speak with
you.”
    “Of course, Rigg.  If you’ll excuse me Miss Merriman?”
    Madeleine looked like she’d try to have Rigg flogged for
even attempting to separate them, but she held her tongue and turned back to
her court.
    “I have information on your Miss Jane,” said Rigg quietly. 
“Her name is Jane Wetherby.  The servants were surprisingly tight-lipped about
her, as if they were afraid you were going to murder the poor woman in her
bed.  You aren’t going to do that, are you my lord?  I should hate to be an
accomplice to such a deed.”
    “I promise not to murder the lady, but can’t give you
assurance that I won’t seek out her bed.”
    “Very good, my lord,” said Rigg with the hint of a smile. 
“I couldn’t ascertain where she lives, although I believe one of the kitchen
maids is warming to me and I might yet get the information you require.  But in
the meantime, I do know where she is right now.”
    *                    *                    *
    “If I have three strawberries, then find two more in the
garden, how many do I have?” Jane asked the dozen children seated in front of
her in the shade of the old oak not far from the village green.
    Half a dozen eager hands went up, including Tommy Simmons, a
boy who usually didn’t care much for sums.
    “Tommy?”
    “I don’t know how many, Miss Jane, but I reckon it’d be enough
for a tart.”
    Jane and the children laughed.
    “I believe it would, indeed.  But now, Tommy, I’m going to
ask you to solve the problem.”
    The boy looked a bit embarrassed as he tried to work out the
answer.
    “I know you can do this, Tommy.”
    After a moment’s hesitation, he said “Five?”
    “Excellent!  You’re becoming one of my best pupils.”
    Tommy blushed at the compliment, but Jane could tell he was
pleased. 
    “Look,” said one of the older girls, “it’s that Lord Edward
Miss Merriman’s to marry.”
    Jane’s heart stopped as all of the children turned to look
at Lord Edward, who stood watching them from a few yards away.
    “Please forgive me for interrupting your lesson, Miss Jane,”
he said.  “Although I couldn’t help admiring Tommy’s wit and his skill at
sums.”
    Tommy was once again embarrassed but pleased to be the subject
of praise.
    “Yes, Tommy is a very smart boy,” said Jane, offering up a
silent prayer of thanks that Vi hadn’t joined them today.  “But if you’ll
excuse us, Lord Edward, we need to continue the lesson.”
    “But Miss Jane,” said the girl, “you said that was the last
of the sums for today.”
    “So I did.  But now we’re going to have a lesson on cleaning
our hands.”
    Ned couldn’t completely hide his laughter when a slight
groan went up among the children.  Jane frowned at him, then continued with the
lesson.
    “Remember to wash your hands before you eat, after you use
the necessary and whenever you feel ill.”
    “But Miss Jane,” said a young boy with a runny nose, “me da
says it’s a waste of soap to wash yer hands so much.  Although he do like that
ye teach us.”
    “It may seem like a waste, but there are spirits of disease
that linger on our hands that may cause us to become ill.  If we wash our
hands, they cease to exist.”
    It was a point she’d made with the children and their
parents countless times.  But they all looked at her like she was a sweet, yet
utterly daft, lady.
    “Very well, wash when you can.  And I will see you all in
three days.”
    The children each took their leave of her, then left for
home, teasing Tommy fondly as they went.   
    Jane was frustrated