If the request surprised the housekeeper, she hid it well. According to the household hierarchy, she and the governess functioned independently and were nearly equals—although Audrey thought that Miss Blake, who had her own private room on the second floor, was just a notch higher than Mrs. Smith. “Eve is the daughter of Lady Rosamunde’s lady’s maid. Ellen’s girl,” Mrs. Smith replied.
“I didn’t know Ellen was married, let alone had a daughter,” Miss Blake said. “I thought all of Wellingford’s servants had to be single.”
“Eve’s father died in the Great War.”
“Do you think she would be a suitable . . . guest . . . for Miss Audrey?”
“Eve is very hardworking and cheerful. Everyone downstairs likes her. I don’t believe it will do Miss Audrey any harm to take tea with her.”
It made Audrey’s stomach ache to hear them talking about her as if she weren’t there. She was tired of being treated like a child. “Wellingford Hall is my home,” she said. “I shall invite whomever I want for tea.” She felt very brave but the two women still ignored her.
“Are this scullery girl’s manners acceptable?” Miss Blake asked.
“I believe so. Her biggest fault is that she speaks her mind when she should remain silent.”
“Mrs. Smith!” Audrey said, gaining her attention. “Eve was right yesterday. I was feeling sorry for myself. I’m glad she spoke up. She isn’t mean like the girls at school. I insist on inviting her to tea.” The two women looked surprised, as if wondering how she suddenly had become so outspoken.
“Very well,” Miss Blake said. “Miss Dawson may take tea with us in the schoolroom this afternoon.”
Audrey squirmed with excitement later as she waited for Eve.
Eve arrived carrying their tea tray, while the maid who usually brought it coached her. “Take small steps, Eve. . . . Don’t walk too quickly. . . . Keep the tray level.”
Eve looked relieved when she finally set it down without spilling anything. “I did it,” she said with a grin. She wore the same baggy dress and stained apron as yesterday.
“Now, ask Miss Audrey if she would like anything else,” the maid prompted.
“Will there be anything else?” Eve asked with laughter in her voice. Her grin made Audrey smile.
“Yes. I would like you to sit and have tea with me. I owe you a picnic, remember?”
Eve’s surprise was only momentary. After a quick glance at the maid and then at Miss Blake, who was already seated, Eve pulled out a chair and sat. Audrey sat across from her and waited for the maid to arrange the plates and cups and napkins and cutlery. After pouring tea into each of their cups and setting a plate of tiny sandwiches on the table, and another with biscuits and fairy cakes, she took a step back.
“You may be excused,” Audrey told her. She could hardly wait to tell Eve how fearless she’d been. “I decided to do what you said, Eve. I decided to wash off the mud and change the way things are rather than sit in the puddle. I convinced Mother and Father to let me study here with Miss Blake from now on. Thank you for giving me the courage to speak up.”
“You’re welcome.” Eve looked pleased.
“Help yourself to a sandwich.” Audrey put two of them on her own plate, but Eve hadn’t touched any of the food or sampled her tea. She looked nervous.
“Are you sure this is for me?”
“Yes. The ones with cheese are my favorites.” She saw Eve look up at the governess before reaching for one of the sandwiches. Next time, Audrey would ask Miss Blake to let them take tea by themselves. “Did you mean it when you said you would be my friend?” Audrey asked.
“If they’ll let us.” She stared down at her plate as she ate.
“They will. It has already been decided. By me.” For some reason, Eve wasn’t her usual, cheerful self, and teatime quickly became awkward. No one seemed to know what to say. When the sandwiches were gone, Audrey turned to Miss Blake. “Would you mind terribly if Eve and I shared the fairy cakes in private?”
The governess didn’t reply. Audrey tried to read her expression and couldn’t tell if she was insulted or simply surprised. Miss Blake folded her napkin and placed it beside her plate before standing. “As you wish, Miss Audrey.”
“Who is she?” Eve asked after Miss Blake left.
“My governess. And she’s my teacher now that I’m not going to boarding school.”
“I’ve never seen her down in the servants’ dining room. Does she live here?”
“Her room is up here, with us.” Audrey didn’t want to talk about Miss Blake or any of the other servants. She leaned across the table. “Since you’re my best friend now, we need to tell each other secrets and share all the things we’d like to do someday.”
Eve’s grin returned. “Okay. But can I have another fairy cake first? I know I only gave you half a scone when I shared my lunch with you, but—”
“You may eat the whole plateful!” Audrey said, smiling. She pushed the plate toward Eve, then poured more tea into her cup. “If you had one wish, what would it be?”
“You already granted it with these cakes!” Eve said with a mouthful. “Tildy sometimes sneaks one of these to me if you leave leftovers from your tea, but I’ve never had two!”
And Audrey took these daily treats for granted. “What else would you wish for?”
“Are those all your lesson books?” she asked, pointing to the pile on Audrey’s desk. She nodded. “I wish I could learn interesting things instead of scrubbing all day.”
“I’ll be happy to share my books with you. Maybe you can come upstairs for a few minutes every day and let Miss Blake tutor you, too.”
Eve stared at her lap, twisting her napkin.
“What’s wrong?” Audrey asked.
When Eve looked up, her smile seemed forced. “Nothing. Now it’s your turn to tell me what you’d wish for.”
Audrey didn’t hesitate. “I wish I were as brave as you. You have so much courage.”
Her answer seemed to amuse Eve. “What would you do with your courage once you had it?”
“Well . . . my brother wants to teach me to sail Father’s boat this summer.” A shudder rippled up Audrey’s spine at the very thought of it. “I don’t want to let him down, but I’m afraid to go out on the open water, and it would be even more frightening without Father. I could never take the wheel myself.”
Eve rested her elbow on the table and propped her chin on her hand as if giving the matter some thought. Mother would be appalled. As for Audrey’s fears, Mother would roll her eyes and say, “Oh, for pity’s sake, Audrey.”
“Hmm . . . Sailing a boat would take a lot of courage,” Eve finally said. “Why don’t you start by doing things that are only a little bit scary and get braver gradually? Maybe you could make a list of things and check them off one by one.”
“I’m afraid of so many things, I wouldn’t know where to start.”
Eve laughed the same joyous way she had laughed in the woods the first time Audrey met her. “I think I know one! Remember those beetles the girls put in your bed? I can bring you some dead ones from the scullery so you can get used to them.”