I rubbed my eyes, staggering to my feet. A sharp pain drove into my skull, and I blinked hard in an attempt to clear it. I chided myself for feeling disappointed in the sleep I would lose. Sophia’s health was a much greater priority.
“With what?” I pulled my loose hairs together into a knot at the base of my neck, covering it once again with my ruffled cap. “Has the physician already been called for?”
“No. She claims it be a mild ailment.”
I hurried past Mrs. Brisbane and made my way to Sophia’s room. There were times when her ‘ailments’ were less illness and more nightmare related. The dark corridors had formed a map in my head over the last year, especially the path from my room below stairs to Sophia’s grand bedchamber. When I opened the door, Sophia bolted upright in her bed, her blonde hair sticking out at strange angles where it had escaped the braid. More unsettling, however, was the eager smile on her face.
“Sherbrooke, I could not sleep.” She bounced in her covers. “I have had the most clever idea.”
I walked closer, doing all I could to maintain an even expression. She had pulled me out of bed to tell me her idea? Could she not have waited until morning? I took in her appearance, searching for any sign of illness. Aside from the strange smile on her face, she seemed to be perfectly ordinary. “I was told you were ill.”
Her eyes rounded. “Not ill. I am unwell. There is a difference, you know. I am unwell because I cannot sleep for fear of forgetting my clever idea.”
“I see.” I held in my sigh as I approached, hands clasped behind my back. I did not need to encourage her to share the idea—she appeared to be near to bursting for withholding it as long as she already had.
She brought her knees to her chest, resting her chin atop them with a broad smile. “As you know, I have no wish to go to Bibury, and my parents intend to force me into it.”
I nodded.
“Hampden Park is on the way to Bibury.”
“Indeed.”
“As I have never met this strange, matchmaking woman before, she would be none the wiser as to what my appearance and conduct are like.” She brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. “If I were to somehow convince Papa not to accompany me to Bibury and to allow you to be my sole chaperone on the trip, then my idea will be quite plausible indeed.” She seemed to be thinking aloud now, tapping her knee with her fingertips. “Yes, it could certainly be as clever as I think it is.”
As her maid, I was expected to keep quiet and patient and simply listen, but I was tempted to ask for further explanation. I still had at least an hour before dawn, and if Sophia wasn’t truly ill, then I could go back to sleep.
Her eyes lit up as she studied me up and down. “I suppose you have not been a maid for long. Surely you have not forgotten all of your social graces yet. With a little training you could be taught to remember them, and behave as I, or any lady of high breeding, would.”
What did she mean? I squinted against the ache in my head, blinking hard to bring moisture to my dry, stinging eyes.
“I’m afraid I’m a bit confused, miss.” I raised my eyebrows subtly.
Sophia let out a quiet laugh, one that slowly progressed into a shrill giggle. “Now, if I am to confide in you, you mustn’t tell anyone of my plan. But of course, I have no choice but to confide in you because you are such an integral part of the whole of it. Do you promise me your absolute confidence?”
“As always, miss.” An unsettling feeling entered my stomach, and my curiosity heightened. What could I possibly have to do with this strange idea that had caused her to summon me in the middle of the night?
She giggled again, hiding her face in her blankets before regarding me seriously. “I will not be going to Bibury to meet this mysterious gentleman, Sherbrooke. You will.”
Chapter 2
“Pardon me?” I raised both eyebrows at her, my stomach plummeting.
Sophia simply continued her staring, her smile growing ever more mischievous. “I spoke quite plainly. You will be going to Bibury in my place.”
I took a step closer. She must have actually been ill to have suggested such a thing. “I—”
Sophia held up a hand, rotating on her bed until she faced me. “If I can manage to convince my father to allow you to come as my only chaperone, then we will stop at Hampden Park on the way to Bibury, where I will stay for the entirety of the trip. You will assume my identity in Bibury and fulfill the demands of my parents.”
My head spun with a sudden lightness. She could not be serious.
“The woman there has never met me,” Sophia continued. “She will not know the difference. You already know more about me than anyone else, so it should not be difficult for you to answer any questions about my life that may be directed at you. I know you were raised a lady, and I have heard you even had a season in London, so I have no doubt you are capable of behaving properly, even if you have adopted unladylike habits.” Her eyes took me in with a hint of disdain. “It is the perfect plan, really. You could never draw the attention of any gentleman even if you threw yourself at his feet. In this case, you must do all you can to avoid his notice and return home with me at the end of the spring, at which time we will inform my parents that the noted gentleman simply selected a different lady from among the party.”
I shook my head, hardly aware of the small movement. My feet were rooted to the floor, my heart hammering. With a hard swallow, I found my voice. “I am employed by your parents, miss. Please understand that I cannot do something so defiant as that, even with your guidance.”
Sophia’s face colored, her nostrils flaring. “You are my maid. You must be loyal to me and obey all of my wishes.”
I took a step closer, lifting my hands in front of me in an attempt to calm her. “The consequences would be dire for both of us if the scheme was discovered. Even if it was not, you shouldn’t trust that my behavior will reflect well on your name. I—I am not a lady any longer.” I tried to keep my voice even, but it did not seem to be working to dissuade her. My courage slipped a little faster at the frustration that overtook her expression with new force.
“Our plan will not be discovered.” She leveled me with her gaze. “You are entirely capable of acting the part of a proper lady. I knew you before. I watched you. I am confident you will have no problem at all once you are dressed in something less dull and have a proper hair arrangement.”
When had it become our plan? And when had Sophia shown any confidence in me before? She was three years younger than me, and we had lived in the same neighborhood our entire lives, but I had never known her to notice anything I said or did until I became her maid. I took a deep breath. “I still don’t think it’s wise, miss.”
Her eyes flashed. I had spoken too frankly. I bit my lip, wringing my hands together behind my back. “It is a clever idea, indeed, but—but it is not possible to execute without mishap.”
Sophia’s face shifted, a calmness washing over her features that only unnerved me further. “My parents trust me entirely. They will trust when I say I am staying with this matchmaking woman in Bibury, and they will trust when I say I did not attract the gentleman’s eye. They would also trust if I told them that you had spread rumors about me below stairs, or that you had stolen some of my possessions and sold them in town.” Her eyebrows lowered. “Do you value your position at Sedgwick Manor?”