But Nicholas wasn’t here. Mr. Woodsworth was, and something about the desperation in his eyes held her captive. After two years of feeling like she was trapped with no opportunity to see anyone, let alone to help them, she yearned to tell him yes. After all, wasn’t helping others noble? Perhaps this was exactly what Nicholas would want her to do.
Her eye twitched at the thought.
Lie.
“You still haven’t told me how we would hide my appearance.”
“That is because I haven’t thought of it yet. Those fiery curls would be most memorable. We will have to do something about them. But if I come up with a way you will be unrecognizable to the servants, will you do it?”
He had said earlier he wouldn’t be invited to the particularly well-footed parties. There were very few families she knew well in London. And if he did, indeed, find a way to conceal her appearance, this could be a chance to keep her position. Mrs. Bates hadn’t hidden her frustration about her lack of cleaning skills. If it weren’t for Mr. Gilbert covering for her atrocious job on making a bed earlier this morning, Patience was certain she would have been let go already.
“I need to keep my position for at least thirty days.”
“You keeping your position goes without saying.”
The tension in her back eased slightly. “Yes, but how will I perform all my duties? Not to mention that Mrs. Bates won’t be happy with me taking an evening off.”
“I’ll have you take over some of the duties in the nursery. When I need to train you or plan our next move, they will assume you are helping with the children.”
Children? Patience pulled her hands off the desk and took a step back. All of her preconceived notions about Mr. Woodsworth flew out the window. “You don’t have any children. Do you?” She hadn’t seen any. And she certainly hadn’t heard of a Mrs. Woodsworth. Of course she hadn’t. That was the whole reason for the fiasco. To procure a Mrs. Woodsworth.
Mr. Woodsworth shook his head. “No, but my sister has.”
His sister. That made sense. She couldn’t picture Mr. Woodsworth with children. His or otherwise.
“I will invite her to stay and instruct her to leave her nursemaid at home. Sophia’s help will be necessary at any rate—for training. I have no idea where to find you a ball gown in only one week.”
Patience had scads of ball gowns at home, ordered and waiting for her entrance into society. Shopping was one of the things her mother loved to do. But there was no way to retrieve them now.
“And who will watch the children while we are attending the ball?”
That gave Mr. Woodsworth pause. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sophia will have to come as your chaperone. Perhaps Mrs. Bates . . .”
Patience shook her head violently.
“Cook?”
Patience grimaced. Cook didn’t like her any more than Mrs. Bates did. Not since she peeled half of the potatoes off with the peel.
He sighed. “With Doris gone, I’m afraid we are out of options.”
An idea came to her. “Mr. Gilbert would watch them.”
“Gilbert?”
“Yes, he loves children.” Mr. Gilbert had mentioned his grandchildren twice to her. It wasn’t exactly proof that he loved children, but Patience trusted him more than any of the other staff. “The children will be asleep for most of the time we are gone anyway. It isn’t as though he will have to entertain them.”
Mr. Woodsworth finally nodded. “With a little advanced planning, something I’m not ashamed to admit I excel at, we should be able to iron out any other wrinkles that come our way. I’ll write to Sophia right away.”
“I never said that was my only condition. I started with the easiest accommodation.”
“A fine tactic. What is your next request?”
“A letter of recommendation. I would like a glowing review of my work here whenever it becomes time for me to leave.”
“Done.”
“And my last request . . .” Was she really considering this?
He didn’t move. Just waited.
How could she word this in a way that didn’t come off sounding strange?
She couldn’t.
“For each night I play along with this scheme of Miss Morgan’s making, I would like you to tell me about three of London’s most eligible bachelors. I want an honest report about their character and habits.”
After he had surprised Patience so often this evening, it was nice to see Mr. Woodsworth’s face go blank in astonishment. “Why in the world would you want to know that?”
“I might one day find myself in the position of establishing myself in one of their homes. I’m afraid I won’t be able to work here forever. In fact, I would assume once Miss Morgan becomes Mrs. Woodsworth she won’t want a maid around who spent time in ballrooms. I would rather go to a household that is kind and good.” Her voice quivered as she spoke, and she shook her head. She wasn’t afraid of marriage. Why was she acting this way? Nicholas would make certain any man who took an interest in her was a decent person. But Nicholas only ever saw the best side of men. Mr. Woodsworth had the distinct advantage of not being someone a lord would feel the need to impress.
“I told you, you won’t lose your position because of this.”
“Not because of this, but still, I won’t work here forever. I will eventually move on to another chapter in my life, so those are my conditions.”
Mr. Woodsworth was quiet for a moment. He had been much more ready to grant her other two demands. Of course, those two had actually made sense. But finally he nodded. “I will do it. Information on three men in exchange for each time I will need you to pretend to be a lady.”
Was she really going to agree to this? Somehow Patience didn’t think dressing up as a lady was what Nicholas had in mind when he’d said serving under General Woodsworth would teach her about hard work and sacrifice.
“If I do it, I also want to keep at least some of my duties as a maid.”
His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, but if he thought she was confusing, well, he was even more so.
“If you insist, of course you can keep your duties as a maid.” He leaned forward off the desk, his brilliant blue eyes starting to shine with confidence. “Is there anything else?”
“If I get caught, you will take responsibility.” That was unfair of her. He didn’t even realize what kind of responsibility he was signing himself up for. But she needed to know he took protecting her from being discovered seriously.
“Yes. I swear I will find a way to make you unrecognizable. I will find the best food for you to eat, I will be your informant on the best employers London has to offer, and I will dance with you often enough to ensure you live out any dreams you might have had of being a lady.”