A pang of sympathy came over her as Elle’s voice grew childlike while she spoke about her mother gone too soon. She took Elle’s hand, brushing her thumb on the inside of her wrist. Elle didn’t flinch or pull away.
The sound of the crashing waves and caws of seagulls filled the lull between them. It wasn’t until August climbed off her lap and sniffed around that Elle took her hand back and fiddled with the basket, examining it as if something special was hidden inside.
She threw her half-eaten apple away and rubbed her palms together to erase the stickiness coating her fingers. A square wooden board near the corner of the blanket caught her eye. She picked it up, trying to read the strange lettering drawn there.
Something like a grunt came from Elle. She glanced up. Elle’s face had lost her color.
“What’s wrong?” She reached for Elle’s arm.
Elle motioned with her chin at the slate Kristina held. “That’s my slate.”
“I can see it’s a slate. What are you using it for?”
“To…practice my penmanship and to read better.”
Aha! That’s why she reacted the way she did. She must be ashamed by her lack of schooling.
“Oh? That’s admirable. Not many women in your situation continue their education.” She held out the slate for Elle to take. “But why do it alone? Isn’t there a tutor nearby you can go to for lessons?”
Elle grabbed the slate and set the book on top of it. She tried to catch the title of the book, but it was dropped into the basket and covered.
“I can’t afford no money for a teacher,” Elle said in a tight voice while tugging on the frayed hem of her dress.
“It’s better if you leave out the word, no, as in, I can’t afford to pay for a teacher,” she corrected.
“Either way I say it doesn’t matter. I do the best with what I have.” Elle stuck out her chin.
That’s the spirit, my darling girl. Speak your mind! She wanted to cheer.
Elle suddenly dropped her head down, and her shoulders sagged.
“Are you all right?” She set her hand on Elle’s shoulder, keeping it there for a moment then sliding it down her arm.
Elle nibbled on her bottom lip. “I apologize, my lady. I shouldn’t have spoken so rudely. I should know better than to show my temper in such a way.”
She tilted Elle’s chin up. Her eyes showed bleak remorse. Kristina’s chest stung. This poor girl needed some coddling. She wanted to be the one to give that to her.
“Now, listen to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You’re hardworking, like most of the people in this town not born into privilege. Many can’t read or don’t care to learn. But you, my precious girl, have taken the step in the right direction.” She tugged on one of Elle’s curls.
Elle wiped her cheek and laughed softly when August swiped her chin with his paw. She pulled him into an embrace and kissed his nose.
“Even your kitty thinks the same way I do,” she joked, and Elle laughed again.
“Thank you.” Elle dropped August. “You’re a nice lady.”
“I should like to think so.” Her stomach did a little flip at the compliment.
Elle gave her a small smile and rose to leave.
“You’re leaving?” Moving to her feet, she wanted to keep talking to her new friend.
“It’s getting late, and I have to make dinner.” Elle moved the basket aside and lifted the blanket.
The sun wasn’t as high as it had been before, and the ocean had grown calm. She hugged her waist, feeling a slight chill in the air. She had enjoyed her conversation with Elle and wished she could prolong it. The odds of them spending more time together was small. She could only imagine how that would go over with the townspeople. The gossip about the duke’s daughter befriending a lowly servant girl would be unrelentless.
She kicked a pebble away and tapped her fingers on her hip. There had to be a way— aha!
Lifting her hands to her mouth, her joy mounted at the amazing idea that would allow her and Elle to remain in contact.
“Are you feeling well, miss? Your eyes have gone all glassy like,” Elle asked.
She stepped forward and smiled. “I have a marvelous idea. I can tutor you in your studies.”
Elle stared at her disbelief. “Why would you want to do such a thing? Don’t you have better things to do, like shop?”
She laughed. Elle’s question didn’t come out as defensive, but the opposite, with an open and innocent tone to it. She understood why Elle thought the way she did. Most women of quality who had a fortune at their disposal spent their days at leisure.
“You’re very intuitive. I do enjoy shopping just like any woman, but every so often I shake things up and do something out of the ordinary.” She beamed, delighted with her reasoning.
Elle didn’t seem to agree. Her forehead burrowed and strain lines appeared around her mouth. “I don’t know what in-tu-itive means, but I won’t be a charity case to make you feel good about yourself.” She turned away and lifted August, who chewed on a broken piece of shell.
She twisted her hands, feeling rotten for making Elle upset. I must fix this before she rushes away.
Elle held August in her arms. “I spoke badly just now and shouldn’t have. I keep forgetting my station.”
She wanted to correct Elle, but there was some truth to her statement. “That may be the case but I’m not going to obsess about it like you are. Can’t we pretend we’re equals?”
Elle placed August in her basket as her answer.
She nibbled her bottom lip. Think! She stalled Elle by bending down and crooning to the cat. He responded by licking her fingers.
“At least your cat likes me.” Her lips slipped into a small pout.
A blush colored Elle’s cheeks. “I like you also.” She ran her palm down August’s back.
Her hand landed on Elle’s, and she halted her movements. “Before you say no, please hear me out. I want to tutor you not because you’re a charity case but because I want to be your friend. I know of a place where we can be alone and uninterrupted. I’m allowed access to the duke’s land as his guest. There’s a vacant gamekeeper’s cottage on the edge of his property near the river. We can use it as a schoolroom.”
“What about the Lady Kristina or Lord Simon? Won’t they question why you’re spending time with a servant?”
“They don’t have to know. They’re fine with me going off by myself. As long as I’m back in time for dinner, no one will find it odd. We can meet for an hour or two each day.”
“I can’t. My duties take up a lot of my time.” Elle took August back.
She huffed, annoyed. “Really? I guess your duties today weren’t too pressing.”