“Only if you show us your wings, Miss Donovan!” the woman declared.
“You must have arrived late last night, Miss Donovan,” the brunette commented. “I never saw you yesterday. Of course, we were in such a mad state to settle everyone. These parties are quite exhausting, are they not? I’m Miss Stanton, by the way. And this is Miss Burke.” She nodded at the other woman. Her introductions opened up the door for others to chime in. Kendra nodded politely, but her head was spinning. Even though she’d never had a problem with her memory, she wondered if she’d remember anyone’s name in five minutes. Was that a symptom of mental instability?
“Who is your Lady?” Miss Stanton asked her.
“What? Oh. Um. I’ve got two—Georgette Knox and Sarah Rawdon.”
“Oh, dear.” The other woman’s expression turned sympathetic.
“That bad, huh?”
“I daresay it could be worse.”
Great. Kendra wondered if Mrs. Danbury had deliberately given her the worst of the bunch, hoping she’d quit.
After a time, at the head of the table, the butler—Mr. Harding, Kendra had learned during the course of the meal—and Mrs. Danbury rose in quiet formality. Another signal. Everyone pushed themselves to their feet. Kendra followed the other lady’s maids into the kitchen, and five minutes later, was bearing a tray laden with two dainty cups and a pot of hot chocolate, trudging up two flights of stairs to the Blue Room shared by Miss Georgette and Miss Sarah.
By the time she located the room, with the help of several footmen en route, she’d finally, reluctantly, begun to consider the third possibility regarding her predicament, as unbelievable as it may be.
Somehow, in some freaking way, she’d slipped back in time.
9
Because she felt shaky, Kendra made sure she had a firm grip on the tray when she eased open the door to the Blue Room. It took every ounce of her self-control to not think about her circumstance, to concentrate only on the duties assigned to her. Once she’d taken care of this lady’s maid stuff, she’d find a quiet place to think, to figure a way out of this bizarre situation—if she could find a way out of this bizarre situation.
That uncertainty sent fresh panic skittering through her. But goddamn it, she wouldn’t go there. Since she’d turned fourteen, she’d managed to take care of herself. She could handle this. She just needed to think.
She drew in a deep breath, and then let it out, focusing on her surroundings. The room was still semi-dark, and four times as big as the one she’d shared last night with Rose. Two canopied single beds draped in thick velvet curtains, partially drawn, revealed its sleeping occupants.
Not entirely sure what to do, she set the tray down on a nearby table. When nobody stirred, she crossed the room to push open the heavy drapery. The fog, she saw, had lifted, and the flower garden below was gilded in the soft light of the morning sun.
Finally, a bed squeaked, and someone yawned. Kendra turned to see one of the girls push herself into a sitting position. She wore a nightgown buttoned primly up to the neck and a nightcap on her head. Blond hair, twisted in rag curlers, stuck out below the cap’s lace.
“Georgie—wake up,” she ordered the other bed’s occupant. She glanced at Kendra. “Who are you?”
“I’m Kendra Donovan. Your lady’s maid.”
“I want my chocolate.”
The imperious tone scraped Kendra’s already raw nerves, but she went to pour a cup of the hot chocolate.
“I shall wear my yellow muslin,” the girl said as she accepted the cup and saucer.
“I want my chocolate, too,” the other girl—Georgie—said, when Kendra made a move toward the wardrobe.
Veering back to the pot of chocolate, Kendra poured another cup. She brought it to the girl, who was wearing a similar nightgown and cap as her roommate.
“What shall I wear this morning, Sarah?” she asked as she sipped her chocolate. “I thought the blue morning dress Papa bought me. It’s ever so fine.”
“Hmm. I think you ought to wear the green muslin.”
“Oh. But what of Lady Louisa? She has a prodigious fondness for green.”
“Lady Louisa looks like a toad when she wears green.” Sarah dismissed the unseen woman with cool contempt. She lifted the china cup, and her blue eyes gleamed maliciously as she took a sip. “Speaking of toads, I can scarcely believe that Lady Rebecca was bold enough to show herself at dinner last night. I nearly cast up my accounts when I was seated opposite her!”
Georgette giggled. “I believe she’s the Duke’s goddaughter.”
“Nevertheless, they should be more considerate of their guests.” Sarah shifted her gaze to Kendra and arched a brow. “Pray, what are you doing, standing there like a simpleton? I told you—I want my yellow muslin.”