"Do forgive me!"
She sighed, but as always melted and smiled. "Very well, my lord."
"Lord? No, Suzanna, you shan't run from me, stay here!" he grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. "What's the lord thing? and how dare you go out of this room while you look so damned beautiful?"
"My lord John, you're a married man, a lord now! It's not the same anymore, indeed it isn't!"
"Don't be stupid, Su. It doesn't change a thing, you must know I still love you." He kissed her fervently, but she pushed him away.
"Stop it, John!" she hissed. Her cheeks were red, her breathing had sped. "What about your wife?"
"My wife's a fool! the only thing good about her is her money."
Suzanne looked angry. "But you are stuck with her for life, so you might want to treat her with some respect. I'm not the kind of girl that helps a husband cheat on his wife and if you knew me a little you wouldn't have tried. I have to go now, the chores are waiting."
"If i could, I would have married you."
"Empty promises, John! What's the point of saying them? Please, please, be respectful, if not to your lady, to me."
The little maid flitted downstairs, where she belonged. She was but a servant, to beautiful for her own good as her mother used to say, and with more intelligence than most people of her age. John de Cointerau had soon discovered that, and they began a romantic affair that was destroyed abruptly when John was to be married.
The young girl refused to be a common slut, she wouldn't be the mistress of a lord until he was tired of her and started with another.
No, Suzanna had other plans.
"My lady," said Suzanna with an elegant reverence. "I would like to ask you something, if you don't mind." She kept her eyes down, in sign of submission.
Lady John de Cointerau kindly invited her to come in. "Well," she said. "What is it?"
"I would like to go away, my lady. I hoped you knew someone that might have a place for me."
"Go away, Suzanna? Why so? Does my house displease you?"
"My lady, no! It is..." Suzanna grew red, and pulked to her workdress with her hands. "There was trouble with one of the stable-yards, and I do not feel comfortable here anymore. I am very sorry to leave you, but I'm sure you will find as good as me in no time. Please, my lady?" she added, seeing the doubt in the lady's eyes. "I cannot live here now. It would make me crazy! I beg you, and am very sorry for the trouble, but do let me go."
"That man must be punished, Suzanna!" the lady said, watching with growing concern the agitated spirits her servant was in.
"No! Really, it is not necessary. Just let me leave."
Lady Isabella sighed. "Very well, I see there is nothing I can do. In fact, I know exactly where you ought to go, it'll be perfect for you."
"Thank you, my lady! May I ask... Where to?"
"You're going to my cousin, dear Jane. She is quite sick and lives permanently in Bath. In her last letter, she was complaining about how hard it is to find a good servant to nurse her. You'll be perfect for that. My carriage will bring you there tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, thank you!"
She bowed and left the elegant study room, her hart fluttering of happiness. She was going to Bath! Bath, the city where everything could happen.
The next evening she arrived at the house of Mrs. Jane McLinton. The young miss Jane had married a Scottish gentleman with a respectable name and fortune, but with her bad health had found it impossible to live in Scotland. Mr. McLinton came over to visit his wife every now and then, but most of the time the little lady was perfectly free.
"So who do we have here?"
"Lady de Cointerau sent me, madam. She thought I might be of use to you. I have a letter from her for you."
Mrs Jane read the letter attentively, comfortably seated at her desk.
"I see," she said. "Very well. What's your name again? Suzanna? What a strange name!
Bessie!" she called, and an elder servant came in the room. "Bring Suzanna to her room, and explain what I expect of her. Bring her to my chamber at eight."
Bessie bowed and wove at Suzanna to follow her.
The following days Suzanna was busy with getting to know her mistress, and what was expected of her. She quicly understood Mrs Jane was not really sick, more in constant need of company. As soon as there was nobody to talk to, to dine with, to dance with, she complained of all kinds of pains and called Suzanna.
This truly was the perfect job for Suzanna. She was the only one in the house able to distract the madam, and she soon was the personal servant of Mrs. Jane.
"Ah, Suzanna," one day Mrs. Jane said. "You are born in the wrong place."
"What do you mean, madam?"
"How much would I have enjoyed you to be a rich neighbor of mine? Our conversations would have been quite splendid indeed!"
"But then, madam, you wouldn't have me to take care of you. How would you like that?"
"Terribly, I must admit. Still, it must be boring to you, having to serve me all the time.
"Never, madam. It is always a pleasure."
"You can read, isn't it?" Mrs. Jane looked at her with curiosity in her eyes.
"Yes, madam."
"Well then, feel free. My library is always open for you."
"How very kind of you, thank you!"
So she did; all the free time she had was spent in the library. It was there that she met Edward Grensley.
One evening when Jane had assembled a great party for dinner, Suzanna, no longer needed, had eclipsed to the library as usual. She sat there in a comfortable chair, absorbed in her book when Mr. Grensley came in. He was tired of the noise and the company and came for a little peace. Imagine his surprise, when he saw a girl sitting there!
"Excuse me," he said to Suzanna. "I do not mean to disturb you, I only want a little bit of rest. I don't know you, I believe, who..."
Suzanna stood. "Oh, no indeed sir, I am the servant of Mrs Jane. I am very sorry, I did not know you would come here, but I shall leave right away!"
"A servant? And what are you doing in the library of your kind employee?"
"Reading, sir." Suzanna answered with a point of irony.
"You have quite a big mouth! Does Mrs. Jane know you are here?"
"Not right now, I guess, sir, but she allows me to read as soon as she does not need me. She's a very good lady."
"Indeed! Well then, stay where you are, and let us be silent together."
Suzanna went on reading in her book, looking at the man every now and then. He was rather handsome and looked kind and intelligent. He reminded her of Lord John. And just as John, he wasn't able to be silent long.
"Why can you read?" he asked her.
"When I was a little girl, my mother took care of two children that had a teacher. I used to hind behind the closet to listen, and I practised at home; my mother had one old book that I have read over and over again."
"How odd. How very particular. What does reading bring to you? Surely you don't need it!"
"It is always nice to read a book, sir. It is not because I'm a servant that I must be stupid."
Mr. Grensley looked at her in surprise; this was the strangest servant he had ever seen. And the prettiest too. Suzanna risked a smile, and he winked at her.
"I never said that."
"I never said you said that."
Grensley grinned. "Strange creature," he muttered.
"What did you say, sir?"
"What's your name, servant?"
"Suzanna, sir."
"I am Mr. Edward Grensley, and I want you to treat me with respect for you are nothing, and I am important. That is the way this world works."
He stood up and was about to leave the room, but Suzanna refused to let him go already. "Why?" she said and stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing. John always said she was irresistible that way, so why not try it with this man?
"What did you say?" he turned around, not believing his ears.
"I am a girl with feelings and dreams, with hopes and fears as every rich girl you can point at. And more intelligence than most, I dare say. So why does this stupid world have to work that way? It is not fair, I'll tell you that much."
Grensley looked at her pensively, and went back sitting in his chair while Suzanna watched him suspiciously.
"Sit," he said. She sat down, her eyes did not leave his face one second. He returned the glance with unhidden interest.
"Who," he began, "learned you to act like this? Who treated you like a lady and made you one, Suzanna?"
"God did," she answered steadily. "So why don't you deal with it."
Now she was the one that wanted to get out of the room, but he gripped her wrist. "Stay!" he said. "I'm not done with you."
Suzanna, realising he was too strong for her, gave up. "Very well, sir. What do you want?"
"Just a little chatter," he answered smilingly. When she did not react in any way, he went on. "Which book are you reading?"
The following hour they sat together talking about books and poetry. They soon discovered they had the same taste in almost everything, and had the most delicious conversation.
Suddenly Edward seemed to realise where he was, and who he was talking to. That made him startle, and he took leave.
"It was a most charming hour with you, Suzanna, but now I shall go. Take good care over your lady, she is a very kind women."
"I will, sir, and she definitely is. Thank you."
The next two weeks life went on as it always had in the MacLinton house in Bath. Suzanna took care of her lady, and read books the rest of the time.
Not a bad life, but Suzanna was restless. She kept glancing out of the window, as she was expecting something to happen.
It did.