Maid to Be Mine: A Regency Cinderella Story by K.L. O'Keefe Page A

age, but he lacks maturity,” Cynthia said. “I feel like I'm working with a child! I would rather work alone.”
    “ But work gets accomplished so much faster if we tackle it in pairs.”
    “ Really? I was under the impression he slows me down!”
    “ You're still learning the job, dear. He's there for your benefit.”
    Cynthia puffed out her chest and tried to think of a better argument. “He... he licked my nose!”
    “ He what?!”
    “ Well... not exactly,” Cynthia admitted with a sigh. “His tongue never made contact with my nose, but it was bad enough! I had flour on the tip of my nose, so he licked his finger and wiped it off! I was disgusted and affronted!”
    “ Robert can take some getting used to, but he's not a bad sort,” Tess defended him. “He's a sweet boy.”
    “ I am a sweet boy!” When she heard Robert's jarring Irish accent, Cynthia winced. He strutted into the room with his hands in his pockets, and he wiggled his eyebrows at Cynthia. He must have known he was the topic of conversation. “I'm the sweetest boy in Britain. Would you like to lick me? I'm like a sugary confection of deliciousness.”
    Cynthia flashed the older maid a desperate look. “See what I mean?! His behavior is absurd!”
    Robert nodded. “She's right. I am pretty absurd.”
    “ I'm not used to dealing with the likes of him!”
    “ I am pretty difficult to deal with,” Robert agreed.
    “ And right now... he's mocking me!”
    “ Mocking? I would say it's more like parroting, actually.”
    “ Argh !” Cynthia clenched her fists as tightly as she could. “Please, Tess! Let me work with you tomorrow!”
    Before Tess could respond, the door to the servants' quarters opened, and Jemima entered. She looked disgusted, as if setting foot in the dingy room was the most unsavory thing in the world. “Cynthia!” her voice boomed.
    Cynthia looked down at her slippers, which were now covered in soot from the stables. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with her stepmother; an admonishment was imminent. “Yes?”
    “ I have a complaint,” Jemima began. “I warned you, did I not? You were supposed to avoid Lord Charmington at all costs! And what did you do?” When her stepdaughter did not respond right away, she hollered, “ You flaunted yourself in front of him !”
    “ Uhh...” Robert held up a finger. “That was my fault, actually. I needed someone to help me carry the plates, and Cynthia's set of hands was the only one around, soo--”
    “ Be that as it may!” Jemima interrupted, “Cynthia should have known better. She knew I forbade it. Your identity, your face... none of it was to be known to Lord Charmington. You were supposed to be the household specter. He was not supposed to know you existed!”
    “ I am sure he paid little attention to me,” Cynthia lied. Lord Charmington's gaze had been on her the entire time—she had felt it. She only hoped her stepmother did not notice.
    “ Nevertheless, you blatantly disregarded my edict. This time, I will let you off with a warning. Next time, I will not be so forgiving,” Jemima threatened her. “It is not so much to ask, is it? For you to make yourself scarce?”
    Cynthia shook her head. “No...” She desperately wished she could stand up to her stepmother, to give her a piece of her mind. However, the prospect of being tossed out in the snow was hardly appealing.
    “ Now, if you're done making a nuisance of yourself, I have a job for you. I need you to prepare a room for Lord Charmington. The guest rooms are lavish, but they haven't been used in quite some time. I need one to be clean and spotless within the hour.”
    Lord Charmington was spending the night in Montforth Hall? The possibility of crossing paths with him made her heart stir. “Perhaps he can stay in my old room?” Cynthia suggested.
    “ Your room?! No, it is much too feminine. It might make him suspicious.” Jemima crossed her arms, commanding authority. “Do as I say,