Say You Love Me(12)

So she decided to brave through and lie. The truth, of course, was out of the question.

With an innocent look that she bestowed on both of them, she asked, “Did I say something untoward?”

“It’s not what you said, m’dear, but how you said it,” Derek replied.

“How I said it? Oh, you refer to my speech? Yes, it does surprise people occasionally. But you see, my mother was a governess, and I was able to benefit from the same tutors assigned to her charges. A very uplifting experience, if I do say so myself.”

She had to smile at the pun, whether they caught it or not. Percy relaxed, taking her word for it. Derek was still frowning, however.

And he didn’t take long to say why. “I find it hard to imagine that being allowed, when most lords are from the old school and believe the lower classes should be kept the lower classes, as to say, ignorant of higher learning.”

“Ah, but there was no lord to say yea or nay, just a lord’s widow my mum worked for who really couldn’t have cared less what the children of her live-in servants were up to. She did, in fact, give her permission. My mum wasn’t one to take such liberties on her own, after all. And I will be forever grateful to the lady—for not caring one way or another.”

Percy coughed at that point, followed by a snicker. “Give it a rest, old man. What you were thinking ain’t possible and you know it.”

Derek snorted at his friend. “As if you didn’t think the same thing.”

“Only for the briefest second.”

“And what, may I ask, are you both referring to?” Kelsey asked, keeping up her pretense at innocence.

“Nothing that matters,” Derek replied in a low grumble, and stuffing his hands in his pockets, he moved to stand in the open doorway, leaning against the frame there, giving his back to the room.

Kelsey looked to Percy for a clearer answer, but he just smiled sheepishly, shrugged, and stuffed his hands in his pockets as well, rocking back on his heels. She almost laughed. Of course they wouldn’t admit they had, however briefly, thought she might be a lady. The very thought of it wasn’t to be borne by men of their class. And that really was her protection. Her family had endured one scandal. She wasn’t going to be the cause of another if she could help it.