The Ideal Wife(4)

“ ‘If I see you one more time p-p-pinching Miss Seymour’s b-b-bottom . . .’ ” Laura rolled backward onto the bed and gave up her attempt to imitate the cold accents of her friend.

Abigail doubled over where she stood. Both gave in to gales of laughter and soon had tears running down their cheeks.

Abigail took a deep breath and straightened up. “Then I shall p-p—”

They both howled with laughter.

“Pinch yours, sir.” Abigail clutched at her stomach. “Oh, it hurts,” she wailed. “I had no idea what words were going to come out of my mouth, Laura, until I heard them for myself. Can you imagine what a delight it would be to pinch Mr. Gill’s derriere?”

Her friend was laughing too hard to answer the question.

Abigail straightened up again. “It is not funny,” she said at last, sobering. “It really isn’t, Laura. I have been dismissed without a character and with only one week’s notice—on the pretext that I have been ogling Humphrey. Humphrey! I would rather ogle a crocodile or a fish than Humphrey Gill. He has an entirely suitable name, by the way. I must say I am not broken-hearted not to be companion to Mrs. Gill any longer. Peevish, vaporish women make me so cross that I could scream, especially when one knows that they are merely trying to imitate the nobility. But still and all, to be out of work with no character, Laura. It is definitely not funny.”

Laura got up off the bed and smoothed out her dress. She looked at her friend from contrite dark brown eyes. Her pretty auburn hair was in disarray. “And all on account of me,” she said. “I am so sorry, Abby. But when I asked you to keep an eye on me whenever Mr. Gill was on the prowl, I had no idea that I would end up getting you dismissed. I will still go to Mrs. Gill with the truth if you will but let me.”

Abigail clucked her tongue. “Absolutely not,” she said. “Both of us would be out on the street instead of just me. You would not win a reprieve for me by telling all, you know. The only thing I feel sorry about is that you will be left here defenseless. You will just have to cling to the little Gills all day long, Laura, so that fond Papa can never get you alone. And you must learn to assert yourself.”

“Oh, Abby.” Laura clutched her hands to her bosom and looked unhappily at her friend. “Do you think your cousin will help you? I had no idea the Earl of Severn was your cousin. He is very, very rich, so it is said.”

Abigail frowned. “Actually,” she said, “I think it is a gross stretching of the truth to call him a cousin, Laura. He is a relative, that is all. But then, I daresay everyone is a relative if one is diligent enough to trace one’s family tree back to Adam. And I really am getting cold feet about going to see him. I hate begging. Indeed, I don’t believe I can do it. I will have to think of something else.”

“Oh, but what?” Laura asked.

“I could go back into Sussex if I have enough money for the stage,” Abigail said, “and grovel to Vicar Grimes and persuade him to find me another post. He found me this one. But I don’t believe I could stand another job quite like this. He thought highly of the Gills.”

“Oh, dear,” Laura said. “Perhaps he did not know them well.”

“Or I could become an actress or a whore, I suppose,”Abigail said.

Laura gasped and clapped one hand over her mouth. “Abby!”

“I suppose it will have to be Lord Severn,” Abigail said. “There is no point in searching Boris out. He cannot help me. He is living by his wits and does not need the added burden of my problems.”

“Go, then,” Laura said. “Surely the earl will help you. You are not planning to ask for money, after all. But do remember to behave demurely. Oh, don’t forget, Abby.”

“We are back to the curtsy-bobbing and the gazing at boots, are we?” Abigail said. She positioned herself with feet firmly planted on the floor a few inches apart. She straightened her shoulders and composed her features to blandness. She sank into a deep curtsy. “Is that good enough?”#p#分页标题#e#

“Perhaps if you are at court being presented to the queen,” Laura said.

Abigail frowned before blanking her expression again. “How about this?” she asked, curtsying a little less deeply and raising her chin.

“The curtsy is good, if a little stiff,” Laura said. “The look appears rather as if you are challenging me to a duel.”

They both collapsed into laughter again for a few moments.

“It is the chin,” Laura said. “Make sure it does not jut, Abby.”