Sybill Read Online Free Page B

morning,” she answered shortly.
    â€œGrumpy this morning?” Her own voice was cheerful. “A message just came. The lord would like you to have breakfast with him.”
    â€œBreakfast?”
    The morning meal was not one for socializing. She never would have thought of asking a guest or even a member of the family to share the meal with her. Only on rare occasions had she seen her father before midday. That practice was not confined only to the Hampton household, where the entertainments often went until dawn. Many families served breakfast in the privacy of each member’s bedroom.
    The maid laughed as she walked to the cupboard where Miss Sybill’s clothes were stored. “This isn’t London.”
    â€œI think I have noticed that!” she snapped. She rubbed her forehead. “Pardon me, Kate. I have an aching head.”
    Nothing could affect Kate’s bright spirits. She hummed as she helped Sybill dress. Like everything the young woman wore, the gown was a tired black. Slipping it over her chemise, she stood quietly while Kate hooked up the back. She smoothed the wrinkles from the plain skirt which flowed to pool on the floor. Adjusting the bodice which laced with crisscrossed ties, she thanked Kate absently for her help.
    Brushing her hair did not help her mood. She had been so disgruntled, she had forgotten to braid it before bed. Now the tangles were bunched from the back of her neck to its ends near her waist. Although many women wore their hair short, her father had insisted that she not cut her dark strands.
    She bit back an oath which would earn her a reprimand from Kate. Finally she convinced her hair to behave and rolled it into the thick bun she wore at her nape.
    â€œIf you are ready, Miss Sybill, I can take you down to the room where Lord Foxbridge has breakfast served.”
    â€œYou know where it is?” she asked, puzzled.
    The coarse sound like a handsaw on a log was Kate’s version of a laugh. “I have not been lying in bed late. A servant learns quickly if she wishes to keep her place.”
    â€œLord Foxbridge didn’t mention he would ask you to leave.”
    Kate chuckled again. “No, I didn’t expect he would.”
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?”
    â€œMiss Sybill, he wouldn’t deny you your maid. Look at these lovely rooms. He will be very generous to you.”
    Sybill frowned at her maid’s satisfied expression. Kate was acting strangely, glancing around the blue room with its pale furniture as if it was her own possession. Angrily, she told herself to stop being so imaginative. Of course, Kate was happy. They had a home.
    While they went down the stairs and toward the back of the house, Kate chattered uncharacteristically about the beauty of Foxbridge Cloister. Sybill stared at her in disbelief. This voluble woman was unlike the one who worked for her in London. She had never seen her so happy. Kate normally enjoyed grousing about every detail of their lives, especially if Alfred Hampton was involved.
    Sybill’s eyes widened. Her maid had put her mourning away. Today the round woman wore a brilliant red gown, which made her resemble a ripe apple. Regretfully, she told herself that one of them was pleased with their new life. In her morose opinion, nothing but trouble waited for her here.
    Sunshine leapt through long windows to brighten the dining room. Kate dipped in a quick curtsy, her knees creaking loudly.
    The lord dismissed her absently. He turned to the young woman who was staring about in awe. What a pretty child she was! It was a shame she must wear rusty black, but it was proper she should show respect for her father. When she stood in the large room, looking so lost, she appeared as she had the first time he saw her. She had been no more than six or seven. He had been surprised to learn Alfred Hampton had a daughter. Sybill’s existence had been kept a secret for most of her childhood, for