Lilah blew out a breath of relief.
“—But there is a price.”
Naturally. “Yes?”
“I know who you are, Miss Lilah Rees. Indeed, Mr. Bates appraised me of your intention several days ago.”
Really? He’d only had the discussion with her yesterday. “How interesting.”
Mrs. Dove-Lyon didn’t appear to think it interesting at all. “I require you to teach several of my employees the details of household management.”
Lilah jolted. “What?”
“I wish you to teach the maids how to dust, the footmen how to serve, and all of them how to keep accounts.”
“What?”
Mrs. Dove-Lyon gestured to the floor below them. “There is space below the den for such classes. I have cleared a space for you there. At present, I have seven students in mind beginning next week. You may consider them your first clients whether or not you succeed in winning Mr. Palmer’s registry.”
Lilah frowned. “But if I win, I must spend all my time setting things right there. I did not intend to start classes this early. I won’t have the time.”
Mrs. Dove-Lyon was not swayed. “That is my price.”
What choice did she have? It was the only path to Mr. Palmer. “Agreed,” she finally said. “For seven students, one class.” She lifted her chin. “Any more will require payment.”
“One class lasting a full day. We shall discuss the details of your instruction beforehand.”
Lilah winced, but could find no reason to disagree. “Done.”
“Excellent.” The woman pushed up to her feet and walked regally toward the door. “Follow me.”
Things proceeded quickly after that. The lady paused at the door to her parlor to whisper to one of the large men stationed there. He nodded smartly then ran off, presumably to do her bidding. A minute later, the orchestra stopped what they were playing before abruptly sounding a fanfare. Then, still poised at the door to her parlor, Mrs. Dove-Lyon spoke to the entire gallery below.
“Mr. Dalbert Palmer, I have a challenge for you. Do you accept?”
If the gallery had gone quiet before, it was now absolutely silent. Plenty of time for a corpulent man at a whist table to lean back in his chair. His gaze ticked to where the Abacas Woman sat in her cage.
“Does the lady of mystery accept my challenge?”
“No,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon said as she took a step toward the stairs. “She stands as judge.”
“Then who challenges me?” demanded Mr. Palmer.
Damnation, this was a great deal more attention than she expected. Lilah was used to slinking about the background, not stepping forward into the center of attention like this. Every part of her body urged her to run and hide. Fortunately, Lord Kittrel was there bracing her with more than his body.
“Make it entertaining for the crowd, and Mrs. Dove-Lyon will help you,” he whispered. “Make it dramatic,” he said. Then he pushed her out the door such that she stood at the top of the gallery next to the woman.
Good God, standing there with a hundred eyes on her was horrid. At that moment, she knew she had not a drop of her mother’s acting talents because she was nearly frozen with terror. And yet what choice did she have? She’d embarked on this path against all advice. And so here she was, just now realizing how much more would be required of her than simple mathematical figuring. And that, she knew, would be hard enough.
“Say it!” Mrs. Dove-Lyon hissed under her breath.
“What?”
“Idiot,” she said, in a kind of curse. “Say your challenge.”
Oh.“Um…I do,” she said.
“Dramatically!” whispered Aaron from behind her.