Blackhearts (Blackhearts, #1)(12)

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Anne often wondered what they would say if they knew she was the daughter of another wealthy merchant. It was obvious Anne was educated, whereas the two maids were not, just one

more thing that set Anne apart from them.

She could have shared her background, but had decided to

remain silent. After all, it hadn’t stopped Henry from kicking

her and her mother out onto the street once Andrew Barrett

had died a year ago. Her mother had been forced to take a job

in the home of an earl, a less than ideal situation that had eventually led to her death. With no discernable skills, Anne had been forced to clean alongside the poor inhabitants of the city.

No one had come to their aid then. Why would strangers

care about her now? Especially in this cold house.

“Please, Anne. Will you do it for me?” Sara asked, her voice

pleading. Her mother was sick, and it was up to Sara to earn

money for the family. She could not afford to lose her job.

“All right. I’ll go.”

Sara gave her what she no doubt thought was an encourag—

ing smile but actually resembled a grimace, before turning back

to the dishes.

Impulsively Anne slipped into the pantry and scanned the

different earthenware jars that lined the shelves. She settled

upon a small, red one. Ginnie pepper. Her mother had often

used it in her cooking. The seeds were very hot and dry. She

grabbed a few and slid them into her apron pocket, determined

to return to the fight with her own form of ammunition.

41

C H A P T E R 5

Teach

The dining room door swung open, and Teach watched as

Anne reentered, her back straight, her expression closed. She

kept her gaze on the carpet, crossing to the buffet and following the other maid’s movements.

He wondered what was going through her mind at the

moment, amazed she had the nerve to come back after Patience’s

and his father’s comments. His father no doubt believed he was

helping Anne by allowing her to work in his household.

Patience was another matter. Teach noticed the frown on

his betrothed’s lips, a sure sign of her unease. He was quite

certain it had more to do with Anne’s beauty than with her

suitability as a maid, or her race. Patience did not take well to competition, especially in the form of a house servant.

When Teach had been younger and had first been attracted

to Patience, he’d found her caustic nature amusing. He’d never





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been on the receiving end and had often laughed at her cutting remarks when she’d discussed other members of the aristocracy.

But now he recognized her comments for what they were:

a way to make herself feel better when confronted with a rival.

Despite his irritation with Anne, even he had to admit that

Patience’s words had been in poor taste.

“The food is simply wonderful,” William said, taking a portion of potatoes from the platter in Anne’s hands.

Anne hesitated before moving on to Patience.

“Drummond demands the best,” Lord Hervey boomed,

taking a hearty bite of pheasant. “Have you not seen his ship?”

Lady Hervey laughed, a shrill sound like breaking glass,

much like her daughter’s laughter. “I, personally, have not.

Would you be so kind as to show it to me?” she said, leaning

toward Teach. “My own private tour.”

Teach chanced a glance at the baron, surprised the baroness would speak to her future son-in-law in that manner. The

baron didn’t seem to notice his wife’s boldness.

His daughter certainly did. Patience cleared her throat.

“Mr. Edward doesn’t have time for such things, Mama. We have

much more pressing issues to discuss.”

Lady Hervey leaned back in her seat, a frown between her

brows. Teach could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to come up with something to break the strained silence. It was clear from Patience’s reaction that she was accustomed to her mother’s flirtatious behavior. Only the baron





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appeared unaffected. If her daughter’s marriage hadn’t been planned for two years, Teach had the distinct feeling the baroness would likely have made a play for him herself.

It had been more than a year since Teach had last seen the

Hervey family. He was trying to decide if they had changed so very much in that time, or if the change lay solely with him. Before, he’d found their eccentricities amusing. Now he was annoyed.

The maids retired to the side of the buffet, and Teach found

his eyes drawn to Anne over the course of the meal. Her expression was oddly calculating. She appeared to be watching the

group, waiting for something, but he was unsure what.

All he knew was that her expression did not match that of

the other girl’s. The two could not have been more different.

The plump one made eyes at William, blushing a pretty pink

when he returned her stare. Anne looked like she wished the

entire dinner party would fall off the end of a dock, with nary