“Yes, of course you may join us,” Linus agreed before Julia could finish gaping like an idiot. What on earth would Melanie want to visit the market for? Shouldn’t she be shopping with Valentine and Teresa Long?
“Thank you, sir.” Melanie spoke to her maid quietly and handed over a coin. The maid smiled warmly and slipped it into her glove then peeked around the stalls nearby to see what she might buy.
“I find myself at a bit of a loose end this morning, so I am very glad you could accommodate my request,” Melanie murmured quietly.
They moved deeper into the crowded marketplace. Heads bobbed deferentially to them, much more than normal, and it seemed to Julia that Melanie must be a well-known face here.
“Where is your father today?”
“He’s gone to visit an old friend in Hove. Do you know the Markhams?”
“No. Not at all.” She stored the name in her memory for future reference. “Are they important people?”
“To my parents, yes.” Melanie examined a loaf of bread, testing the weight with one hand. She paid over coin and the shopkeeper handed her purchase to a small lad of about ten. “Mr. Markham attended school with my father. They meet every time he comes to Brighton.”
“What is he like?”
“He is exactly like my father, unfortunately,” Melanie sighed. “I am glad to have been made to stay behind, I assure you.”
Melanie stopped at several stalls Julia did not normally frequent and as she listened, she heard Melanie mention her brother’s name frequently and his respect for their wares many times. So often that she came to realize Melanie was using her presence for a purpose.
At the end of her errand, Melanie took her arm and sighed. “That was perfect.”
“You were promoting your brother.”
“I must take every opportunity while I have the chance. When my father returns from Hove, I may not have the opportunity again. Knowing him and his whims so well, he could very well uproot us tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t like that.”
“Neither would I,” Linus cut in, breaking his silence. “It has been good to see you again. Julia has missed you.”
Julia tried not to reveal how great a lie that was.
To her surprise, Melanie smiled a little sadly, as if she already knew that wasn’t the case. “I am sorry if my overfamiliarity has made you uncomfortable but it is the fastest way to disprove that I have any reservations about your marriage to my brother. Often it is not what is said but what is done that sticks in the mind.”
“I see.” She swallowed nervously. “Then perhaps you could help me.”
“With what?
“To be more like you.” Julia lowered her voice. “Graceful, calm. You have the respect of everyone you meet, where I do not.”
They were outside Julia’s home when Melanie turned to Linus. “Mr. Radley, might I steal your sister away for an intimate tea at my brother’s home?”
He smiled broadly. “Yes, of course you may. Do please take her with my blessing.”
Startled by his easy acceptance, Julia followed Melanie into her future home. At the door, the butler took their hats and gloves and set them aside. “Is my brother at home, Forbes?”
“No, miss,” he apologized. “I thought he was meeting you.”
“Our paths did not cross, unfortunately. Would you mind serving tea for myself and Miss Radley in the parlor in thirty minutes?”
“I’d be very happy to, miss.” Forbes beamed. “Mrs. Vant and I were just saying that it’s a pleasure to see you back in Brighton but we’d be happier yet to look after you at home.”
“And I’ve missed you both very much.”
Melanie watched the butler go with a smile, then whispered. “The reason I’m so well accepted in town is because I’m not in the habit of revealing my unmentionables to everyone. I hope you are done with that nonsense.”
“Yes, well.” Julia blushed. “That is in the past. I proved my point.”