Butterfly Palace Read Online Free PDF

pain?”
    The pain was enough to suffocate her, but Lily shook her head. “I just have so many questions. What of Mr. Lambreth? I thought him a bit forward.”
    Emily lifted a brow. “He usually acts like we’re fence posts. He’s a nice enough chap. He’s been here about six weeks, but he’ll be going back to Spain at the end of the summer.”
    “How exciting. What does he do there?”
    “He manages the estates there. A vineyard I believe.”
    Lily rubbed her head. “I’m just so discombobulated I hardly know where I am or if this is all a dream.”
    “You’ll know at five that it’s all too real.” Emily crawled into the left side of the bed.
    “We get up at five?”
    Emily nodded. “You’ll need to help in the kitchen, then prepareMiss Belle’s breakfast and take it up to her. She doesn’t have a lady’s maid. Her morning room will need to be freshly cleaned, and you can do that tomorrow. We take turns.”
    It all sounded quite overwhelming. “Mrs. Marshall asked me to attend to her in the morning. She hurt her arm and is struggling with her hair.”
    Emily’s brows drew together. “Why would she ask you? She could have asked me or one of the other maids to help her.”
    Lily bit her lip at the censure in Emily’s voice. “She looked at my dress and asked if I’d made it.” She pulled back the threadbare sheets and slid into the bed. The slight sag in the middle made her roll against Emily.
    “We should get some rest.” Emily’s voice was clipped. “It’s nearly two. Put out the light.”
    “Of course.” Lily put out the kerosene lamp. “Emily? I didn’t mean to upset you.” The darkness added to the silence for a long moment.
    “It’s all right, love. I’m not mad at you. Just a little jealous you’ve been singled out so quickly. Take advantage of tomorrow. I’d love to be a lady’s maid, but I’ve never gotten the chance.”
    “It’s only temporary until her arm heals.”
    “We’ll see.”
    Lily gulped and tried to hug the edge of the bed. With all her heart, she wished she were back in Larson sewing dresses.

THREE
    L ily’s eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep as she dressed in her black uniform and white apron before going off to find the kitchen. She’d lain awake listening to every creak outside in the hall and wishing there was a way to lock the bedroom door.
    She made several wrong turns before she found the kitchen stairway in the back of the house. The large room teemed with activity as kitchen maids scurried around. Mrs. O’Reilly was dressed in a spotless white blouse and black skirt. Not a wisp of red hair had dared escape the pins. She was directing the efforts with a soft voice undergirded with steel.
    Lily stepped closer. “Mrs. O’Reilly?”
    The housekeeper looked up. “There you are. Emily has offered to take over your shift tending to Miss Belle so you can learn the ropes here in the kitchen.” She pointed to the large wooden worktable. “That’s for mixing the pancakes. The ingredients are in bins along the wood counter.” She gestured to a butcher-block counter lined with tins of varying sizes.
    Lily looked away. “I’m happy to do whatever you want. I’m to go see Mrs. Marshall this morning after breakfast. She wants me to help her with her hair.”
    Mrs. O’Reilly’s face went blank. “So she told me. What did you do to finagle such a request?”
    “Nothing, ma’am. She looked me over last night and asked who had made my dress. I made it myself. Then she asked if I was familiar with the current hairstyles. The next thing I knew, she was ordering me to help her this morning.”
    The housekeeper pursed her lips. “I won’t have a maid who is scheming behind my back, Lily. Did you come here hoping to work your way out of the kitchen?”
    Lily held the woman’s gaze. “I am just grateful to have a job, Mrs. O’Reilly. I am unfamiliar with what a lady’s maid even does. I only wish to be of service and earn my living. I came here