Somewhat Scandalous (Brambridge Novel 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

interesting activity.”
    Victoria raised her eyebrows. “Are you quite sure you’ve recovered from our dancing lesson? I was certain Monsieur Bertrand was going to have a heart attack when you stood on his left foot.”
    Agatha sighed. “Quite recovered, thank you. I can’t help the fact that I’m slightly clumsy.”
    “Hmm, that would explain why Madame Dupont stuck quite so many pins in your side.”
    “Oh no. She did that out of spite.”
    “Why on earth did she do that?”
    “I suggested that she needed her eye glass reground; after all, it didn’t throw a perfect circle of light on the ground. Unfortunately I omitted to mention my reasoning and told her just after she commented on my chest measurements.”
    “Oooh.”
    Agatha nodded. “I got the feeling she did not like making up dresses for companions.”
    “You are not a companion.” Victoria stood and put her hands on her hips. “You’re my friend.”
    A warm flush swept up Agatha’s neck . A friend . She took in Victoria’s dull gaze and thought about their morning of quiet sewing, during which Victoria’s mood had inexplicably deepened. Stroking the embossed cover of the book with a tentative finger, she sat up. “What you have here,” she said slowly, “is a gold mine.”
    “Gosh.” Victoria pulled open a terrace door and stepped out onto the patio, breathing in the cold autumn air. She pulled her wrap around her slight form and looked back through the window. “How novel.”
    Agatha stood and pulled Victoria back into the drawing room. “You’ll catch your death of cold if you stand out there like that in this weather.”
    Victoria sank into her seat and stared at the floor.
    Rising to stand in front of Victoria, Agatha tapped her foot on the thick pile carpet and put a hand to her chin. “We shall follow the same experiments that the girls and their teacher undertake.”
    Victoria frowned and looked up sharply. “Tutelage by Mrs. B.”
    “Yes, that’s exactly what we’ll call it.”
    The corners of Victoria’s mouth twitched. “When do we start?
    Agatha smiled. “Right away. I happened to alight upon a very interesting ‘conversation’ when I opened the book at random. Mrs. B. says it has some scintillating results.”
    “Is that your enthusiasm for science talking or Mrs. B.?”
    “Alright. Mrs. B. only says it’s interesting. But I still think it sounds worth pursuing. Oh come on, Victoria, don’t be a nervous goose.”
    Victoria sighed. “What do we need?”
    “I think we ought to be able to get everything from the kitchen.”
    “I’m not sure they will be very happy about us going down there.”
    Agatha folded her arms in front of her. “And whyever not?”
    “Since… Mama died, my brother deals with them. I… I stay out of the house affairs.”
    “Hmm. Well perhaps it is time to get back into them.”      
    “Agatha I can’t—what are you doing?”
    Grabbing Victoria by the hand, Agatha towed her out of the room, into the hallway, and opened the door to below stairs. The sound of clattering pots and voices reached them from the kitchens below. Letting go of Victoria and tucking the Conversations on Science under her arm, Agatha clumped down the stairs.
    In the lower kitchens, the head cook leant over the kitchen table, a pile of pork chops in a wrapping of brown paper open in front of her. Opposite her, a man in a straw boater and white coat dropped his knife to the table with a clatter.
    “I ain’t coming back next week, Mrs. Noggin, I’ve got another job on.” The butcher scratched his head and picked up his knife again.
    “Tis a pity, Albert, there ain’t anybody as good with a knife as you. Why those fillet steaks you gave us—”
    “Ahem.” Agatha placed a hand over her mouth and coughed, but the cook kept on talking.
    “—were right good ones. Mister Henry ate every last bit as normal, but I was so proud Miss Victoria had a little bit of it. She likes her jelly though. I worry for