Back at Willow Cottage, Concordia tidied the parlor for Lieutenant Capshaw’s arrival, then went looking for Ruby. She had a plan to keep the housekeeper from slipping away from Capshaw this time. She grabbed the sewing basket on her way to the kitchen.
“Ruby?” Concordia called out.
““You need somethin’, miss?” Ruby asked, drying her hands on her apron.
Concordia smiled apologetically and gestured to the basket. “We have some mending that the girls don’t have quite the needle-skills to manage. Would you mind?”
The matron squinted over a puffed-sleeved shirtwaist Concordia extracted from the basket. With a sigh, Ruby retrieved her magnifying spectacles and perched them on her nose as she examined the tear. “Wot do they teach these girls at home? Ah well, I should have enough time b’fore
