As soon as he left, Agnes turned to her with shining eyes. “Don’t you see, Esther? This is your way out.”

“What is?” Esther asked, confused.

“The housekeeper. You shall become the new housekeeper!”

"Me?" Esther gasped, getting to her feet. "Godmother, how could you consider such a thing? I am a lady, not the hired help!"

Agnes took on a more serious tone. "Do you want to escape from Lord Thompson, or don't you? Well, here is the only way you can escape him and hide from your father for a while.”

Esther began to pace over the plush carpet, thinking hard. The very thought terrified her, but no more than marrying Lord Thompson did.

“I don’t know how to be a housekeeper, Godmother!”

Agnes exclaimed. "I can’t imagine it’s that hard, dear. The Duke of Hawdon is just lovely. It’s the perfect opportunity for your predicament."

“The Duke of Hawdon?” Esther gasped. “Now I am convinced that you have lost your senses!”

"He will not notice you, my dear!" Agnes cried, sitting up straighter. "Such a man does not take notice of his servants. He will expect you to run his household to perfection, as you are quite capable of doing. That will be it. You will barely see him, and, since he has never met you within society, there is no concern over him recognizing you."

Esther could hardly think straight. It would mean crossing the upstairs-downstairs divide, and not in her favor. She would have a housekeeper’s quarters, which would be slightly more comfortable and certainly more private than the other servants’ quarters. It would mean taking meals with the servants, being under a duke’s authority, and she could easily be removed from her position if she made a mistake. The whole idea seemed foolish. So why was she even considering saying yes?

“I shall need an entirely new wardrobe,” she said, flopping back down to the chair. “I do not have any gowns suitable for a housekeeper.”

Agnes’s eyes gleamed. “That is of no concern, my dear. I shall a few dresses prepared for you. Also, you shall have to spend some time learning about how to behave,” she said, gently.

“Wait!” Esther said, a thought suddenly coming to her. “What about your son, Lord Heber?”

“What about him?”

"He is friends with the Duke, what if he should recognize me?"

Agnes waved her concern away. “Bernard never looks twice at any servant here, except perhaps his valet. You need not concern yourself about that.”

Esther took a deep breath. "Society will not be inclined to welcome me back," she said, almost to herself. "If I do such a thing, there will be a lot of talk."

"All the more reason to do it," Agnes replied stoutly. "Lord Thompson will surely not wish to marry a wayward daughter with a stained reputation."

“Yes, that is true. However, it also means that other men will have reservations in courting me,” said Esther.

“Well, the choice is yours, Esther.”

Esther nodded. Agnes’s scheme was her best option. She did not want to marry Lord Thompson. She would be looked on with disgrace by society should the truth ever come out, but she didn’t care about her reputation in that moment.

“Very well,” she said, seeing the gleam in her godmother’s eye. “I shall return tomorrow, and we shall go to meet the Duke. I do hope you know what you’re doing.”

Her godmother clapped her hands together. “Excellent, my dear,” she grinned. “It shall all work out in the end, you will see!”

Esther nodded, trying to push away the feeling of impending doom.

The following day found Esther once more at Agnes’s door. She had brought nothing with her, for fear of raising her father’s suspicion. He had been in his study all morning, and she had not seen him. Esther knew that he expected her to fall in line with his demands as she had always done, but the idea of marrying Lord Thompson could simply not be borne. A part of her wished that she could have kissed him goodbye, but she knew even that would have alerted him to her change in demeanor. It was not a risk she could take. Despite everything, she still loved her father, even though he didn’t respect her choices.

“Come in, child, come in!” Agnes called as the butler led Esther to Agnes’s bedchamber. “I am quite prepared for you.”

Wishing she had even half of her godmother's eagerness, Esther tried on various dresses, all in differing shades of gray or brown. They had high collars and were the most modest dresses she had ever worn.

"Perfectly suitable for a housekeeper," Agnes commented while studying Esther.

Esther simply nodded, feeling cold with fright. She had no qualms about her ability to run a household, but Esther was frightfully nervous about her behavior. Her ingrained manners and lack of ability to drop her gaze as a servant were proving to be difficult mannerisms to change.

“Clasp your hands and gaze at his boots, whenever the Duke is speaking to you,” her godmother said, looking over her with a critical eye. “Yes, that’s right. Now,” she continued, looking at Esther’s ornately designed locks. “We shall have to do something about your hair.”

“My hair?” Esther exclaimed, pressing a hand to her head. “What do you mean?”

"Nothing serious," her godmother replied, pressing her into a chair. "We just need to ensure you can put your hair into a style suitable for a housekeeper." She brushed Esther's long hair, the fair color of her tresses catching the light. "You will need to wear it like this every day," she replied, putting it into a simple bun. "Another way is to cut it and then tie it up. Whatever way you choose, you must be able to do such things yourself for there will be no one to help you."

“I understand,” Esther replied, glad she could do both of those hairstyles easily. “I will have to simply try my best, Agnes.”

“You shall do magnificently,” her godmother replied with a smile. “Now, you look the part, and we have everything you need here.” She gestured to a large bag. “Are you ready to depart?”

“We are going immediately?” Esther replied, feeling nausea rise in her stomach. “I don’t even have time to get used to the idea?”

"You've had a lot of time already," her godmother replied, practical as ever. "Now is time to take hold of your new future. I am sure the Duke will be vastly pleased with my selection." She grinned, hugging her goddaughter, trying to push the fear from her eyes. "You know that you will always have a home here with me," she whispered. "No matter what happens."

“Thank you, Godmother,” Esther replied, feeling a lump in her throat. “I shall miss you.”

“And I shall miss you,” came the reply. After a moment, Agnes pulled back, giving herself a small shake. “Let us go.”