Livia was a friend. Jane couldn't hate her properly. It would have made things easier. But Livia was sharp and beautiful.
It had only been weeks since Beaumont had elevated Livia's status from servant girl to working girl, and in that time, she had managed to make sure the rest of them blended into the background like decorative wallflowers.
One of the girls, Anne, muttered bitterly. "We will never get noticed."
Jane shot her a look. "Lower your voice."
"What for?" Anne hissed. "So Beaumont can continue feeding her the good things while the rest of us fight over nothing?"
A few of the girls murmured in agreement.
Martha, seated on a stool leaned forward. "It is not right. Since she came up, Beaumont has been parading her like some court lady. Every gentleman asks for her now."
"Not every gentleman," Jane said.
Anne snorted. "No, you're right. Some ask for her first, then settle for us when Beaumont says she's already taken."
That one stung because it was true.
