Re: The Secretary/The Crowned
Mrs Bagby was safe away for the night, and Mary was certain that she would neither call on Mary nor vanish, taken away by the fairies or whatever was happening to the disappearing folk on the train. Mary could be wrong, she was aware. Perhaps whatever was happening here was something that Mrs Bagby's nature could not prevent. But her employer had seemed confident of her safety before sending Mary away for the night. Mary had never seen her be wrong about such things yet. Though Mrs Bagby could, one supposed, be a bit more concerned for Mary.
Mrs Bagby had, however, managed before Mary came to work for her, and Mary reckoned that Mrs Bagby would carry on if Mary vanished into the night. If Mrs Bagby called for her, Mary would go. But for a few minutes, she could enjoy this gentleman's company, and pretend. Pretend that she was free of her obligations. Think of standing on the Great Wall.
"I don't think I will be called on until morning. Mrs Bagby has gone to bed, and under the circumstances I don't expect her to summon me. She is, I suspect, as safe as anyone on this train." Which, from the slight softening of Mary's smile, the disquiet at the corners of her eyes, might not be safe enough to suit Mary. But she rallied. "In the meantime, I would enjoy a visit to the dining car, thank you." And she rose from her seat neatly, the full length of her skirt and its narrowness--a fashion that had, perhaps, passed in the circles where Mr Marlborough usually traveled--not inhibiting her movements in the slightest.