Read Online A Second Chance by Shayne Parkinson - Free Book Online

anything at all, just pull the cord for the maid.
There’s no hurry for you to get up, I want you to rest till
lunch-time at least.’
    She drew the heavy drapes together, leaving
the room pleasantly dim, and pulled the door closed as she went
out.
    Amy undressed and washed herself, handling
the beautiful china of the wash set with reverence. She put on her
nightdress, then slid gratefully into the bed. It was even softer
than it looked; the mattress was what she imagined a cloud might be
to lie on. She rubbed her cheek against the top sheet. It smelt
faintly of lavender, and the linen was fine enough to have been
made into the daintiest of underwear.
    Despite the meagre amount of sleep she had
had the night before, drowsiness refused to turn into slumber. Her
reluctance to close her eyes did not help; the room was beautiful,
even in the dim light. The ceiling was particularly lovely, with
its intricate plaster moulding and the etched glass light fitting
at its centre. Being deserted by sleep was no hardship when it was
delightful just to lie in the big, soft bed in this enchanting
room.
    When she reckoned that at least two hours
had passed, Amy got out of bed. The black dress was marked with the
dust of travelling; she left it draped over the back of a chair and
put on her work dress. She opened the drapes and studied the angle
of the sun; well after midday, she judged.
    The maid came in while Amy was brushing her
hair.
    ‘Begging your pardon, ma’am, but Miss Sarah
told me to see if you were awake yet, in case you were wanting
anything.’
    ‘Yes, I’m quite awake, I’ve had a lovely
rest,’ Amy said. ‘Do you know what the time is, Nellie?’
    ‘Just about one o’clock, ma’am.’
    ‘As late as that? What time will lunch be
on?’
    Nellie looked at her in evident surprise.
‘Why, lunch will be whenever you want it, Mrs Stewart. Can I help
you with anything?’
    ‘Well, if it’s not too much trouble, could
you get me a clothes brush? This dress could do with a good
brushing.’
    Nellie looked more surprised than before.
She frowned slightly, as if not sure that she had understood
correctly. ‘I’ll see to it at once, Mrs Stewart.’ She picked the
dress up and left the room before Amy had time to protest.
    She thought of hurrying after Nellie to tell
her that she had not meant the maid to clean the dress for her, but
she was not sure whether she would be able to find the girl.
Instead she finished putting her hair in order, and when that was
done she explored her wonderful bedroom, opening every drawer,
examining the lace curtains, and studying the wallpaper until she
had comprehended how the pattern repeated itself every foot or
so.
    When Nellie returned, the mourning dress
impeccably brushed, Amy asked the maid to take her to Sarah. She
followed Nellie down the stairs, along a passage, and into a room
slightly larger than Amy’s bedroom. It was a pleasant, sunny room,
with pretty lace curtains filtering the light and soft-looking
sofas, but the room’s greatest importance in Amy’s eyes was that it
held Sarah.
    Sarah took Amy’s hand and drew her down to
sit beside her on one of the sofas. ‘A tray of tea in here, please,
Nellie. And tell Mrs Jenson we’ll have luncheon in half an
hour.’
    ‘What a pretty parlour,’ Amy said, looking
around the room from her new vantage point.
    ‘Yes, it’s a pleasant room, though it’s
usually called the morning room.’ Sarah studied Amy’s face with
evident satisfaction. ‘Oh, yes, you look better now—and that dress
is more cheerful.’ She brushed a fold of the pink-striped woollen
gown, and her fingers went unerringly to a worn area near one seam.
‘Though it’s a little… plain,’ she said, frowning. ‘Did you wear
this one on the farm while I was there?’
    ‘Most days, I think.’ Amy moved her fingers
surreptitiously, trying to hide an even more worn patch on the
other side of the dress.
    ‘Really? It didn’t catch my attention