Read Online Orphans of the Storm by Katie Flynn - Free Book Online
Authors: Katie Flynn
Tags: Historical
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something else has happened! I’ve managed to get the day off tomorrow so I can support you at the funeral; is that what you wanted to ask me?’
‘No, no, no, it’s more important . . . different . . . oh, Ken, we can get married as soon as you like,’ Jess gabbled, feeling her cheeks burn with excitement. ‘They had the Will reading this morning, and all the family came, and of course Cook and I were rushed off our feet because everyone stayed for lunch so we were far too busy to wonder about the Will. We were pretty sure that young Mr Bellamy would inherit everything but this afternoon he came into the kitchen and told the three of us, Cook, Gladys and myself, that we had each been left a small sum of money and a keepsake. I have got the most beautiful amethyst necklace, Gladys has a silver bangle set with very pretty crystals, and Cook has the dragonfly brooch which Mrs Bellamy wore pinned to her best coat when she went to church on Sundays. I remember she once said she meant to leave it to her daughter-in-law, because it’s such a pretty thing, but then young Mrs Bellamy said only a woman with no taste would wear such a gaudy brooch and Mrs Bellamy heard and must have changed her Will.’
‘Well, how good of her to remember the servants! I always said she was a right ’un,’ Ken said warmly. ‘But . . . are you thinking of selling the necklace, queen? Only I’d rather you kept it, because I’m sure that’s what Mrs Bellamy intended.’
‘Of course I’d never sell it, not if I was starving,’ Jess said vehemently. ‘But I won’t need to; oh, Ken, she’s left me two hundred pounds ! Cook’s got a hundred, and so has Gladys, and it was so kind of her to include Cook because she’s only been with us a short time.’ She looked up at Ken with shining eyes. ‘What do you think of that , Ken Ryan?’
Despite their hopes, it was after Christmas before Jess and Ken actually got married. For one thing, Mr Bellamy had asked Jess to stay on so that she could supervise the cataloguing of all the contents of the house in order that they might be auctioned. Everything was to go: carpets, curtains, furniture, even Mrs Bellamy’s much loved collection of Dresden figurines and the Sèvres tea set which had graced the china cabinet in the drawing room. Young Mrs Bellamy had come to the house one day and informed Jess, coldly, that her husband had told her to stick a label on anything she wished to have for herself. Jess had accompanied her round so that she would know which objects should not be included in the catalogue, but it had hardly proved necessary. Young Mrs Bellamy had seemed to despise all her motherin-law’s possessions and apart from the grandfather clock in the hall, and an oil painting of a rural scene, had told Jess that everything might be sold.
‘Would – would it be all right, Mrs Bellamy, if I bought some of the kitchen equipment?’ Jess had asked timidly. ‘I would bid for it at the auction but I’m afraid I shall probably be in another job by then and unable to get time off. I’d pay whatever you considered fair,’ she had added hastily, as Mrs Bellamy’s cold and fishy eyes stared down at her.
The other woman had hesitated and then said grudgingly, ‘Well, I suppose it would be all right. I don’t suppose the kitchen equipment would fetch much, but you’d best ask my husband what you should pay.’
Jess had thanked her but thought crossly that she had probably been silly to mention it. After all, Mrs Bellamy had not wanted any of the stuff, and her interest had been so cursory that the staff could have walked off with half the contents of the house had they been dishonest. As it was, she and Cook put to one side things that they particularly wanted, though they took care not to choose anything of value. Pots and pans, sieves, wooden spoons, ladles and good sharp knives were, she felt, acceptable, but the beautiful solid silver cutlery, lying on its bed of velvet and polished
‘No, no, no, it’s more important . . . different . . . oh, Ken, we can get married as soon as you like,’ Jess gabbled, feeling her cheeks burn with excitement. ‘They had the Will reading this morning, and all the family came, and of course Cook and I were rushed off our feet because everyone stayed for lunch so we were far too busy to wonder about the Will. We were pretty sure that young Mr Bellamy would inherit everything but this afternoon he came into the kitchen and told the three of us, Cook, Gladys and myself, that we had each been left a small sum of money and a keepsake. I have got the most beautiful amethyst necklace, Gladys has a silver bangle set with very pretty crystals, and Cook has the dragonfly brooch which Mrs Bellamy wore pinned to her best coat when she went to church on Sundays. I remember she once said she meant to leave it to her daughter-in-law, because it’s such a pretty thing, but then young Mrs Bellamy said only a woman with no taste would wear such a gaudy brooch and Mrs Bellamy heard and must have changed her Will.’
‘Well, how good of her to remember the servants! I always said she was a right ’un,’ Ken said warmly. ‘But . . . are you thinking of selling the necklace, queen? Only I’d rather you kept it, because I’m sure that’s what Mrs Bellamy intended.’
‘Of course I’d never sell it, not if I was starving,’ Jess said vehemently. ‘But I won’t need to; oh, Ken, she’s left me two hundred pounds ! Cook’s got a hundred, and so has Gladys, and it was so kind of her to include Cook because she’s only been with us a short time.’ She looked up at Ken with shining eyes. ‘What do you think of that , Ken Ryan?’
Despite their hopes, it was after Christmas before Jess and Ken actually got married. For one thing, Mr Bellamy had asked Jess to stay on so that she could supervise the cataloguing of all the contents of the house in order that they might be auctioned. Everything was to go: carpets, curtains, furniture, even Mrs Bellamy’s much loved collection of Dresden figurines and the Sèvres tea set which had graced the china cabinet in the drawing room. Young Mrs Bellamy had come to the house one day and informed Jess, coldly, that her husband had told her to stick a label on anything she wished to have for herself. Jess had accompanied her round so that she would know which objects should not be included in the catalogue, but it had hardly proved necessary. Young Mrs Bellamy had seemed to despise all her motherin-law’s possessions and apart from the grandfather clock in the hall, and an oil painting of a rural scene, had told Jess that everything might be sold.
‘Would – would it be all right, Mrs Bellamy, if I bought some of the kitchen equipment?’ Jess had asked timidly. ‘I would bid for it at the auction but I’m afraid I shall probably be in another job by then and unable to get time off. I’d pay whatever you considered fair,’ she had added hastily, as Mrs Bellamy’s cold and fishy eyes stared down at her.
The other woman had hesitated and then said grudgingly, ‘Well, I suppose it would be all right. I don’t suppose the kitchen equipment would fetch much, but you’d best ask my husband what you should pay.’
Jess had thanked her but thought crossly that she had probably been silly to mention it. After all, Mrs Bellamy had not wanted any of the stuff, and her interest had been so cursory that the staff could have walked off with half the contents of the house had they been dishonest. As it was, she and Cook put to one side things that they particularly wanted, though they took care not to choose anything of value. Pots and pans, sieves, wooden spoons, ladles and good sharp knives were, she felt, acceptable, but the beautiful solid silver cutlery, lying on its bed of velvet and polished
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