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Authors: Audrey Howard
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dismissed.’
‘She can come here, Alice.’
‘You are all so kind. I must let Harry know so that he can tell Charlie where I am; just until I can find somewhere . . .’
‘Stop it, Alice, stop it, I say. You will stay here with us and have your baby and then we will see what is to be done.’
Rose was aware of the sharp intake of Dolly’s breath and the maids, who had been brought up, as decent girls were, to believe that it was a sin to consort with a man to whom one was not married, exchanged glances, for what would their families say if they knew.
‘No, oh no, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t presume . . . my mind was . . . I was in such a state . . . I gave it no thought so I came here. I did try to get out to see you but I was watched, after that day when you and I went to the station. I couldn’t even send you a letter. Oh, Rose, please let me rest for an hour then I will see if perhaps Harry . . .’
Her voice was apologetic and she lapsed into silence. They held their breath, waiting to see if she had anything else to say and though they were all shocked to the core like all virtuous women of their time would be, could they be cruel enough to judge the poor little thing? Dolly wondered how many other young women would find themselves in the same condition at a time like this when their sweethearts went off to war and might never come back. Besides, this house was not hers, it belonged to Rose and it was Rose who would make the decisions.
The servants were still standing unmoving, Rose kneeling with her arms about Miss Alice when a commotion at the back door had them all twittering like a flock of starlings. What the devil was happening outside in the yard? A voice could be heard asking for Miss Beechworth and when Fanny opened the door, had they not been in such a trance it might have been amusing. A working man stood there and in his arms were two wriggling puppies. The man looked most put out as though this was not really his job and the quicker it was done the better he would like it.
‘Sir Harry sent these little buggers. Rather you than me,’ he told the astonished maid, thrusting them into her reluctant arms. She shrieked as though they were live snakes, put them down on the clean floor and stepped back, holding up her skirts. Both of them promptly squatted down and made water.
Alice laughed and as Dolly watched her, she forgave everything and everybody, which included Miss Rose, to hear Miss Alice laugh when moments ago she looked as though she might do herself some harm if left to her own devices.
‘Miss Davenport . . . what are we to do?’ Fanny stammered, looking as though she were ready to jump on the nearest chair to avoid the excited puppies.
‘Nay . . . nay,’ Dolly wailed, ‘what ’ave thi’ done now, Miss Rose? See . . .’ turning to the man on the doorstep. ‘Tha’ll ’ave ter tekk ’em back.’
The man was truculent. ‘Sir Harry – aye, – ’is dad died this day an’ it’s
Sir Harry
now – ses ter give ’em ter Miss Beechworth, an’ that’s what I done.’ He turned on his heel, climbed into the trap and drove swiftly out of the yard.
Rose got to her feet. ‘Lord, I forgot about the puppies with all . . .’ She turned to Alice. ‘I thought you might like one, Alice. They’re called Ginger and Spice.’
‘Never mind what they’re called,’ Dolly screeched. ‘They’re not stopping in my kitchen so you can put that in yer pipe an’ smoke it. See, will tha’ look at that.’ It was a sign of her agitation that she was struggling with her words. ‘Tell Fred ter tekk ’em to’t stable an’—’
‘Oh, no, please, Miss Davenport, let me look after them, with Rose, of course. I have always wanted a dog of my own. I’ll clean up after them, I promise.’ A light had been restored to Alice’s eyes, perhaps only momentarily but for the present she was taking an interest in something other than her own terrible dilemma.
For the first
‘She can come here, Alice.’
‘You are all so kind. I must let Harry know so that he can tell Charlie where I am; just until I can find somewhere . . .’
‘Stop it, Alice, stop it, I say. You will stay here with us and have your baby and then we will see what is to be done.’
Rose was aware of the sharp intake of Dolly’s breath and the maids, who had been brought up, as decent girls were, to believe that it was a sin to consort with a man to whom one was not married, exchanged glances, for what would their families say if they knew.
‘No, oh no, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t presume . . . my mind was . . . I was in such a state . . . I gave it no thought so I came here. I did try to get out to see you but I was watched, after that day when you and I went to the station. I couldn’t even send you a letter. Oh, Rose, please let me rest for an hour then I will see if perhaps Harry . . .’
Her voice was apologetic and she lapsed into silence. They held their breath, waiting to see if she had anything else to say and though they were all shocked to the core like all virtuous women of their time would be, could they be cruel enough to judge the poor little thing? Dolly wondered how many other young women would find themselves in the same condition at a time like this when their sweethearts went off to war and might never come back. Besides, this house was not hers, it belonged to Rose and it was Rose who would make the decisions.
The servants were still standing unmoving, Rose kneeling with her arms about Miss Alice when a commotion at the back door had them all twittering like a flock of starlings. What the devil was happening outside in the yard? A voice could be heard asking for Miss Beechworth and when Fanny opened the door, had they not been in such a trance it might have been amusing. A working man stood there and in his arms were two wriggling puppies. The man looked most put out as though this was not really his job and the quicker it was done the better he would like it.
‘Sir Harry sent these little buggers. Rather you than me,’ he told the astonished maid, thrusting them into her reluctant arms. She shrieked as though they were live snakes, put them down on the clean floor and stepped back, holding up her skirts. Both of them promptly squatted down and made water.
Alice laughed and as Dolly watched her, she forgave everything and everybody, which included Miss Rose, to hear Miss Alice laugh when moments ago she looked as though she might do herself some harm if left to her own devices.
‘Miss Davenport . . . what are we to do?’ Fanny stammered, looking as though she were ready to jump on the nearest chair to avoid the excited puppies.
‘Nay . . . nay,’ Dolly wailed, ‘what ’ave thi’ done now, Miss Rose? See . . .’ turning to the man on the doorstep. ‘Tha’ll ’ave ter tekk ’em back.’
The man was truculent. ‘Sir Harry – aye, – ’is dad died this day an’ it’s
Sir Harry
now – ses ter give ’em ter Miss Beechworth, an’ that’s what I done.’ He turned on his heel, climbed into the trap and drove swiftly out of the yard.
Rose got to her feet. ‘Lord, I forgot about the puppies with all . . .’ She turned to Alice. ‘I thought you might like one, Alice. They’re called Ginger and Spice.’
‘Never mind what they’re called,’ Dolly screeched. ‘They’re not stopping in my kitchen so you can put that in yer pipe an’ smoke it. See, will tha’ look at that.’ It was a sign of her agitation that she was struggling with her words. ‘Tell Fred ter tekk ’em to’t stable an’—’
‘Oh, no, please, Miss Davenport, let me look after them, with Rose, of course. I have always wanted a dog of my own. I’ll clean up after them, I promise.’ A light had been restored to Alice’s eyes, perhaps only momentarily but for the present she was taking an interest in something other than her own terrible dilemma.
For the first
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