Read Online The Adultress by Philippa Carr - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Philippa Carr
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what he wants of you, why he’s asked you here … but I don’t think it’s to get rid of Jessie … he just does not want to say what he’s got to in front of her.”
“I’ll go back to the house and to his room.”
“Bit too early yet, mistress. Wait till she’s in Carew’s house. You can see it from my top window. On a bit of hill, we are. And I can see Carew’s clear from my top window. When she goes in it’s two hours clear afore she’s out and she’s generally there before two. We should be on the watch. Will you step up?”
There was a short staircase in the room to Jethro’s bedroom, which extended across the whole area of the cottage. There was a small window at either end of the room … one looking out over Jethro’s vegetable patch, the other across fields to the house.
He had placed two chairs at this window. Now he said: “Look to the right of the house. See the manager’s house. Always been the manager’s house as long as I can remember, and my father and grandfather before me. Well, Amos Carew came here. He was a merry sort of fellow, people liked him. So did the girls. I reckon there’s one or two of them who would have liked to set up house with him but he’s not the marrying kind. And it wasn’t long after he came that he brought Jessie here. She wheedled her way into the house and was a great favorite of his lordship. It got so he couldn’t do without her. He gave her jewels and fine clothes and more or less the running of the house. Because he’s an old man … well, she always kept on with Amos. So that is how it is.”
“The more I hear the more sordid it becomes.”
“That’s because you’re a lady bred and born but this sort of thing springs up now and then. … It’s a pity, though, that it should be his lordship. There! Are you keeping your eyes open? It should be any minute now.”
“As soon as we see her I shall hurry back to the house and go straight up to Lord Eversleigh’s room.”
“That’s the idea, and when you find out what he wants if I can be of any help I’m here. She’s late today.”
“What is that house over there?”
“Why, that’s Enderby.”
“Oh yes … I remember Enderby.”
“A queer sort of place that’s always been.”
“Who is there now?”
“It changed hands some time ago. It seems to do that. I think there’s something strange about that house. Things have happened in it. People don’t seem to stay. Don’t mix much, these people. Have visitors from time to time. Foreigners, some of them.”
“It’s strange how a house gets a reputation.”
“Haunted, they say. There’s been tragedies there. Some say that part of the grounds are haunted too. There was rumor that someone was murdered and buried there.”
“It always seemed rather gloomy as I remember.”
“Ah yes, Enderby’s not a place you’d forget. Look. There she is. You can just make her out. See, she keeps to the trees. … She’ll have to come into the open before she can get to the house, though. ’Tis a mercy there is a good deal of her. She can’t easy be missed.” He chuckled. “I fancy she’ll have a lot to tell Amos today.”
I watched with a growing excitement. She walked into the house without knocking. She was evidently expected.
“I’ll go back right away,” I said. “And thank you, Jethro. I’ll see you again soon.”
“Right you are, mistress. Get in now. Go straight into his room. Never mind if he’s dozing. Wake him up. That’s what he wants.”
I went quietly into the house and up the stairs. When I opened the door of Uncle Carl’s room, he was propped up in bed, I think waiting for me.
Those wonderfully alive eyes lit up when they rested on me.
“You found Jethro,” he said.
“Yes. He told me this was the time to find you alone.”
“Jessie’s sleeping. She likes her nap at this time of day.”
There was a certain mischief in his eyes and it occurred to me then that he knew of her visits to the estate
“I’ll go back to the house and to his room.”
“Bit too early yet, mistress. Wait till she’s in Carew’s house. You can see it from my top window. On a bit of hill, we are. And I can see Carew’s clear from my top window. When she goes in it’s two hours clear afore she’s out and she’s generally there before two. We should be on the watch. Will you step up?”
There was a short staircase in the room to Jethro’s bedroom, which extended across the whole area of the cottage. There was a small window at either end of the room … one looking out over Jethro’s vegetable patch, the other across fields to the house.
He had placed two chairs at this window. Now he said: “Look to the right of the house. See the manager’s house. Always been the manager’s house as long as I can remember, and my father and grandfather before me. Well, Amos Carew came here. He was a merry sort of fellow, people liked him. So did the girls. I reckon there’s one or two of them who would have liked to set up house with him but he’s not the marrying kind. And it wasn’t long after he came that he brought Jessie here. She wheedled her way into the house and was a great favorite of his lordship. It got so he couldn’t do without her. He gave her jewels and fine clothes and more or less the running of the house. Because he’s an old man … well, she always kept on with Amos. So that is how it is.”
“The more I hear the more sordid it becomes.”
“That’s because you’re a lady bred and born but this sort of thing springs up now and then. … It’s a pity, though, that it should be his lordship. There! Are you keeping your eyes open? It should be any minute now.”
“As soon as we see her I shall hurry back to the house and go straight up to Lord Eversleigh’s room.”
“That’s the idea, and when you find out what he wants if I can be of any help I’m here. She’s late today.”
“What is that house over there?”
“Why, that’s Enderby.”
“Oh yes … I remember Enderby.”
“A queer sort of place that’s always been.”
“Who is there now?”
“It changed hands some time ago. It seems to do that. I think there’s something strange about that house. Things have happened in it. People don’t seem to stay. Don’t mix much, these people. Have visitors from time to time. Foreigners, some of them.”
“It’s strange how a house gets a reputation.”
“Haunted, they say. There’s been tragedies there. Some say that part of the grounds are haunted too. There was rumor that someone was murdered and buried there.”
“It always seemed rather gloomy as I remember.”
“Ah yes, Enderby’s not a place you’d forget. Look. There she is. You can just make her out. See, she keeps to the trees. … She’ll have to come into the open before she can get to the house, though. ’Tis a mercy there is a good deal of her. She can’t easy be missed.” He chuckled. “I fancy she’ll have a lot to tell Amos today.”
I watched with a growing excitement. She walked into the house without knocking. She was evidently expected.
“I’ll go back right away,” I said. “And thank you, Jethro. I’ll see you again soon.”
“Right you are, mistress. Get in now. Go straight into his room. Never mind if he’s dozing. Wake him up. That’s what he wants.”
I went quietly into the house and up the stairs. When I opened the door of Uncle Carl’s room, he was propped up in bed, I think waiting for me.
Those wonderfully alive eyes lit up when they rested on me.
“You found Jethro,” he said.
“Yes. He told me this was the time to find you alone.”
“Jessie’s sleeping. She likes her nap at this time of day.”
There was a certain mischief in his eyes and it occurred to me then that he knew of her visits to the estate
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