she know somehow of what Dr Reinhardt had said?
I must have looked blank.
‘The return of Master Greave,’ she went on, ‘will change nothing.’
I nodded quickly. ‘Of course, ma’am.’
‘I would advise you, Miss Tamper, to remember your place.’
In the kitchen I filled a pail with water and soap, and found clean cloths for the windows. I knew Mrs Cotton would inspect later on, so there were no short cuts. First I soaped the dirt from the coal fires from the glass, then I wiped away the smears with a damp cloth, finally drying them. I had to stand on a stool to reach the tops.
I was washing the dining-room windows when Lord Greave’s carriage rattled up outside. Mr Lock helped him down and they came to the front door, side by side. Mr Lock walked as he always did, bent over with his hands behind his back, nodding his head like a tired old crow. Rob caught sight of me watching from the window, and looked away. Whatever news there was, it seemed grave. He twitched Lancelot’s reins with a snap of his gloved hands and continued, turning the carriage towards the stable yard.
Having finished the family rooms, I took some clean water upstairs to the attic, and was in my bedroom at the top of the house giving the glass a final rinse when Lizzy came in. Her face was ruddy with the cold outside, and she threw off her bonnet, rubbing her hands briskly together.
‘Perishing out there,’ she said.
‘Well?’ I said.
‘Well what?’ Lizzy asked, a smile growing on her face.
‘Don’t tease me,’ I said. ‘Was Henry there?’
Lizzy sat on the bed and pulled out a length of material from the pouch in her dress. It was the most lovely blue scarf. The room seemed to light up in its presence.
‘Looks expensive!’ I said.
‘Pure silk,’ said Lizzy, wrapping it round my neck.
It felt like soft warm hands enfolding my skin, and I stroked the fabric against my cheek. Lizzy was beaming.
But this was beyond the wages of a footman.
‘Where did he get it?’ I said.
‘His master gave it to him,’ said Lizzy. ‘It was a gift for a lady, but there was a falling-out. Mr Ambrose didn’t want it in the house.’
I handed it back, as gently as if it were a living thing.
‘It’s beautiful,’ I said.
She played with the scarf in her lap and I could see she wanted to say something more.
‘Just spit it out,’ I said. ‘I need to take this water back down before Mrs Cotton misses me.’
‘I kissed him,’ she said, not meeting my eyes.
‘You didn’t!’
She nodded. ‘I couldn’t stop myself. On the cheek only!’
‘Did anyone see you?’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Lizzy. ‘We were hidden by his master’s carriage. It was very quick.’
‘Nevertheless . . .’
She screwed up her hands and brought her fists down on to the mattress. ‘I know – you don’t have to tell me.’
I obviously did. I couldn’t have my only friend going the same way as Anne.
‘Lizzy,’ I said, ‘you must break it off.’
She looked at me with shock. ‘I can’t do that.’
‘You must. He will expect the same again next time. Maybe more.’
‘Henry isn’t like that,’ she said. ‘It was as much my fault as his.’
‘Well, even more reason to be cautious,’ I said.
Lizzy stood up and folded the scarf angrily.
‘If I didn’t know you better, Abi, I’d say you didn’t want me to be happy.’
‘Don’t be foolish!’ I said. ‘And keep your voice down.’
‘Oh, I am a fool, now, am I?’ she said. ‘Just because you’re so miserable, it doesn’t mean we all have to share your wretchedness.’
She stormed out of the room, and I listened to her footsteps rattle along the corridor to her room.
I sighed. You’re wrong, Lizzy , I thought. I wasn’t jealous – at least not of Henry. How could I be? I’d never even laid eyes on him.
I picked up the pail and threw the cloth in, sloshing water over the sides.
But as I walked down the back stairs, I wondered if maybe she wasn’t right, at
I must have looked blank.
‘The return of Master Greave,’ she went on, ‘will change nothing.’
I nodded quickly. ‘Of course, ma’am.’
‘I would advise you, Miss Tamper, to remember your place.’
In the kitchen I filled a pail with water and soap, and found clean cloths for the windows. I knew Mrs Cotton would inspect later on, so there were no short cuts. First I soaped the dirt from the coal fires from the glass, then I wiped away the smears with a damp cloth, finally drying them. I had to stand on a stool to reach the tops.
I was washing the dining-room windows when Lord Greave’s carriage rattled up outside. Mr Lock helped him down and they came to the front door, side by side. Mr Lock walked as he always did, bent over with his hands behind his back, nodding his head like a tired old crow. Rob caught sight of me watching from the window, and looked away. Whatever news there was, it seemed grave. He twitched Lancelot’s reins with a snap of his gloved hands and continued, turning the carriage towards the stable yard.
Having finished the family rooms, I took some clean water upstairs to the attic, and was in my bedroom at the top of the house giving the glass a final rinse when Lizzy came in. Her face was ruddy with the cold outside, and she threw off her bonnet, rubbing her hands briskly together.
‘Perishing out there,’ she said.
‘Well?’ I said.
‘Well what?’ Lizzy asked, a smile growing on her face.
‘Don’t tease me,’ I said. ‘Was Henry there?’
Lizzy sat on the bed and pulled out a length of material from the pouch in her dress. It was the most lovely blue scarf. The room seemed to light up in its presence.
‘Looks expensive!’ I said.
‘Pure silk,’ said Lizzy, wrapping it round my neck.
It felt like soft warm hands enfolding my skin, and I stroked the fabric against my cheek. Lizzy was beaming.
But this was beyond the wages of a footman.
‘Where did he get it?’ I said.
‘His master gave it to him,’ said Lizzy. ‘It was a gift for a lady, but there was a falling-out. Mr Ambrose didn’t want it in the house.’
I handed it back, as gently as if it were a living thing.
‘It’s beautiful,’ I said.
She played with the scarf in her lap and I could see she wanted to say something more.
‘Just spit it out,’ I said. ‘I need to take this water back down before Mrs Cotton misses me.’
‘I kissed him,’ she said, not meeting my eyes.
‘You didn’t!’
She nodded. ‘I couldn’t stop myself. On the cheek only!’
‘Did anyone see you?’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Lizzy. ‘We were hidden by his master’s carriage. It was very quick.’
‘Nevertheless . . .’
She screwed up her hands and brought her fists down on to the mattress. ‘I know – you don’t have to tell me.’
I obviously did. I couldn’t have my only friend going the same way as Anne.
‘Lizzy,’ I said, ‘you must break it off.’
She looked at me with shock. ‘I can’t do that.’
‘You must. He will expect the same again next time. Maybe more.’
‘Henry isn’t like that,’ she said. ‘It was as much my fault as his.’
‘Well, even more reason to be cautious,’ I said.
Lizzy stood up and folded the scarf angrily.
‘If I didn’t know you better, Abi, I’d say you didn’t want me to be happy.’
‘Don’t be foolish!’ I said. ‘And keep your voice down.’
‘Oh, I am a fool, now, am I?’ she said. ‘Just because you’re so miserable, it doesn’t mean we all have to share your wretchedness.’
She stormed out of the room, and I listened to her footsteps rattle along the corridor to her room.
I sighed. You’re wrong, Lizzy , I thought. I wasn’t jealous – at least not of Henry. How could I be? I’d never even laid eyes on him.
I picked up the pail and threw the cloth in, sloshing water over the sides.
But as I walked down the back stairs, I wondered if maybe she wasn’t right, at
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