Read Online The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sadie Jones
Ads: Link
normality,’ fretted Charlotte, twisting her handkerchief, ‘until the Railway come.’
‘I just wish it hadn’t happened on your birthday,’ said Florence.
‘Tosh.’ Emerald picked up a small china jug and sniffed it.
‘Lemon cream,’ said Florence, with satisfaction.
Emerald lifted the tiny cloth and dipped her little finger into the jug. ‘Oh lovely,’ she uttered, sucking it.
Florence was smug. ‘People don’t always think of cloves for lemons.’
‘Do you think we might stick to the point, Mrs Trieves?’ Charlotte snapped. Her vagueness had all but disappeared. ‘My suggestion is this, and it’s not a revolutionary one: we will give them all cups of tea, Suttons, passengers and all. Surely we can find enough cups.’ She remembered her status. ‘Not my domain; I’ll leave it up to you, Mrs Trieves. And when we have spoken to the Railway we’ll have a clearer idea how inconvenienced we shall be, and for how long. Agreed?’
‘Tea?’ said Florence, tiredly, as it seemed to her the most labour-intensive and least productive substance on the earth. Boiling, steeping, assembling china, carrying things about, and for what? A feeble drink unchanged by passing through the body. She recalled having loved it once; now it was water to her. ‘Yes, I suppose,’ she said.
‘Yes, agreed, Mother.’
‘And we all need to keep a very sharp eye on the ornaments and trinkets: I don’t want to wave goodbye to the sorry lot of them and half the silver, too, so pass that on to the boy and guests, if you will. And we must at least cling to dignity. Heavens, I wish Edward were here.’
For the first time in the two years of knowing him Emerald, too, almost appreciated her stepfather – the idea of him, at least.
The three women left the pantry to see about appearing normal. Charlotte wrapped her stole around herself, Emerald lifted her old friend the russet tea-gown from the grease on the kitchen floor, and Florence rustled in her dreary black behind, to stay in the kitchen and get the water on for her enemy tea.
Charlotte shuddered as she and Emerald passed the morning-room, its door now firmly shut.
‘We must contact the Railway directly,’ she said. ‘Oh, but first … the Suttons. ’
She said this last word in such tones of ghastliness that Emerald was forced to remark, ‘You might be nicer to Patience, Mother; she can see you despise her.’
‘Despise her? Whatever do you mean? I very much admire the Modern Female Academic. I’m not sure little Patience quite fits my preconception, but her mind is likely as sharp as a little rat-trap once she stops simpering.’
‘Oh, Mother!’
They were interrupted by a shout of laughter from behind the closed door, causing both women to leap sideways like startled ponies.
‘What on earth?’ Charlotte was pale.
‘Dare we look?’
‘Lord, I suppose they’re going to be rowdy and unmanageable now they’re warming up and realising their good fortune.’
‘Must you speak so damningly about everybody? They’ve had a terrible ordeal!’ blazed Emerald and, distancing herself from her mother, she opened the morning room door, defiantly generous.
‘Everything to your satisfaction?’ she enquired gaily, but whoever had laughed was now struck dumb.
They even drew back from her, as if she were going to reprimand them. It was hard to imagine the raucous laugh had issued from this still and staring mass. They seemed beyond speech.
Emerald glanced over her shoulder for support, but Charlotte, predictably, had disappeared; Emerald caught sight of her treacherous back as she darted away around the corner.
She looked about the faces turned towards her. On the drive there had seemed fewer of them, ten perhaps, now there was more like twelve or fourteen – but she couldn’t count heads and speak at the same time and she didn’t want to appear rude.
‘Myrtle is going to bring tea for you,’ she announced.
‘Thank you,’ uttered a man with his
‘I just wish it hadn’t happened on your birthday,’ said Florence.
‘Tosh.’ Emerald picked up a small china jug and sniffed it.
‘Lemon cream,’ said Florence, with satisfaction.
Emerald lifted the tiny cloth and dipped her little finger into the jug. ‘Oh lovely,’ she uttered, sucking it.
Florence was smug. ‘People don’t always think of cloves for lemons.’
‘Do you think we might stick to the point, Mrs Trieves?’ Charlotte snapped. Her vagueness had all but disappeared. ‘My suggestion is this, and it’s not a revolutionary one: we will give them all cups of tea, Suttons, passengers and all. Surely we can find enough cups.’ She remembered her status. ‘Not my domain; I’ll leave it up to you, Mrs Trieves. And when we have spoken to the Railway we’ll have a clearer idea how inconvenienced we shall be, and for how long. Agreed?’
‘Tea?’ said Florence, tiredly, as it seemed to her the most labour-intensive and least productive substance on the earth. Boiling, steeping, assembling china, carrying things about, and for what? A feeble drink unchanged by passing through the body. She recalled having loved it once; now it was water to her. ‘Yes, I suppose,’ she said.
‘Yes, agreed, Mother.’
‘And we all need to keep a very sharp eye on the ornaments and trinkets: I don’t want to wave goodbye to the sorry lot of them and half the silver, too, so pass that on to the boy and guests, if you will. And we must at least cling to dignity. Heavens, I wish Edward were here.’
For the first time in the two years of knowing him Emerald, too, almost appreciated her stepfather – the idea of him, at least.
The three women left the pantry to see about appearing normal. Charlotte wrapped her stole around herself, Emerald lifted her old friend the russet tea-gown from the grease on the kitchen floor, and Florence rustled in her dreary black behind, to stay in the kitchen and get the water on for her enemy tea.
Charlotte shuddered as she and Emerald passed the morning-room, its door now firmly shut.
‘We must contact the Railway directly,’ she said. ‘Oh, but first … the Suttons. ’
She said this last word in such tones of ghastliness that Emerald was forced to remark, ‘You might be nicer to Patience, Mother; she can see you despise her.’
‘Despise her? Whatever do you mean? I very much admire the Modern Female Academic. I’m not sure little Patience quite fits my preconception, but her mind is likely as sharp as a little rat-trap once she stops simpering.’
‘Oh, Mother!’
They were interrupted by a shout of laughter from behind the closed door, causing both women to leap sideways like startled ponies.
‘What on earth?’ Charlotte was pale.
‘Dare we look?’
‘Lord, I suppose they’re going to be rowdy and unmanageable now they’re warming up and realising their good fortune.’
‘Must you speak so damningly about everybody? They’ve had a terrible ordeal!’ blazed Emerald and, distancing herself from her mother, she opened the morning room door, defiantly generous.
‘Everything to your satisfaction?’ she enquired gaily, but whoever had laughed was now struck dumb.
They even drew back from her, as if she were going to reprimand them. It was hard to imagine the raucous laugh had issued from this still and staring mass. They seemed beyond speech.
Emerald glanced over her shoulder for support, but Charlotte, predictably, had disappeared; Emerald caught sight of her treacherous back as she darted away around the corner.
She looked about the faces turned towards her. On the drive there had seemed fewer of them, ten perhaps, now there was more like twelve or fourteen – but she couldn’t count heads and speak at the same time and she didn’t want to appear rude.
‘Myrtle is going to bring tea for you,’ she announced.
‘Thank you,’ uttered a man with his
Similar Books
