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Authors: Anne Doughty
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buildings. The two coaches had been towed away and grooms were already rubbing down the black horses. The two greys had their heads bent deep into a horse trough.
‘When will you be finished your work?’ he asked, looking her full in the face.
‘When the cows come home,’ she said, laughing.
‘We could walk back up to your hillside and listen to the nightingale.’
‘How do you know there’ll be a nightingale?’
‘Well, if there isn’t, sure we can imagine one.’
She shook her head.
‘I never know when I’m going to be let go. Especially when there’s visitors. If Lady Anne doesn’t need me, Lady Caroline may want me to see to some of the guests. You might wait a long time.’
‘I’ll wait all night if I hafta,’ he said in a whisper, as a young lad with red hair came towards them.
The lad held out his hand and grinned at him.
‘You’re John Hamilton from Armagh,’ he said firmly. ‘I’m to show you and Paddy O’Donnell your quarters. The meal is at six in the servants’ hall. Don’t be late or they’ll give you half rations.’
‘I’ll leave you now,’ said Rose smiling. ‘You’re in good hands. This is my brother Sam,’ she said proudly.
She turned her back on them and made her way towards the stone steps that led up to the rooms she shared with her mother. Just as she reached them, the clock on the stable block struck the half hour and the yard filled with noise as the afternoon’s picnic party returned.
She slipped into the empty sitting room, grateful to have a quiet half hour before going down to the servants’ hall. She moved the small table where her mother kept her lists of guests and rooms and went right up to the window, gazing down at the movements of riders, grooms and horses.
Directly below her, she saw Lady Anne smiling triumphantly as Conor walked delicately across thecobbles. Sam was staring up at Lily as he held her reins for her to dismount. She ran her eyes over the crowded yard and for a moment couldn’t see the tall figure of John Hamilton.
Then, Captain O’Shea and his companion moved their horses to the water trough and she spotted him. He was standing exactly where they’d parted, looking up towards her window. He saw her and beamed, raised a finger in salute and turned away to join Paddy O’Donnell at the horse trough.
CHAPTER SIX
John Hamilton was as good as his word. When Rose finally slipped down the back stairs and made her way across the stable yard in the gathering dusk, she saw him excuse himself from the circle of grooms and coachmen sitting outside the stables, listening to Old Tom and enjoying the pleasant warmth of a fine May evening. He strode across the yard and was at her side before she’d even set foot on the steps that led up to her room.
‘Ye haven’t done so bad,’ he said cheerfully, beaming down at her, as he moved between her and the rising steps. ‘It’s only half nine. I thought it mighta been midnight if ye’d had wait up for her and unpin her hair and suchlike. Some women can take half the night to get to their bed. So I’ve heard, anyway. Will we go for a bit of a walk?’
Rose was tired. The hours since she’d last set foot on these same steps had not been easy. At six o’clock the servants’ hall had been noisy and crowded. Cook was in a bad temper and thebutler, Mr Smithers was standing on his dignity, afraid the presence of servants not under his direct control might undermine his rigid rules and regulations.
As always on such occasions, he’d insisted that Hannah should have her meal in his room as a member of the Senior Staff. Normally, he was quite willing to let her to eat in the servants’ hall to be with Rose and Sam. And this evening, Sam too was missing from his usual place.
One of the young ladies had left her paint box at their picnic place and he’d been despatched to find it.
Rose ate her supper silently, avoiding the cautious glances of John Hamilton and the more engaging smiles of
‘When will you be finished your work?’ he asked, looking her full in the face.
‘When the cows come home,’ she said, laughing.
‘We could walk back up to your hillside and listen to the nightingale.’
‘How do you know there’ll be a nightingale?’
‘Well, if there isn’t, sure we can imagine one.’
She shook her head.
‘I never know when I’m going to be let go. Especially when there’s visitors. If Lady Anne doesn’t need me, Lady Caroline may want me to see to some of the guests. You might wait a long time.’
‘I’ll wait all night if I hafta,’ he said in a whisper, as a young lad with red hair came towards them.
The lad held out his hand and grinned at him.
‘You’re John Hamilton from Armagh,’ he said firmly. ‘I’m to show you and Paddy O’Donnell your quarters. The meal is at six in the servants’ hall. Don’t be late or they’ll give you half rations.’
‘I’ll leave you now,’ said Rose smiling. ‘You’re in good hands. This is my brother Sam,’ she said proudly.
She turned her back on them and made her way towards the stone steps that led up to the rooms she shared with her mother. Just as she reached them, the clock on the stable block struck the half hour and the yard filled with noise as the afternoon’s picnic party returned.
She slipped into the empty sitting room, grateful to have a quiet half hour before going down to the servants’ hall. She moved the small table where her mother kept her lists of guests and rooms and went right up to the window, gazing down at the movements of riders, grooms and horses.
Directly below her, she saw Lady Anne smiling triumphantly as Conor walked delicately across thecobbles. Sam was staring up at Lily as he held her reins for her to dismount. She ran her eyes over the crowded yard and for a moment couldn’t see the tall figure of John Hamilton.
Then, Captain O’Shea and his companion moved their horses to the water trough and she spotted him. He was standing exactly where they’d parted, looking up towards her window. He saw her and beamed, raised a finger in salute and turned away to join Paddy O’Donnell at the horse trough.
CHAPTER SIX
John Hamilton was as good as his word. When Rose finally slipped down the back stairs and made her way across the stable yard in the gathering dusk, she saw him excuse himself from the circle of grooms and coachmen sitting outside the stables, listening to Old Tom and enjoying the pleasant warmth of a fine May evening. He strode across the yard and was at her side before she’d even set foot on the steps that led up to her room.
‘Ye haven’t done so bad,’ he said cheerfully, beaming down at her, as he moved between her and the rising steps. ‘It’s only half nine. I thought it mighta been midnight if ye’d had wait up for her and unpin her hair and suchlike. Some women can take half the night to get to their bed. So I’ve heard, anyway. Will we go for a bit of a walk?’
Rose was tired. The hours since she’d last set foot on these same steps had not been easy. At six o’clock the servants’ hall had been noisy and crowded. Cook was in a bad temper and thebutler, Mr Smithers was standing on his dignity, afraid the presence of servants not under his direct control might undermine his rigid rules and regulations.
As always on such occasions, he’d insisted that Hannah should have her meal in his room as a member of the Senior Staff. Normally, he was quite willing to let her to eat in the servants’ hall to be with Rose and Sam. And this evening, Sam too was missing from his usual place.
One of the young ladies had left her paint box at their picnic place and he’d been despatched to find it.
Rose ate her supper silently, avoiding the cautious glances of John Hamilton and the more engaging smiles of
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