A Loving Family (6 page)

‘They're laying bets on us in the tack room,' he said sulkily. ‘I'll look a fool if you throw me over now.'

‘That's utter nonsense. I'll be very angry if I find out you've been making up stories about me.'

He shot her a sideways glance. ‘You and your Spanish ways. I bet you got them flirty eyes from your ma what ran off and left you. They say she was no better than she should be.'

Angry beyond words, Stella gave him a shove that caught him off balance and he fell off the seat and landed on his back on the cobblestones. The frightened pony lunged forward, and although Stella made a grab for the reins she could not prevent the animal from bolting. It took her several minutes before she managed to rein it in sufficiently to draw it to a halt. ‘There, there,' she murmured breathlessly. ‘It's all right. No one is going to hurt you.' She glanced over her shoulder and saw Jacob running towards them red-faced and gesticulating. She was relieved to see that he was unhurt by the fall but his careless words had upset her greatly. ‘I should make you walk home,' she said as he scrambled onto the driver's seat, panting and holding his chest.

‘You could have killed me.'

‘You shouldn't have said those things about my mother. She is a kind and lovely lady and she adored my pa. For all I know she's dead and so are Freddie and Belinda.' Her voice broke on a sob and she turned her head away. ‘Drive on, Jacob. I've got to get back to Portgone Place before one o'clock.'

He flicked the whip and clicked his tongue against his teeth. ‘You're a bit of a wild cat when you get angry,' he said with a sly grin. ‘I like a woman with spirit.'

‘Get me home or you'll have Mrs Hawthorne to deal with. She's got more spirit than the rest of us put together.'

Stella was in the kitchen attempting to persuade a particularly reluctant jelly to leave its mould when Annie came flying down the back stairs and landed in an undignified heap on the flagstone floor. Stella's hands shook and the orange jelly slid out onto the plate, wobbling dangerously and filling the kitchen with its citrus scent. ‘Annie, what a fright you gave me.' She wiped her sticky hands on a cloth and threw it at her. ‘Why are you in such a state?'

Annie picked herself up and shook out her skirts. ‘Master Tommy has arrived and it looks as though he's come to stay. I'd just finished polishing the brass door furnishings when the carriage arrived laden with trunks and cases. Master Tommy leapt out and gave me a hug and a kiss and said he was starving and asked if he'd missed luncheon.' Annie pressed her hands to her pink cheeks. ‘Mr Mason was there and I was so embarrassed I didn't know where to put myself.'

Stella threw back her head and laughed. ‘That sounds like Master Tommy. He's never going to change.'

Annie stared at her wide-eyed. ‘But he kissed me, Stella. He's never done that before.'

Jane looked up from whipping a bowl of cream. ‘You'd best look out for him, Annie. You know what happens when young gents start taking advantage of poor servant girls.'

‘Well, you're safe then, plain Jane,' Ida called out from the scullery where she had been washing dishes. ‘You've got nothing to fear from Master Tommy.'

Stella shook her head. ‘That's unkind, Ida. Say you're sorry to poor Jane.'

‘I was only joking.'

‘It wasn't funny,' Stella insisted. ‘Apologise.'

‘Sorry, Jane.' Ida's voice held a hint of rebellion but Stella did not press the point. She finished decorating the silver serving dish with slices of orange and handed it to Annie. ‘Take this to the dining room and don't drop it. I haven't had time to prepare another dessert so they'll have to make do with fruit and nuts if they don't want the jelly.'

Annie placed the dish carefully on a tray and snatched the cream from Jane. ‘Mr Mason is very put out. He doesn't like happenings that disturb the smooth running of the household. He sent for Mrs Dunkley and she was in the middle of luncheon so she's in a bad mood. She snapped at poor Lizzie for not having the young master's room ready in time and now she's rampaging around the linen room looking for things to complain about.'

‘And you'll be in trouble if you don't get that jelly to the dining room before it starts to melt,' Stella said, sighing. ‘If Master Tommy is hungry I can make up a plate for him.'

‘All right,' Annie said, heading for the stairs. ‘But sometimes I wish I'd never been promoted to parlour maid. It's much easier working in the kitchen. You don't have to remember so many things.' She disappeared from view and the green baize door at the top of the stairs creaked as she opened it and it closed again with a soft thud.

Stella moved to the range and ladled soup into a bowl. She placed it on a tray with a plate of bread and butter. ‘Take this to Mrs Hawthorne's room, please, Jane.'

‘Why is it always me what has to run errands? Why can't Ida do it?'

‘Because I asked you first and I'm cook while Mrs Hawthorne is indisposed. If you've got a problem with taking orders from me you'd better go and see Mr Mason. I'm sure he'll put you right.'

‘He'll sack you on the spot,' Ida shouted over the noise of the gushing tap.

Mumbling beneath her breath Jane picked up the tray and headed for the back stairs. Stella shook her head. For the first time in her life she was beginning to feel quite sorry for Mrs Hawthorne, who had the demanding job of satisfying the family above stairs and making sure that everything ran smoothly in the kitchen. She was about to clear the table when she heard the baize door open and the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs.

Tommy Langhorne erupted into the kitchen holding out his arms and hallooing as if he were on the hunting field. ‘Stella, my darling, I'm so hungry I could eat you.' He pulled up a chair and sat down at the table. ‘What's for luncheon? No, don't answer that. I'll have a bit of everything, but not that beastly jelly I saw going into the dining room. I hate jelly and they serve it up regularly in Hall.'

Trying hard to keep a straight face, Stella shook her finger at him. ‘Now, Master Tommy, this is no way to behave. Of course I'll serve you some luncheon, but you can't eat in the kitchen.'

He stared at her with a look of genuine surprise. ‘Why ever not? They've finished their meal in the dining room and anyway, I'm not the most popular person in the house at this moment. I should think that Papa would be quite happy for me to eat in the stables rather than take my place at table.'

‘In that case Annie will bring your meal to the morning parlour.' Stella lowered her voice so that Ida could not eavesdrop. ‘You mustn't upset your mother, Tommy. You know she has a delicate constitution.'

‘Mama trades on her nerves so that nothing unpleasant disturbs her serene life, but I'm not like that, as you very well know.'

‘Yes, I do. And you should be ashamed of yourself for giving her cause to worry. Now please, go upstairs and behave like a young gentleman instead of a spoiled brat.'

He rose to his feet, his smile fading. ‘You can't speak to me like that, Stella. Are you forgetting who I am?'

‘No, sir. But perhaps you are forgetting your place. It most certainly isn't in the kitchen with us.'

His handsome features were marred by a scowl. ‘I could have you sacked for speaking to me in that tone, and by God I think I will. Why should I allow a skivvy to insult me in front of all and sundry? Consider yourself discharged, Stella Barry. You'll leave here without a character. You can join your family in the gutter where they belong.'

‘
I CAN'T ALLOW
you to speak to my son in such familiar terms, Stella.' Lady Langhorne clasped her hands in an agitated manner. ‘I know that you and he were friendly as children and I turned a blind eye to it, knowing that you were a good and sensible girl, but things are different now.'

‘I am sorry, my lady.' Stella bowed her head. ‘It won't happen again.'

‘I've told Thomas that he is not, under any circumstances, to enter the servants' quarters, and even if he should address you in passing I want you to remember your place.'

‘Yes, my lady.'

‘Don't disappoint me, Stella. You are due for promotion to head cook when Mrs Hawthorne retires next year. You have a bright future ahead of you so don't ruin your chances because of a childhood friendship. Do you understand what I'm saying?'

‘Yes, my lady.'

‘You may go.'

Stella bobbed a curtsey and hurried from the morning parlour only to bump into Tommy, who had been waiting outside the door. She attempted to sidestep him but he barred her way. ‘I'm sorry I got you into trouble,' he said in a low voice. ‘I lost my temper, but I was cross and hungry. You know what I'm like when I haven't eaten.'

She kept her eyes downcast. ‘Please let me pass, sir.'

‘I want us to be friends again. I'm going to die of boredom stuck here in the wilds of Essex for the rest of the term.'

Stella shook her head. ‘I have work to do, sir.'

He placed his finger beneath her chin and forced her head up so that their eyes met. ‘I am truly sorry. Meet me in the folly by the lake as we used to do when we were children. I need someone my own age to talk to. Please, Stella, don't desert me now when I need you most.'

She twisted free from him and was about to answer when Lady Langhorne's aggrieved tones broke the momentary silence. ‘Tommy, is that you? I hope you're not keeping Stella from her duties.'

He gripped Stella's hand. ‘I need you to be my friend again. You must meet me in the folly so that we can talk.' He released her and opened the door. ‘Sorry, Mama. I was just apologising to Stella for my behaviour. It was very wrong of me.' He went into the room and closed the door behind him.

The wild March wind was playing with the squally shower that had started to fall from a leaden sky just as Stella left the house and was about to make her way across the soggy lawn. She wrapped her shawl around her head and broke into a run, heading in the direction of the ornamental lake. She could only hope that the gardeners were sheltering in the potting sheds or the greenhouses situated at the rear of the house and no one would spot her. She knew she was taking a chance but she needed to talk some sense into Tommy, which was impossible to accomplish in whispered conversations indoors. As she drew nearer she could see him pacing up and down inside the folly, which was designed like a Roman temple. In the summer Lady Langhorne liked to entertain guests to afternoon tea within its elegant walls, but she rarely ventured into the grounds in bad weather. They should be safe from prying eyes.

Tommy's expression was not welcoming. ‘I've been waiting for ages.'

‘I couldn't get away any sooner.' Stella shook off her damp shawl, holding her side as she struggled to catch her breath. ‘Why did you want to see me, Tommy? You know that your mother has made me promise not to have anything to do with you.'

‘You're my only friend in this godforsaken place. I don't want to lose you.'

‘You were going to have me sacked.'

‘I didn't mean it. You know what a devil of a temper I have when roused.'

‘I do, and I've always told you that it would get you into trouble one day.'

He slipped his arms around her waist, looking into her eyes with a persuasive smile. ‘But you love me, don't you? You always have.'

She could smell brandy on his breath and she realised that he'd been drinking heavily. She shook her head. ‘I like you, Tommy. That's all it ever was.'

‘No. Don't say that. You have a special place in your heart for me, don't you?'

‘Yes, of course, but . . .'

He drew her closer. ‘You could be my girl, Stella. No one need ever know. My room is at the back of the house. You could come to me at night when everyone else is asleep.'

She tried to push him away but his grip tightened. ‘Stop it, Tommy. Don't do this.'

‘You want me to, I know you do. You're a beautiful woman now, and you know it. Your dark eyes would drive a lesser man to distraction.' He tried to kiss her and she turned her head away, making a frantic effort to free herself, but he dragged her to her knees. ‘Love me, Stella. Love me.' He forced her backwards onto the floor, pinning her down with the weight of his body. His eyes were glazed with desire and as she opened her mouth to scream he silenced her cries with a savage kiss. His teeth grazed her lips and his tongue almost choked her. She struggled but this only seemed to excite him more and he traced the line of her neck with his finger, sliding his hand down to wrench the buttons off her blouse and expose her bare flesh. ‘You want me. You know you do. I've seen it in your eyes, you little wanton.'

‘Please let me go, Tommy,' she gasped. ‘This is me, Stella. I'm your friend. Don't do this to me.'

‘Get off her.' Jacob's angry voice penetrated Stella's dazed brain and suddenly she was free. She scrambled to her feet in time to see Jacob and Tommy locked in an unequal struggle. Jacob was short and stocky but he was used to manual labour and he had the advantage over Tommy, who had never been the athletic type. A swift upper cut sent him sprawling onto the tiled floor and Jacob stood over him, rubbing his bruised knuckles with a triumphant smile on his craggy features.

‘What have you done?' Stella whispered, crossing her arms over her exposed breasts. ‘You might have killed him.'

Tommy groaned but his eyes remained closed and he made no attempt to rise.

‘He's not dead, although he deserves to be.' Jacob prodded Tommy's inert body with the toe of his boot. ‘He'd have taken you like a wild beast if I hadn't been on hand.' His expression softened as he gave Stella a concerned look. ‘Are you all right? Did he hurt you?'

She shook her head. ‘Not really. I can't believe he behaved in such a way.'