The Downstairs Maid (31 page)

Emily’s heart caught as she saw the man walking down the landing towards her. He was dressed in a smart evening suit and looked so handsome that it took her breath away. She looked at him shyly as he stopped to speak to her.

‘How are you, Emily?’ he asked. ‘I hope you’re feeling a little better now?’

‘I still feel sad for my father, dying alone the way he did – but I know he wouldn’t want me to cry all the time. Besides, I don’t have time for tears.’

‘Work is a great healer,’ he said. ‘I’m taking Amy to a party this evening. I thought this would be a quiet leave but I’ve hardly had time to catch my breath.’

‘If it isn’t too rude of me, sir – are you enjoying your life in the RFC?’

‘It isn’t rude at all, Emily.’ Mr Nicolas grinned at her. ‘I love being up there in the clouds – most wonderful feeling in the world. Not sure how I’ll feel when I have to start shooting at someone for real, but the training was fun.’

‘I’m glad you’re happy, sir. I’d best get on or I shall be shot at dawn for desertion.’

Mr Nicolas laughed, appreciating her joke. ‘I’d better let you get on then. I hope they’re not working you too hard?’

‘Nothing I can’t manage, sir.’

‘If only the rest of the world were like you, Emily. We should have no wars … just perfect peace.’

‘You’d get bored then, sir. You need a little conflict to make it worthwhile – don’t you?’

Emily laughed and walked on by, knowing that he was watching her. The look in his eyes told her he was far from indifferent. Her heart was still racing but she felt pleased that he’d taken the time to speak to her, instead of walking straight by as his father did. Neither Lord Barton nor his wife ever looked at her if she came within their orbit, and Lady Prior looked down her long nose at any servant who dared to step out of line, but the younger generation was different. Miss Amy seemed pleased with the service Emily gave and Miss Lizzie always had a nice smile when they met, and Mr Jonathan was very polite – but Mr Nicolas was the one she really liked. Not that she could ever be anything to him or he to her – he was out of her class. Emily wanted to be better than she was, but she could never aspire to being the wife of a lord’s son.

Now why had she even thought of that? Was she getting ideas above her station? Mrs Hattersley would certainly think so and Ma would say she was ridiculous – but Emily couldn’t help noticing the way Mr Nicolas looked at her sometimes. She was sure in her own mind that he liked her a lot.

Of course it wouldn’t be marriage he had on his mind, but he was too nice a gentleman to take advantage of a girl like her.

‘Nicolas is taking me to a special party this evening,’ Amy said when Emily went up to help her dress. ‘I didn’t bring many evening gowns with me as I did not expect to go out much.’

‘It’s a very pretty dress, miss,’ Emily said, spreading the pale yellow silk gown on the bed. ‘I know you wore it last week but your friends probably didn’t see you.’ It was a very simple dress but caught up at the back with a frill of cascading lace, and had been extremely expensive.

‘No, they wouldn’t have done,’ Amy agreed. ‘You’ve sponged it and pressed it very well, Emily. It will just have to do because I do not have anything else suitable.’

‘You look lovely in this,’ Emily assured her as she brought it across and held it over Amy’s head so she could ease herself into the beautiful dress, which clung to her slender hips and was very stylish.

‘Bring me the jewel box please.’

Emily fetched the leather case and Amy took out a pretty diamond pendant and some matching earrings. Emily fastened the clasp and then Amy slipped in the hooks of her earrings.

‘I’ve locked this. You can put it away for me in my dressing case.’

‘Yes, miss.’ Emily carried the leather jewel case to the large dressing case and locked it inside, returning the key to her employer, who placed it in the drawer of her dressing table. ‘Have a good time this evening, miss.’

‘I shall be home before midnight. Until then you are free – unless you have work to do?’

‘Tomas said he might take me to a volunteer meeting if I liked – just for a couple of hours.’

‘I almost wish I was coming with you,’ Amy said. ‘I didn’t know you were interested in the volunteer movements?’

‘I was reading about the volunteer groups for women and what they were doing to help the war and Tomas saw the notice of the meeting so he asked if I’d like to go. I was going to ask you if that is all right?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Amy smiled at her. ‘I probably haven’t thanked you enough, Emily. I do know what good service you give me. We’ll talk about it another time – but I must go now or I shall keep Nicolas waiting.’

‘You mustn’t do that, miss.’ Emily laughed softly. ‘He looks very smart in his uniform, doesn’t he? I bet you were pleased to see him.’

‘Yes. We are all very fond of Nicolas.’ Amy picked up her purse and evening cloak and walked to the door.

Emily followed her from the room, and then went down the stairs to the kitchen, where Tomas was waiting for her. He looked at her and smiled.

‘Are you ready to go to that meeting?’

‘Yes, please,’ she said. ‘I’ve been looking forward to it.’

Emily didn’t think she would ever be brave enough to join the band of women who tied themselves to the railings outside Buckingham Palace or Westminster, threw themselves in front of the king’s horse or disrupted all kinds of meetings and social events. Sometimes they marched on rallies through the centre of London carrying banners and shouting, causing a disturbance, so the papers said. Many people considered they were just making a nuisance of themselves, but from what Emily read in the papers some men of distinction were now beginning to take their cause seriously.

She had often wanted to hear one of them speak and that evening they had a guest speaker from America. It should prove an interesting meeting.

‘These arrived for you while you were out shopping, miss,’ Emily said, carrying a huge basket of yellow roses into Amy’s bedroom as she was brushing her hair the next day. ‘They smell wonderful.’

‘Is there a card?’ Amy glanced at the flowers. ‘They are rather lovely.’

Emily gave her the card. She opened it, glanced at the brief message and frowned. ‘They are from the Marquis of Belvane – an apology.’

‘The gentleman who invited you to that party the other night?’

‘Yes.’ Amy frowned. ‘He said something that offended me and wishes to take me out to dinner this evening to apologise.’

‘Shall you go?’ Emily asked and then blushed. ‘Sorry, it’s not for me to ask, miss.’

‘I think so,’ Amy said and smiled in a way that puzzled Emily. ‘We shall be going home tomorrow so I may as well make the most of my last evening in town … unless Mama allows me to be a volunteer like my Cousin Maude.’

‘I’ve seen the notices appealing for women to volunteer,’ Emily said. ‘What would you do, miss – become a nurse?’

‘No, I hardly think so, though it’s what Lizzie wants. I might join the ambulance service like my cousin.’ She sighed, and looked speculatively at Emily. ‘If I did come to London, would you come with me as my maid?’

Emily stared at her uncertainly. She’d accepted the invitation this time, because she’d wanted to get away from the manor and give herself a chance to get over her grief. She was feeling better now but wasn’t sure what to do next.

‘May I think about it please?’

Amy looked offended but inclined her head. She spoke only to give Emily orders after that and Emily knew she had annoyed her. Mary would have jumped at the chance and Emily wasn’t sure why she hadn’t. It was a chance for her to improve herself, but it had been so sudden and she needed time to think about the future. Miss Amy had been pleasant to her since she’d accompanied her to London, but she couldn’t forget those cruel remarks at the village hall dance when they were younger. It might be wiser to stay in the kitchen with Mrs Hattersley and learn to be a cook, because she couldn’t be sure she could trust Miss Amy.

‘So we’re on our way home tomorrow then.’ Tomas said and looked at Emily oddly. ‘Are you looking forward to it? You seem different today somehow – as if you’ve got something on your mind.’

‘Do I?’ Emily shook her head. She couldn’t tell Tomas what Miss Amy had suggested to her, because she wasn’t sure of her answer yet.

‘You look beautiful,’ Tomas said. ‘I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something, Emily. I haven’t quite made up my mind, but when I do you’ll be the first to know.’

‘Secrets?’ Emily teased. ‘You’re a dark one, Tomas. Now what are you up to?’

‘Maybe something, maybe nothing,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you in a couple of days, after we’re back at the manor.’

Emily nodded. Mr Payne came into the kitchen then, enquiring about some of his lordship’s shirts that had gone missing.

‘I ironed them for you,’ Emily said. ‘You had so much to do and I had a few minutes going spare. They are hanging up in the butler’s pantry. I promise I didn’t spoil them, Mr Payne.’

‘It was thoughtful of you, but please do not do it again. I like to look after his lordship’s things myself.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Emily said as he hurried off to rescue the shirts, obviously fearful that she had ruined them. Some folk were never pleased.

She sighed, because sometimes she wished she was back at the farm, going out on the rounds with Pa and helping him to milk the cows in the evening. She missed her father and she missed her brother Jack. Sometimes she worried about him, because he hadn’t been progressing as he ought and Emily was afraid he might be backward. She wished she could see him, but she didn’t want to see her mother. Not while Derek was around. Her life was very different now. She enjoyed most of the work she did, but there were still times when her grief swamped her and she wished something nice would happen.

Emily told herself to stop dreaming. Her life was never going to be much better than it was now. She could either live in London as Miss Amy’s maid or be an assistant cook at the manor. She would have to make up her mind soon or she might no longer have the choice.

‘Can you stop for a minute, please, sir?’ Emily begged. They had been travelling for more than an hour and she was feeling wretched. When Miss Amy had told her Lord Belvane would be driving them home instead of taking the train, as Tomas and Mr Payne had, she hadn’t given it a second thought, but after the first half an hour she’d begun to feel very unwell. ‘I think I’m going to be sick.’

‘We shall stop in another twenty minutes or so for some lunch,’ the marquis said without glancing back at her in his mirror. ‘Surely you can wait until then?’

‘I’m sorry but I think …’ Emily clapped her handkerchief over her mouth as she felt the vomit rising. She was feeling so very ill and didn’t think she could wait even a few minutes longer.

‘Good God!’ he muttered and pulled over to the side of the road. ‘Get out quickly, girl. For goodness’ sake don’t vomit in my Daimler.’

Emily scrambled out of the vehicle and stumbled away to a patch of grass where she vomited violently, twice. She was wiping her mouth when Amy came over to her and touched her arm.

‘I’m sorry you’re ill. Was it something you ate?’

‘It’s the fumes in the back, miss.’

‘You must be a bad traveller. I’m afraid the marquis isn’t pleased with you.’

‘I’m sorry, miss. If you could leave me at a railway station I could take the train back to the manor.’

‘I would rather you stayed with us,’ Amy said. ‘Do you think you might do better in the front?’

‘I couldn’t do that, miss. Lord Belvane wouldn’t like it – and you might feel ill in the back.’

‘I doubt it. I’m never ill travelling. We’ll change places when you feel able.’

There was a note in her voice that Emily hadn’t heard for a while and she thought that her employer was annoyed with her. She felt irritated with herself. The last thing she’d wanted to do was to spoil the day for Miss Amy.

When she climbed into the front seat Lord Belvane looked at her angrily. He made no attempt to hide his displeasure and she felt nervous as he started the automobile off again. For the next half an hour they drove in silence. Emily still felt a little unwell but she was much better in the front.

Lord Belvane stopped eventually in the courtyard of an old coaching inn. Its walls were painted white and half-timbered with black beams, probably dating from the sixteenth century. Belvane got out and then took Amy’s arm, leading her inside without a backward glance at Emily. Amy beckoned to her to follow but she shook her head.

‘I think it’s best if I don’t eat anything, miss. I’m going to try riding in the back again when we leave here.’

‘Poor you,’ Amy said. ‘It’s odd, but it didn’t affect me at all.’

While they went into the inn, Emily found a bench outside and sat down in the fresh air. After a while a young lad came out with a glass of lemonade on a tray. She accepted it gratefully, sipping the cool, fizzy drink a little at a time and beginning to enjoy the autumn sunshine. Her headache was easing and she was feeling better now. Perhaps she needn’t ruin the whole of Miss Amy’s day after all.

‘Well, I’m glad to see you back,’ Mrs Hattersley said when Emily walked into the kitchen later that afternoon. ‘It hasn’t been the same here without you. Did you enjoy your first visit to London?’

‘Yes, it was all right,’ Emily said. ‘Tomas took me to the Music Hall and to a Suffragette meeting. Miss Amy gave me two pounds as a tip – and a dress she decided she didn’t want to wear again.’

‘She must have been pleased then,’ Mrs Hattersley said and frowned. ‘Has Miss Amy said what she wants you to do in future, Emily? She might want you to continue as her maid now you’re back. Mrs Marsh has put some new uniforms in your room. Perhaps you should wait and see if you’re sent for.’

‘Well …’ Emily glanced at Mary and saw her scowl. She’d hoped the other girl might have got over her sulks while she was away but it seemed she was still resentful and angry. When she knew that Emily might become Miss Amy’s maid on a permanent basis she would be furious. ‘I can still help you when I’m not looking after her, Cook.’