The Lady and the Lake (24 page)

‘Aye,
we
have,’
said
Mrs
White,
sitting
on
a
kitchen
chair
by
the
table.
‘Took
my
husband
some
persuading
I
can
tell
you,
but
Clara
can
come
on
the
understanding
that
you
won’t
let
the
child
out
of
your
sight.’

‘That’s
splendid,’
I
enthused,
‘and
I
give
you
my
promise
that
I
shall
keep
Clara
safely
with
me.
I’ll
collect
her
after
school
if
that’s
all
right
with
you.’

‘Aye,
and
I
trust
you’ll
see
her
safely
home.’
Mrs
White
got
up
as
she
spoke
and
picked
a
package
up
off
the
small
dresser.
‘This
is
Clara’s
best
dress,
she has
no
other
shoes,
I’m
afraid,’
she
said,
handing
me
the
brown
paper
package
tied
neatly
with
string.

‘Don’t
worry,
I
will
ensure
she
looks
her
best
and
I
shall
see
Clara
home
myself,’
I
promised.

***

When
I
left
the
cottage
some
time
later
with
the
brown
parcel
under
my
arm,
I
bumped
into
Harry.

‘How
you
doing,
Miss?’
he
asked
cheekily.

‘Fine,
thank
you,
Harry,
everything
is
going
splendidly.’
Little
did
I
know
at
that
moment
that
things
weren’t
as
splendid
as
I
thought.

Arriving
back
at
the
Hall
I
made
my
way
to
the
kitchen
to
look
for
Maggie.
She
was
sat
at
the
table
helping
another
maid
to
clean
the
silver
which
was
spread
out
on
a
white
sheet.

‘Right,
Miss,
I’m
coming,’
said
Maggie
when
she
saw
me.
We
walked
up
the
stone
staircase
which
was
now
so familiar
to
me.
Maggie
followed
me
into
my
room.
I
placed
the
parcel
Mrs
White
had
given
me
on
the
bed
and
then
looked
in
dismay
at
my
dress
which
still
hung
on
the
wardrobe.
The
flowers
which
I’d
so
carefully
stitched
on
the
day
before
were
strewn
on
the
floor.
Some
cruel
person
had
systematically
cut
them
away
from
the
dress
while
I’d
been
out
and
my
mind
flew
to
Mrs
Grafton.

8

‘Oh,
Miss!’
said
Maggie
helping
me
gather
up
the
flowers.
‘Who
would
do
such
a
thing?’

‘At
this
moment
in
time
I
have
no
idea,
but
intend
to
find
out,’
I
said,
placing
the
flowers
on
the
bed
once
more.

‘I’ll
help
sew
them
back
on
Miss,
I’m
really
quite
good
at
needlework.
I’d
like
to
have
done
it
for
a
living,
but
Ma
says
it
would
spoil
my
eyesight.’
As
she
spoke
I
took
down
the
dress
and
looked
at
it
carefully,
there
were
a
couple
of
nicks
in
the
fabric
on
the
shoulder
but
this
could
be
put
right.

‘Thank
you
for
the
offer
Maggie,
could
we
do
it
in
your
room?’
I
asked,
not
wanting
to
leave
the
dress
here
again
for
the
same
fate
to
befall
it.

‘We
could
Miss,
I
share
the
room
with
Ruth
but
she
won’t
mind.’

***

We
stitched
together
all
evening,
Maggie
working
on
the
waist
and
I
on
the
shoulder,
she
was
indeed
a
good
needlewoman.
From
time
to
time
I
glanced
around
the
room,
almost
taken
up
completely
by
two
beds.
I
thought
my
room
was
sparse,
but
in
comparison
mine
was
a
palace.
There
was
just
a
rail
placed
in
an
alcove
for
their
clothes
which
were
few,
and
an
old
wooden
stand
on
which
stood
a
cracked
washbowl
and
jug.

‘There,
that
looks
a
picture,
Miss,’
said
Maggie
when
we’d
finished
and
I
had
to
agree.
‘I’ll
put
it
on
the
rail,
Miss,
and
no-one
but
Ruth
will
see
it.’
So
I
entrusted
my
dress
to
Maggie’s
safe-keeping.

Thursday,
the
day
of
Emily’s
party
arrived.
It
was
the
day
I
was
asked
for
the
first
time
to
read
to
Mrs
Kershaw.
Today
of
all
days
when
I
had
much
to
do,
but
after
all,
this
is
why
I
was
here
and
until
now
my
duties
as
companion had
not
been
called
upon
except
for
that
fateful
day.

As
I
crossed
the
hall
on
my
way
to
Mrs
Kershaw’s
room
I
encountered
Thomas,
at
the
sight
of
him
my
heart
missed
a
beat.

‘Abbey,’
he
said
quietly
coming
across
to
me,
‘I
need
to
speak
to
you
about
the
other
day.
It
was
my
misfortune...’
Here
I
interrupted
him.

‘No,
Mr
Craddock,
it
is
my
misfortune
that
I
risked
all
for
someone
so
indifferent
to
my
feelings
as
yourself.
Now
if
you’ll
please
excuse
me,
Sir,
I
have
to
read
to
your
aunt.
I
don’t
wish
to
give
her
any
more
cause
to
dismiss
me.’

After
this
little
speech
I
made
to
go
but
Thomas
gently
caught
my
arm.
‘But
I
need
to
explain
to
you
about
the
other
day,’
he
implored.

‘I
fear
there
is
nothing
to
explain,’
I
told
him,
wondering
as
I
walked
down
the
corridor
what
it
was
he
had
to
say,
just
maybe
I
should
have
listened.

The
consequence
of
my
meeting
with
Thomas
caused
me
distraction
while
reading
to
the
old
lady
who
was
very
subdued
today.
What
was
it
Thomas
wanted
to
explain?
He
called
me
a
fool
and
suggested
to
his
mother
that
I
was
a
challenge.
How
could
he
possibly
explain
that.
For
the
rest
of
the
afternoon
I
turned
it
over
and
over
in
my
mind
wishing
that
I
had
at
least
listened
to
what
he
had
to
say.

***

After
leaving
Mrs
Kershaw,
I
hurried
up
to
my
room
as
I
still
hadn’t
unpacked
the
parcel
containing
Clara’s
dress.
Hurriedly
I
opened
it,
shook
the
dress
and
hung
it
up.
It
was
blue
quite
similar
in
colour
to
mine
with
a
wide
bow
at
the
back.

I
knew
that
Clara
would
look
charming
and
that
we
would
complement
each
other
perfectly.
I
hastened
along
the
road
to
Beckmoor
fearing
that
I
would
be
late,
but
as
I
reached the
church
door,
Clara
was
just
coming
out.

‘Hello,
Clara,
are
you
looking
forward
to
the
party?’
I
said
trying
to
put
her
at
ease.

‘Yes,
Miss,
I’ve
never
been
to
a
party
before,’
she
replied
softly
and
I
could
see
she
was
nervous.