by Rose Meddon
Pressing her lips together, Kate fought back a laugh; yes, that was about the measure of it. ‘I know, miss,’ she ventured, relieved that she wasn’t in trouble. Nevertheless, deciding to busy herself, she crossed to the bed and picked up the two skirts rejected earlier by Naomi as being “too warm for a day like this”. Draping one of them over her arm, she gave the other a sharp shake and examined it for creases.
‘Do you have brothers, Kate?’
Standing in front of the walnut armoire, Kate scanned the hanging rail for either of the skirts’ matching jackets. Spotting one of them, she hung the skirt alongside it.
‘I did, miss. But he put out in the lifeboat one day to rescue a pleasure yacht in difficulties off the headland, and didn’t come back.’
From the corner of her eye, Kate saw Naomi Russell’s fingers fly to her lips.
‘Goodness. I’m so dreadfully sorry. How awful for you.’
Running her hand over the second skirt, Kate shrugged. ‘I never knew him, miss. He was a few years older than Edith and still short of nineteen when he died. I suppose by now, he’d be going on forty.’
‘All the same, what a loss for your parents.’
‘Yes, miss.’
‘A life taken so young. And taken while trying to save others, too. Doubly cruel.’
Beginning to wish she’d never mentioned it, Kate glanced about the room. ‘Will there be anythin’ else you need, miss?’
‘What? Oh, no, not for the moment. I was thinking of taking The Lady and going to sit on the seat under that big tree on the lawn. It was lovely and shady there yesterday afternoon. Only trouble was, no sooner had I sat down than Aubrey Colborne descended upon me like a wasp upon a fallen apple.’
The aptness of the picture made Kate smile. Although she’d only seen Aubrey Colborne in passing, he did seem to be one of those people who, wherever you went, was always there. ‘Is he not pleasant company, miss?’
‘Not really. Although to be fair, I barely know the man.’
‘Then it was rude of him to press himself upon you like that, especially since you were alone.’
Naomi Russell smiled. ‘It wasn’t so much the impropriety I objected to, after all, we were in full view of the house. It was rather that he seemed overly eager. You know – eager to impress.’ Eager. To Kate’s mind, Miss Naomi could be describing almost any member of the opposite sex, her own Luke Channer included. ‘Far too presumptuous.’
‘Oh.’
‘Entitled.’
‘Oh.’
‘But men are like that, don’t you think? They see something they want, put their head down and whoosh, they go straight for it, caring little for the consequences.’
Again, to Kate’s mind, Miss Naomi could be describing Luke. ‘They do seem that way inclined, yes, miss. I suppose it’s how they’re made. They’re different to us, aren’t they?’
‘They most certainly are. Take Papa, when it comes to business, he’s utterly single-minded – ruthless, some might say. Although, as he’s always impressing upon Ned, when you start out with nothing, even becoming just moderately successful requires every ounce of one’s wit and determination. And he should know, from the humblest of beginnings, he’s become one of the largest merchants in all of London, perhaps the whole of England.’
‘Goodness.’
‘Goodness, Kate, doesn’t even begin to describe it. What you wouldn’t know, is that his father was a barrow-boy.’ When Kate’s eyes widened in astonishment, Naomi Russell gave her a wry smile. ‘It’s true. At the age of twelve, my grandfather, Stanley Russell, was selling tobacco on street corners. But, unlike most boys with a few coins burning a hole in their pockets, he scrimped and saved until he had enough to acquire his first barrow. Spurred by that success, he saved for another and then another until he had a dozen or more. Then, not long after he married, he gambled everything, which, I will admit, can’t have amounted to a very great deal. Nevertheless, gamble he did to take on a warehouse on the Thames. And his gamble was handsomely rewarded, because eventually, he did well enough to send Papa away to school – a good school. It was Papa, though, who had the foresight to expand into more than just tobacco.’
Kate hesitated. Miss Naomi’s story might be captivating, but something about standing there listening to it felt entirely wrong – worse, somehow, than had she been eavesdropping. ‘Forgive me, Miss Naomi,’ she said, turning back towards the dressing-table. ‘I’m keeping you from your business.’
‘Fear not. I’m not spilling the family secrets. Papa doesn’t mind in the least who knows of his humble beginnings. Says a self-made man has more character, spirit and integrity than any of those born with silver spoons in their mouths.’
Her concern easing a little, Kate smiled. ‘Happen he’s not wrong, miss.’
‘Kate, when it comes to people or business, he rarely is. Which is why someone as apparently spineless as Mr Aubrey Colborne will never succeed in endearing himself to me, no matter how smoothly he tries.’
‘No, miss.’
‘And that being the case, I think I shall go and sit under the tree to read.’
‘Good for you, miss. And if Mr Aubrey bothers you again, scrub him off.’
‘I beg your pardon? Scrub him off?’
‘Yes. You know, give him short shrift.’
‘Short shrift.’
‘Yes, miss. In my experience, anything other than plain-speaking is wasted on a man who wants something he shouldn’t.’ When Naomi Russell raised an eyebrow, Kate looked quickly down.
‘Oh yes? Sounds interesting. Do tell.’
Acutely aware that her cheeks were burning, Kate raised her head only the merest fraction. ‘Nothing to tell, miss.’
‘Hmm. Somehow, I don’t believe you. Anyway, you’re right, I should tell him plainly. Unfortunately, since he’s our guest, delicacy and tact are called for.’
‘I suppose it’s not done to speak plainly to your guests.’
‘No matter how much one might wish to, no, it isn’t. Mamma would never forgive me – certainly not this early in the holiday.’
When, with a smile, Naomi Russell left the room, her magazine in one hand and her hat in the other, Kate let out a long sigh. Then, in dismay, she glanced about. Weighed against other roles in the house, the job of a lady’s maid sounded so genteel – and, perhaps, in a household with more staff it was – and yet, in her own situation, all it meant was that she had two lots of work to do and two masters to please. The only apparent upside she could see in this world of downs, was that perhaps Naomi Russell wasn’t quite as bad as she’d first supposed. Kept on the right side of, she might even prove to be the source of some interesting tales.
Indeed, after luncheon that same day, while assisting Miss Naomi to change into her afternoon frock, Kate found the young woman still in chatty mood.
‘I told him that I was reading. And that I had been enjoying the peace and quiet.’
‘But he still wouldn’t leave you be,’ Kate surmised.
‘He would not. Although he did at least stop talking.’
‘That’s something,’ Kate acknowledged, offering the sash about Naomi Russell’s waist and proceeding to fashion the ends into a bow in the small of her back.
‘I suppose. Although, even once he fell silent, his presence still felt intrusive. I began to imagine I could feel him looking at me.’
‘Oh dear.’
‘And then, when I got up to leave, he had the temerity to accompany me back indoors.’
‘Quite the limpet, miss.’
‘Limpet?’
‘You know, them pointed shells that cling to the rocks on the beach.’
Fastening a bracelet about her wrist, Naomi Russell turned to look over her shoulder. ‘Like barnacles?’
‘Similar, miss, yes.’
‘You know, I rather fancy he has ideas.’
Setting Miss Naomi’s shoes on the floor, Kate frowned.
‘Ideas, miss?’
Waiting while she
slipped her feet into her shoes, Kate bent to button the narrow straps.
‘Designs. Schemes. Call them what you will, but I do believe he has marriage on his mind.’
The shoes fastened, Kate got to her feet. ‘Ah.’
‘Precisely. But then I suppose at twenty-five years old, he would have. And Mamma certainly hasn’t been slow to coo over his eligibility – her mind fastened tightly upon the fact that he’s heir to Avingham Park.’
‘But you’re not keen on him.’
‘I’m afraid I am not, no. Call me a romantic but, since marriage is till death do us part, I should rather like the man I marry to move me. That’s not unreasonable, is it?’
Kate shook her head; it didn’t seem an unreasonable wish for any woman. ‘Not at all, miss, no.’
‘The poor soul needn’t be so dashing as to rob me of my ability to think. Although, naturally, it wouldn’t hurt. No. But, when all a woman has to look forward to is being a wife and a mother, surely one’s husband ought to stir some sort of desire in her, oughtn’t he? Or am I just being a silly schoolgirl, pining for Prince Charming to come and sweep me off my feet?’
For a moment, Kate didn’t reply. Till death do us part. It was a scarily long time, which surely made it even more important to marry the right man for the right reasons. But just what were those reasons? And how did you know if he was the right man? Whatever your station in life, the question must surely remain: how did you know? Interestingly, with Miss Naomi mentioning desire, the picture that had come rushing into her mind was Luke, his mouth wide with that devilish grin of his and the look in his eyes suggesting he was bent on mischief. That he was handsome, she wouldn’t deny; that she desired him, likewise. But was he the right man for her? Perhaps she could admit to Miss Naomi that they shared the same concerns. Perhaps it would help both of them to know they weren’t alone in their quandaries. Hesitantly, she looked across at her. Leaning towards the mirror, reapplying the colour to her lips, at that precise moment Naomi Russell looked like a creature from a different race: elegant; assured; clear headed. But definitely not one with whom she, a domestic, could share a confidence.
And so, with a sense of regret, the reply for which she settled was, ‘No, miss, I don’t think you’re being silly.’
When Naomi turned towards her, it was with a thoughtful look on her face. ‘Do you know, I find the fact that you are prepared to be frank with me rather refreshing.’
Taken by surprise, Kate frowned. Be frank with her? She’d thought only that she’d been truthful. ‘Miss?’
‘At home, in Clarence Square, my lady’s maid, Wilson, lacks even a single ounce of humour. Although barely two years older than I am, the poor girl displays neither humour nor character. Frightfully good at her job but so terribly, terribly dull. Not the sort of person in whom I could ever confide. But with you, I feel entirely at ease sharing what’s on my mind. Indeed, I find it hard to believe that we’ve only just met, I feel as though I’ve known you for years.’
Astounded to receive such a compliment – at least, she trusted it was a compliment – Kate beamed with delight. ‘Thank you, miss.’
‘And so, since, on the matter of Aubrey Colborne and his advances, we seem to be of the same mind, I have a favour to ask of you.’
‘A favour, miss?’ Now what had she let herself in for?
‘No need to baulk,’ Naomi said, clearly reading her expression. ‘It’s nothing too onerous, simply that should I one day announce to you that I’ve accepted a proposal of marriage from him, please lock me in this room and do whatever proves necessary to make me see sense.’
The thought of doing any such thing made Kate laugh out loud. ‘Very well, miss,’ she said, not even trying to control her laughter. ‘Should such a thing come about – I promise to bar the door until you agree not to become Mrs Aubrey Colborne.’
‘Trust me, Kate, I might appear to be making light of it now, but, should the situation arise, I will forever be in your debt. And, while we’re on the subject of marrying unsuitable men, is there anything into which I should prevent you from rushing headlong?’
Watching Naomi Russell fold a handkerchief and tuck it into her sleeve, Kate pressed her lips together in thought. As she had just that moment been reflecting, it was a good question – and one for which she never could settle upon an answer. But then, remembering Luke’s constant harping about her unwillingness to commit to a date for their wedding, with a shake of her head, she said, ‘No, Miss Naomi, I do not believe myself to be in danger of rushing into anything at all.’
‘Glad to hear it. Right then, I’m off to keep company with Mamma and the terribly tedious Cicely Colborne. Do you know, over luncheon today, she announced that she has a sampler I might like to stitch!’
Kate grinned. ‘Lucky you.’
‘Indeed. Right, see you at the dinner-gong, then.’
‘Yes, miss. See you at the gong.’
* * *
‘Just come to say I’m done for the night.’ Arriving to lean heavily in the doorway, Kate looked across to where her mother was locking the drawer to her desk.
‘Very well, love.’
‘Miss Naomi has retired and says she won’t want anything again now until morning. That being so, I’d thought to go out for a breath or two of air afore I go up.’
‘All right. Just make sure to turn the key when you come back in. And don’t be gone too long – you were moaning earlier about being worn out.’
Recalling having said as much, Kate nodded. ‘I was. I am.’
‘Then in light of that, it might please you to learn that I’ve given thought to your complaint.’
Having started to turn away, Kate turned back. ‘My complaint?’ To which one was her mother referring?
‘About how you can’t see your way to doing two jobs—’
‘Oh.’
‘—and I’ve decided to ask Mary Bowden whether she wants to come up and help out. I doubt you’ll remember her but she used to attend to the young Misses Latimer whenever they came to stay – before she stopped working to look after her mother, that is. But, with her mother passing over last year, she might be glad of the money. And she was always presentable and meticulous.’
What, unlike me, Kate found herself thinking. ‘No,’ she said quickly. ‘It’s all right.’ Had Ma been proposing to offer Mary Bowden her housemaid’s duties, it might have been different. But, with Miss Naomi having just started to take her into her confidence and share her thoughts, she had begun to feel differently about the task of attending to her – not that she would ever admit as much, especially not to either Edith or Ma. ‘It’s like you said,’ she added, desperate not to appear overly eager, ‘we’re all of us stretched thin. So, why don’t we see how it goes along? Happen I’ll manage.’
Too late, she spotted the faintest of curls on her mother’s lips.
‘Very well. I’ll leave it be for now – if you’re certain.’
‘In so far as I can be after just a few days,’ she said, unable to backtrack now, even though, clearly, she had just fallen headlong into her mother’s trap. Now, she would no longer be able to complain about the nature of her duties nor the hours needed to keep on top of them. Through being hasty to respond, she had seen to it that from now on, she would have no choice but to just get on with it all. Clever, Ma. Very clever.
Yes, all she could do now was hope that Miss Naomi’s manner would continue to soften and that she wasn’t mistaken about the unlikely alliance that seemed to have begun to develop between them – an alliance she found herself unexpectedly keen to foster.
Chapter Two
Kinships
It was hard to believe they were adults. After little more than a finger of whisky or a couple of cocktails, they took to acting like children. Although, to be fair, when it came to making drinks, Mrs Russell’s idea of what constituted a measure of a spirit did seem on the generous side. Perhaps, in light of that, it wasn’t surprising that the only person who still seemed sob
er was Cicely Colborne, her half-glass of Stone’s ginger wine still largely untouched. Her husband certainly wasn’t holding back, the rapidly falling level of whisky in the decanter in no small part down to him. Perhaps he thought that by replacing it in the tantalus every time he refreshed his tumbler, no one would notice. Or perhaps Pamela Russell didn’t mind how quickly her guests rattled through the contents of the drinks cabinet. After all, she herself was hardly ever without a full glass in her hand.
Having been standing for some time, peering into the drawing room through the crack between the frame and its partly open door, Kate shifted her weight. For once, she didn’t have anywhere else to be – not that that, by itself, was an excuse for spying upon the family and their guests. Indeed, feeling a draught around the back of her neck, she glanced quickly over her shoulder. There was no one there. There wouldn’t be: Mrs Russell had already dismissed the staff for the night. Even Ma had locked the door to her office and gone upstairs.
Squinting across the hall to the dreaded long-case clock, Kate read from its disapproving face that it was five-and-twenty to eleven – still early by most standards. It was certainly early according to Mrs Russell, now apparently proposing they all play a game.
‘Yes,’ she was saying as she glanced about the room, ‘all we need is a blindfold and a cushion – Aubrey, pass me that large one from the sofa. Come on, it will be fun.’
As far as Kate could see, the prospect of whatever Mrs Russell was proposing was dividing opinion. A few of her guests – although perhaps more from a sense of politeness than genuine eagerness – were getting to their feet. Others were groaning and waving her away.
‘I’ll go first, Aunt Pamela.’
Blinking to refocus her eyes, Kate studied Aubrey Colborne as he removed his jacket and hung it over the back of a nearby chair. She had learnt from Miss Naomi that he was the elder of the two brothers. But, he was also the shorter and, looking at him now, she just knew it was something that irked him. She had already noticed that when he strode about, he puffed out his chest like a turkey, as though doing so somehow made up for his lack of any real stature. Yes, he definitely begrudged his younger brother that extra little bit of height. In addition to which, there was the way that, as he stood conversing with someone, he repeatedly smoothed his hand back over his hair – another habit that didn’t endear him to her, either. In her eyes, it served only to make him look shallow and vain.