by Dilly Court
‘I love chicken soup,’ Belinda said stoutly. ‘Your cook is excellent, Susannah. I’m sure you have no need to worry.’
‘I’ve never enjoyed a better meal than the one we had last night,’ Percy added firmly.
‘Nevertheless I must go to the kitchen and tell Cook to make an extra effort. Mama would want me to do so.’
‘Is Mrs Devane unwell?’ Belinda asked innocently.
‘Mama never rises before eleven.’ Susannah mopped ineffectually at the puddle of coffee with her napkin.
Angel had not had a chance to help herself to the rapidly cooling buttered eggs and crisp bacon, but Cook and Lil were in enough of a panic without Susannah adding her twopenn’orth, as Dolly would have said. ‘Don’t worry, Sukey. I’ll go and talk to Cook, and I’ll send Meg up to Aunt Eloise’s room with some hot chocolate.’ She turned to Belinda and Percy with an apologetic smile. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have rather a lot to do, but I’ll see you at luncheon.’
‘Don’t worry about us,’ Belinda said cheerfully. ‘It’s such a lovely day that I rather fancy a walk. What about you, Percy?’
He shook his head. ‘I need to be on hand at the stables to make sure that work is started on the carriage. We have to be in Colchester on Friday at the latest.’
Susannah sank back onto her chair. ‘Pour me another cup of coffee before you go, Angel, there’s a dear.’
‘Allow me.’ Percy had reached for the silver coffeepot and refilled Susannah’s cup before Angel had a chance to move. He looked up and gave her a wry smile. ‘Don’t worry about us, Belinda and I can look after ourselves.’
‘I’m sure you can, but you’re our guests and while you’re here I intend to see you have every comfort we can provide.’ Angel had the satisfaction of seeing Susannah for once at a loss for words. She left them to finish their breakfast and returned to the kitchen.
‘That’s all I need, Miss Angel,’ Cook said bitterly. ‘The mistress will expect me to produce a meal fit for a king, even though it’s only Sir Eugene and Miss Blanche, and I’ve only got this scraggy boiling fowl.’
Lil stopped chopping onions to wipe tears from her eyes. ‘They’ll have to like it or lump it. We can’t perform miracles.’
‘I’m sure the soup will be delicious, as always,’ Angel said tactfully. ‘If you’ll clear the table after breakfast, Lil, I’ll set it for luncheon. I’ll put Meg in charge of laundry and Flossie is now a tweeny. She’ll have to do the fires and empty the chamber pots and all the things that Dolly did.’
Flossie popped her head round the scullery door. ‘I heard that, miss. Am I really going to be a tweeny?’
Angel smiled with relief. At least someone was happy. ‘Yes, Flossie. I’ll show you what to do, and from now on your duties are mainly upstairs, but you’ll still need to help in the kitchen until I can find someone to replace you.’
‘Such comings and goings,’ Cook grumbled. ‘I suppose we’ll be having dukes and duchesses to stay soon.’
Lil tossed an onion skin at her. ‘Shut up, Eudora. Be thankful we ain’t homeless, because that’s what will happen if we don’t do all we can to help Angel with this plan of hers.’
‘I know you’ll all do your best,’ Angel said hastily. ‘And so will I. We’ll get through this together.’
Angel had just finished setting the table in the dining room, and was adding a bowl of freshly picked tea roses and sprigs of lady’s mantle as a final touch, when she heard the Westwoods’ carriage draw to a halt outside. She took off her apron and hurried to open the door. If they thought it odd that a member of the family was doing the work of a servant they were either too polite to say anything or they simply did not notice.
Eloise appeared at the top of the staircase and descended to meet her guests with a regal smile. Once again Angel noticed that her aunt had taken extra-special care with her toilette and was wearing her newest afternoon gown. The pink-and-white striped polonaise basque over a frilled white underskirt was the latest fashion, and Eloise wore it with style. She extended her hand and Sir Eugene raised it to his lips.
‘How kind of you to join us for luncheon.’ Eloise flashed him a smile before turning to Blanche. ‘And dear Blanche, you look so lovely in that muslin gown. Do come into the drawing room. Susannah is dying to seeing you again.’
Blanche acknowledged her effusive greeting with a nod and a smile as she handed her parasol to Angel without as much as a glance in her direction. Angel had known what it felt like to be invisible when selling flowers on street corners, and that feeling came back to her now. She took Sir Eugene’s hat and gloves, but his attention was firmly fixed on Eloise, and it occurred to Angel that bringing Blanche to see Susannah was merely an excuse for him to become better acquainted with Eloise Devane. There were, she decided, definite advantages to being a servant. Having completed her task as parlour maid, Angel went to join the family in the drawing room and was greeted warmly by Sir Eugene and Blanche, as if seeing her for the first time that day.
She took a seat by the window, sitting quietly and listening to Sir Eugene giving advice on how to run the estate, when a movement outside caught her eye and she saw Percy hurrying across the terrace. Moments later he entered the room and she stood up, sensing that something was amiss.
‘I’m sorry to intrude,’ he said breathlessly, ‘but has anyone seen my sister? Belinda went out for a walk after breakfast and she hasn’t returned. I’ve ridden round the estate and as far as the village, but there’s no sign of her.’
Chapter Fourteen
Eloise was adamant that nothing bad could have befallen Belinda either on Grantley land or in the village, but despite her protests Sir Eugene gallantly offered to join the search, and even Susannah had the grace to look a little worried.
‘But, Mama,’ she protested, ‘Belinda might have fallen and twisted her ankle, or she could have become confused and lost her way.’
‘Exactly,’ Sir Eugene said firmly. ‘I’ll join you, sir. We haven’t been introduced but my name is Westwood, and I know the countryside round here like the back of my hand.’
‘How do you do, sir? Percy Montgomerie, and it’s my sister who’s missing. I wouldn’t worry normally if she was a bit late back from a walk, but she left soon after breakfast and she’s unfamiliar with the area.’
‘In that case I suggest we start right way.’ Sir Eugene strode from the room and Percy hurried after him.
‘Well, really,’ Eloise said, falling back on the sofa and fanning herself vigorously. ‘This is too much.’
‘Don’t upset yourself, Mama.’ Susannah went to sit beside her mother. ‘I’m sure they’ll find her safe and sound.’
‘I’ll go with the search party.’ Angel left them grumbling about the inconvenience caused by Miss Montgomerie’s thoughtless actions, and she went to join Sir Eugene and Percy on the carriage sweep where they were discussing the best plan of action.
Percy looked up and smiled. ‘Are you coming with us, Angel?’
‘Yes, of course. I’ll do anything I can to help find your sister. Did Belinda say where she was going?’
He shook his head. ‘No, merely that she wanted some fresh air, but it’s not like Belle to wander off.’
‘We need horses,’ Sir Eugene said firmly. ‘On foot it will take hours and we could easily miss her.’
‘We’ll send the stable boy and the groom to comb the woods.’ Angel tried to put herself in Belinda’s place. ‘I’m trying to think where she might have gone.’
‘She was fascinated by the marsh,’ Percy said slowly, ‘but I doubt if she would have been rash enough to go there on her own.’
A shiver ran down Angel’s spine as she remembered the day when she had been lost in the mist and rain. ‘It’s quite treacherous, even in summer. I’ll take the dogs and walk that way.’
‘I don’t know, that sounds dangerous.’ Percy hesitated. ‘Why don’t you stay in the grounds and leave the marsh to us? I’ll enlist Atkins and Smith. They’re doing
nothing while we wait for the blacksmith to finish his work.’
‘Surely she wouldn’t have gone so far? Anyway, we’re wasting time,’ Sir Eugene said impatiently. ‘Come on. The sooner we find your sister the sooner we can sit down and enjoy the excellent food that is always on offer at Grantley.’
Despite her worries Angel had to hide a smile. If only he knew to what lengths they had gone in order to provide the most basic meal, but Sir Eugene had been born to wealth and privilege and she doubted if he had ever experienced the gnawing pangs of hunger and the debilitating weakness caused by near starvation. She picked up her skirts and ran after them as they strode towards the stables.
Thor and Juno greeted her ecstatically and, despite their ageing bones, they were eager to join her for a walk. She had set off for the marshes when the temperamental English climate took a sudden turn for the worse. Ominous black clouds blotted out the sun, followed by a sudden downpour that quickly soaked Angel to the skin. The dogs huddled at her side, looking up at her with sad brown eyes as if pleading with her to make it stop. She patted their heads absently, looking round for anything that might give them shelter, but visibility was almost nil and she could only keep walking and hope that it was just a shower. The only good thing was that the rain itself was relatively warm, but her cotton print gown was sodden, as was her hair. Water dripped down her face and neck and she wished that she had stopped to put on a bonnet and shawl.
Then, just as suddenly, the rain ceased and the sun broke through the clouds that dispersed as quickly as they had gathered, leaving a cerulean sky and steam rising from the wet ground. Both dogs were suddenly alert and rushed on ahead, and Angel shielded her eyes from the sun’s glare. Through the haze she saw two figures walking towards her and a small dog that bounced up and down barking at Thor and Juno. Even though they were far away Angel recognised Danny, and the smaller figure, leaning heavily on his arm, was distinguished by her elegant although extremely dishevelled appearance. Belinda Montgomerie was safe and in good hands. Angel broke into a run.
‘Belinda, are you all right?’ she asked breathlessly as she came to a halt.
‘I might have been sucked down into the bog if it hadn’t been for Danny.’ Belinda’s voice broke on a sob. ‘I couldn’t free myself, Angel. It was a terrifying experience. I’ve heard of people being swallowed up in a morass of black mud and never seen again.’
Danny grinned, shaking his head. ‘There wasn’t any danger of that, miss. You just panicked and struggled too hard, making it worse.’
‘But I could have been stuck there for ever,’ Belinda insisted. ‘I didn’t see another soul until you heard my cries for help and came to my rescue.’
‘Well, I never thought of you as a hero, Danny,’ Angel said, laughing. ‘But thank you anyway. I’m sure that Percy will be very relieved. He’s had everyone out looking for you, Belinda.’
‘Oh dear, he’ll be so cross with me.’
‘I think he’ll be more relieved than angry.’ Angel met Danny’s amused gaze with a smile. ‘It’s a good thing you were around. She could have been stuck there for ages.’
‘Well, let’s get you girls home. You’re both soaking wet.’
‘And so are you.’ Angel eyed him critically. ‘You’re muddy too. You’d best come to Grantley and dry off.’
‘I’m not the sort of person they’d welcome as a guest. I’ll see the young lady safe and then I’ll be on my way. A bit of water never hurt anyone.’
‘You are a stubborn brute,’ Angel said affectionately, ‘but you’ll do as you’re told, for once. Lil and Cook will welcome you and you can dry off by the kitchen range.’
‘I’m truly grateful to you, Danny.’ Belinda gazed up at him admiringly. ‘Thank you for rescuing me.’
Angel walked on as the path was too narrow for three abreast, and the dogs gambolled ahead of her. Forgetting their age, they played like puppies, and bad-tempered Stumpy seemed to have regained some of his youthful zest for life. They reached Grantley to find that Sir Eugene and Percy had arrived before them and had dismounted in the stable yard.
‘Belinda!’ Percy’s shocked tones echoed round the mews. He handed the reins to Sir Eugene. ‘What happened?’ he demanded anxiously, looking Belinda up and down. ‘Are you hurt?’
‘I strayed off the path and I was sinking in a bog when this man saved my life.’ She glanced up at Danny, smiling shyly. ‘I might have been stuck there for hours if it hadn’t been for him.’
‘She was scared, sir, but unharmed. She wouldn’t have sunk much further, but she couldn’t free herself.’ Danny tipped his cap, backing away. ‘I’ll be off now.’
Percy slipped his arm around his sister’s waist. ‘I haven’t thanked you yet. You must have some recompense for your trouble. I don’t even know your name, sir.’
‘This is Danny Wicks,’ Angel said smiling. ‘He’s an old friend.’
‘Well, I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance, Wicks.’ Percy shook Danny’s hand. ‘You did my sister a great service today.’
‘I’d have done the same for anyone. The marsh isn’t the place to roam freely.’ Danny was about to walk away but Angel ran after him.
‘I can’t let you go home in that state. What would your ma say?’ She lowered her voice. ‘Besides which, I need your advice, and I have an idea that might benefit both you and your family as well as Grantley.’
A slow smile lit Danny’s eyes. ‘You always were an independent spirit, Angel.’
‘I don’t know about that.’ Angel glanced over her shoulder to see Susannah and Blanche fussing around Belinda. She tucked her hand in the crook of Danny’s arm. ‘I’m just as wet as you are and I’m shivering in spite of the sunshine. Will you do as I ask, or have I got to beg?’
‘You don’t give me much choice. Lead on, girl.’
Having left Danny in the capable hands of Cook and Lil, Angel went to her room to change out of her wet clothes. She brushed her hair and scraped it back into a chignon, although it was impossible to tame it completely. Tendrils curled around her forehead and tickled her ears, but this was not the time to worry about looks. There were more important matters on hand, and speaking to Danny was one of them.
She returned to the kitchen to find that Lil had managed to serve the broth without scalding herself or any of the guests, and Humphrey had returned from the vintners with enough wine to keep their guests happy. Cook had baked a cherry pie that looked tempting, its crust glistening with sugar crystals, and it smelled delicious. There was also a handsome sherry trifle studded with almonds, although Cook made it clear that she was extremely put out as she thrust the cut-glass bowl into Angel’s hands.
‘It’s mortifying to offer a choice of only two desserts. In the old days there would have been more courses, even at luncheon, as well as sorbets and ice cream. I don’t know what Sir Eugene will think of us.’
Danny looked up from the bowl of broth he had almost finished and was just about to mop up with a chunk of bread. ‘I’d say he was a lucky chap to be offered pie and trifle. We wouldn’t have that choice in a month of Sundays.’
‘You aren’t a Devane,’ Cook said, sniffing. ‘This family used to pride itself on keeping a good table.’
Lil picked up the pie and a jug of cream. ‘They should think themselves lucky, that’s what I say. We’ll be stuck with bread and scrape if the mistress doesn’t do something quickly.’ She shot a sideway glance at Angel. ‘Can’t you do something more, love? You always was a good one for ideas.’
‘I’ve plenty of those,’ Angel said eagerly. ‘But will they work? That’s the crux of the matter.’ She turned her head to give Danny an encouraging smile. ‘Don’t go until we’ve had our chat. I’ll be back in a moment or two.’
‘I might just wait to see if there’s any of that cherry pie left. I reckon I could eat a whole one of them all by myself.’
The party in the dining room seemed to be going well. Angel served the trifle, leaving Lil to cut the pie and off
er it round the table.
‘Aren’t you going to join us, Angel?’ Percy shook his head when she brought the trifle to him. ‘I see that there’s a place set for you.’
‘We haven’t found a replacement for a maid who left recently, so for today I am taking her role.’ Angel put the fact as tactfully as she could, but she could feel the tension in the room. Eloise grasped the stem of her wineglass so tightly that her knuckles whitened and Sir Eugene stiffened, staring straight ahead. Susannah bit her lip and stared down at her plate, and Blanche shot a wary look in her father’s direction.
Eloise recovered first. ‘It’s so hard to find good servants these days.’
‘We don’t seem to have a problem,’ Belinda said happily. ‘But, of course, we live in London and that makes a difference.’
Percy did not look convinced. ‘Even so, I wouldn’t expect to be served by a member of the family. I hope we will have the pleasure of your company at dinner, Angel.’
Lil sniggered audibly and received a look from Eloise that would have turned an ordinary mortal to stone.
Belinda continued to smile happily, seemingly oblivious to the fraught emotions seething beneath a veneer of good manners. ‘May I have some cherry pie? It looks so tasty.’
Her naïve remark seemed to ease the tension and everyone began speaking at once. Angel took the opportunity to return to the kitchen and was relieved to see that Danny had waited for her, even though his clothes had dried out and he was ready to leave. She took off her apron and laid it over the back of a chair.
‘Come on, Danny. I’ll walk part of the way with you.’
‘What is it you wanted to say?’ he asked as they cut across the park.
‘The family are all but bankrupt,’ Angel said bluntly. ‘I’ve persuaded Aunt Eloise to take in paying guests, but we have very little money, and if we don’t satisfy the creditors the house and land will be forfeit. That’s why the Montgomeries were invited to stay – they offered to pay for their keep.’
‘Are you saying that you intend to turn the old house into a lodging house?’