by Dilly Court
Alice glanced out of the window. ‘Where are the servants?’ she demanded angrily. ‘The place looks deserted and there was no one in the gatekeeper’s lodge.’ She waited impatiently for James to open the door and put the steps down, and for a moment Essie was afraid that Alice would leap to the ground, but she contained herself and allowed James to help her to alight, followed by Sadie and Falco. Essie was last to climb out of the vehicle and she paused, gazing up at the uncompromising edifice constructed from granite. With four crenellated towers, Starcross Abbey stood guard on the cliff top overlooking the English Channel. It was protected on either side by woodland, with a wide gravel carriage sweep leading to the main entrance, which was guarded by two large stone lions.
Alice walked up to the front door and knocked. The echo resounded throughout the house, and they could do nothing other than wait in the bitter cold. ‘There must be someone at home,’ Alice said angrily. ‘Raven kept all the servants on, regardless of cost. I’ll want to know why we’re being kept waiting.’
Essie clutched her cape around her. It was easy to imagine Raven and Freddie growing up in this place. It looked like a castle from a storybook and she longed to see inside. ‘They weren’t expecting us, Alice,’ she said reasonably.
Alice rapped on the door again. ‘I’ll send James round to the servants’ entrance. They will answer to me if they—’ She broke off as the door opened with a screech of unoiled hinges and a blowsy woman stared stupidly at them.
‘What d’you want?’
Alice pushed past her. ‘Where is Smeaton? And who are you?’ She peered at the woman, whose dirty mobcap had tilted over one eye, and her ill-fitting blouse was stained with snuff.
‘I’m Dottie. Who are you?’
Alice recoiled, glaring at the woman. ‘You’re a drunken slut, and I’m Lady Alice Crozier. I demand to see Smeaton.’
Dottie backed away, bowing and scraping like a cur that expected a beating. ‘I dunno, my lady. I was just doing them below stairs a favour by seeing to the door. It ain’t my job.’
‘I don’t know what you’re doing here, but your position is terminated,’ Alice said angrily.
‘I dunno what that means, ma’am.’ Dottie cringed visibly.
Feeling almost sorry for the drunken creature, Essie stepped forward. ‘Lady Alice means that you’re services are no long wanted.’
‘Fetch Smeaton immediately,’ Alice said imperiously. ‘I don’t care what he’s doing. Bring him here right away. This is a disgrace.’
Falco moved to Alice’s side. ‘Would you like me to fetch the fellow, my lady? He won’t gainsay Enrico Falco.’
‘And he won’t gainsay me.’ Alice ran her finger across a carved oak monk’s bench, pulling a face when she examined the tip of her glove. ‘Filthy. This place hasn’t been cleaned for weeks – months even. It’s almost colder inside than it is outside. I’m not waiting for Smeaton to come up here with excuses. I’m going to the servants’ quarters and I’ll give him a piece of my mind.’
‘I’m coming with you,’ Falco said firmly.
‘Me, too.’ Essie followed them with Sadie close behind.
‘They might turn nasty,’ Sadie whispered.
‘I grew up amongst dock workers and drunken sailors,’ Essie said grimly. ‘And the gold miners were a rough lot, too. I think we can handle a few idle servants between us.’
As they went deeper into the house the neglect became more apparent. Cobwebs hung from the ceilings and the air was thick with dust. Alice obviously knew her way around and she headed for the back stairs, which spiralled down to the basement. The cold was even more intense and Essie covered her nose with her hand as noxious smells assailed her nostrils.
‘What a stench,’ Sadie muttered.
Alice said nothing as she hurried on, arriving in the kitchen and throwing the door open so that it crashed against the wall. ‘What the devil is going on here?’ she demanded furiously.
Essie looked round in astonishment. There was litter everywhere and the floor was covered in grease and filth. A fire burned in the range and a blackened pan bubbled away, but what it contained was a mystery she would rather not fathom. The stench of it was enough to turn the strongest stomach and for a moment Essie thought she might be sick. But Alice did not seem to notice and she stormed across the floor, treading through the heaps of rotting vegetable matter mixed up with straw. She came to a halt in front of a man who was sprawled on a chair, his shirt open to the waist and his trousers unfastened. Instead of fainting or looking away, Alice snatched the wine bottle from his hand and hurled it at the wall, where it shattered and fell to the floor in a pool of red wine and broken glass.
‘You’re drunk, Smeaton, and so is the slut who opened the door to us.’
Smeaton staggered to his feet, grinning stupidly. ‘Just a tot or two to keep out the cold, my lady.’
‘You’re sacked, Smeaton, and so is she, whoever she is. I don’t recall seeing her here before today.’
Smeaton reached out to hook his arm around Dottie’s shoulders, steadying himself by using her as a prop, although she was only slightly the less drunk of the pair. ‘You can’t sack me, and Dottie is me wife – all legal and above board.’
Alice looked past him to the woman who was trying to make herself invisible in the corner of the room. ‘Is that you, Mrs Grimes?’
‘Yes, my lady. I’m not responsible for all this.’ Mrs Grimes waved her hands in a feeble attempt to distance herself from the mess around her. ‘I’m only the cook – it’s Mr Smeaton who’s taken charge since you left for London, and things have gone from bad to worse.’
‘It’s not Ma’s fault.’ A young maidservant hurried in from the scullery. ‘We done our best, my lady. But Smeaton and his woman have taken over and they do nothing but drink and do things that they should only do in their bedchamber. We don’t hold with any of it, do we, Ma?’
Mrs Grimes nodded until her mobcap fell off. ‘That’s right, Jenifry. We done our best, my lady.’
‘Shut your trap, you silly bitch.’ Smeaton turned on her in a fury, but Falco stepped forward and grabbed him, twisting his arms behind his back.
Dottie screamed, cowering against the wall, and Sadie backed away from the flailing arms and flying fists. Essie watched in horror as Falco struggled with Smeaton, but Falco had the advantage of height, and was stone-cold sober. Smeaton was quickly overcome and Falco forced him down on his knees in front of Alice.
‘Apologise to her ladyship,’ Falco said grimly. ‘And you’d better mind your manners if you don’t want your bones broken.’
‘You and that woman will leave this house immediately,’ Alice said coldly.
‘But I’ve worked here for years, my lady.’ Smeaton’s manner changed abruptly. He cowered before her. ‘Where will we go and what will we do? It’ll be dark soon.’
‘Nonsense,’ Alice said briskly. ‘You’ve both drunk enough of my cousin’s wine to keep you warm until you get to Newton Abbot. I’ll give you ten minutes to pack your bags and if you’re still here then you will be thrown out physically. Now give me the keys and get out of this house.’
‘But we’re owed money,’ Dottie sobbed. ‘We got nothing.’
‘Where is the housekeeper?’ Alice demanded.
‘Mrs Wills left last week, my lady.’ Mrs Grimes pointed her finger at Smeaton. ‘That man made her life a misery and she could stand it no more.’
‘Where did she go? Does she live in the village?’
‘She do, ma’am.’
‘Send a stable boy or a gardener with a message asking her to come and see me immediately.’
Essie laid her hand on Alice’s arm. ‘Are you going to stay here for a while? You won’t get this mess sorted out in one afternoon.’
‘You’re right,’ Alice said frowning. ‘Falco, see these two off the premises. I’ll be in the drawing room when you’ve done. Jenifry will show you where it is.’
Falco nodded and ushered Smeaton none too gently
from the kitchen, with Dottie running after them, pleading for forgiveness.
Sadie sank down on a three-legged stool by the range. ‘What a to-do.’
‘There’s no fire in the drawing room, my lady.’ Jenifry ventured shyly. ‘We’ve not lit fires in the family rooms since the beginning of winter.’
‘Why wasn’t I told how things were?’ Alice said angrily.
‘Begging your pardon, my lady, but you wasn’t available.’ Mrs Grimes eyed her nervously. ‘Word was sent to Daumerle, but nothing come of it.’
‘I was abroad for a few months.’ Alice paced the floor, wringing her hands. ‘How could I have allowed this to happen? What will Raven say when he finds out?’
‘I’m sure we can put matters right.’ Essie glanced round at the chaotic state of the kitchen, hoping that she sounded more positive than she was feeling. ‘Do you intend to remain here for a while?’
‘Heavens, no. I wouldn’t dream of spending a night in this place now. I’m sure the beds are damp, and goodness knows what state the bed linen is in. The housekeeper will sort it out when she returns.’
‘But will you be here when she does?’
‘Are you being deliberately difficult, Essie? Can’t you see that this has been a terrible shock for me? I promised Raven that I would oversee matters at Starcross Abbey and I’ve let him down.’
Essie turned to Mrs Grimes and Jenifry, who were standing helplessly looking on. ‘Might we have a fire in the drawing room, or is there a smaller room that would be more comfortable?’
Jenifry bobbed a curtsey. ‘The blue parlour will get warm quicker, miss. Shall I set a fire in there?’
‘That sounds much more sensible,’ Essie said, smiling.
‘I’ll do it right away.’ Jenifry moved to the fireplace, picked up a bucket of coal and a bundle of kindling and hurried from the room with a purposeful set to her thin shoulders.
Essie turned to Mrs Grimes. ‘If you would put the kettle on, ma’am, I’m sure a cup of tea would help the situation, and if Smeaton hasn’t drunk all the brandy, perhaps a tot would make her ladyship feel a little better.’
Mrs Grimes nodded eagerly. ‘Of course, miss. Without that woman here watching everything I do, and making trouble for me and my girl, I can get back to normal, but I will need help from the village. Smeaton sacked all the maids except Jenifry, and I believe he pocketed the wages that would have gone to the other servants, although I can’t prove it.’
‘I should have him arrested,’ Alice said angrily. ‘He’s nothing but a criminal. Do you know what has happened to the outside staff?’
‘Much the same, my lady. But work is hard to find and I’m sure they’d be only too pleased to have their jobs back. That’s if you want them to return.’
‘I most definitely do.’ Alice headed for the door. ‘I’ll leave you in charge for the moment, Essie. Sadie can bring a lamp and accompany me to the blue parlour. I want to make a list of things I’ll require you to do.’
‘What have you in mind?’
Alice hesitated in the doorway. ‘I think it would be useful for you to remain here for a few days, if you will, Essie. You have a talent for organising things, and I’ve always left everything to my servants, but you know exactly what to do. Will you stay here and sort things out so that Raven will find his old home as it was when he left it?’
‘I will, but only if everyone here understands that I have your authority to make any changes that I think necessary.’
Alice turned to Mrs Grimes. ‘You’re my witness, Cook. I give Miss Chapman my permission to do whatever she deems necessary, and if Mrs Wills decides to take up her old post I’ll say the same to her.’
‘I understand, my lady.’ Mrs Grimes bobbed a curtsey. ‘But what will we do if Smeaton returns?’
‘I’ll leave instructions with the head groom. You may call on him to use physical force, if necessary.’
‘I’m sorry to tell you this, my lady, but Smeaton didn’t pay the outside staff either, and most of them had to leave to find work elsewhere.’
‘Raven would be furious if he knew what had been going on. Please don’t tell me any more, Mrs Grimes. It will be sorted out, I promise you. Essie, come with me, we will have to work together.’ Alice stormed out of the kitchen, almost bumping into Falco.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked anxiously. ‘Who has upset you, my lady?’
‘Your presence here is needed even more than I thought was possible. That man has created havoc in my cousin’s home, and heaven knows what else he’s done. I need your help to get Starcross back to what it was when Raven and Freddie left.’
‘What about me, my lady?’ Sadie clutched Essie’s hand. ‘You won’t send me back to London, will you?’
Alice stared at her blankly. ‘Of course not. You will remain here with Essie.’ She gave Essie a straight look. ‘I’m giving you a lot of responsibility for one so young. Am I making a mistake by leaving things to you?’
Chapter Fifteen
That night it snowed. Next morning Starcross Abbey was marooned in a white world and the old house was eerily silent when Essie awakened. She had shared her room with Sadie, mainly in an attempt to keep warm, and, although Jenifry had lit a fire, the bedding still felt damp. White light filtered through the curtains and Essie shook Sadie by the shoulder. ‘Wake up, sleepy head, we’ve got a lot of work to do.’
Sadie opened her eyes and yawned. ‘Just a few more minutes, Essie. It’s nice and warm where I am.’
Essie pulled the covers off her. ‘Get up and look out of the window. It’s a sight worth seeing.’
Sadie scrambled out of bed, wrapping the coverlet around her as she crossed the floor to look out of the window. ‘Snow,’ she cried excitedly. ‘Isn’t that a pretty sight?’
‘It is,’ Essie said slowly, ‘but the lanes are steep and narrow and even if they got the message last night the servants might not be able to get here.’
‘Maybe it won’t last long.’ Sadie rested her elbows on the windowsill, gazing out longingly. ‘I wish I had someone to play snowballs with.’
‘I keep forgetting that you’re just a child.’ Essie slipped her arm around Sadie’s shoulders and gave her a hug. ‘If we get a lot of work done I’ll come out with you and maybe we’ll challenge the captain to a snowball fight.’
Sadie dissolved in giggles. ‘That would be funny.’
‘I’m going downstairs,’ Essie said, reaching for her shawl. ‘We need to get an early start.’
Sadie opened the window and leaned out. ‘I’ve never seen so much whiteness – it’s beautiful.’
‘And it’s cold. Please shut the window,’ Essie said, laughing. ‘Come on. We’ve lots to do today and it doesn’t look as though we’ll get much help.’
‘Wait for me. I don’t want to get lost.’ Sadie closed the window. ‘I’ll get dressed quickly and come with you.’
Falco and Mrs Grimes were in the kitchen, which on first glance looked remarkably tidy. A fire burned in the range and the kettle was bubbling away on the hob. The scent of bacon frying masked the terrible odours that had filled the room the previous day, and Mrs Grimes was kneading bread dough. She looked up and smiled.
‘How do you like waking up to a world white over, miss? Doesn’t happen too often in these parts.’
‘It’s cold but very pretty.’ Essie moved closer to the fire. ‘What time did you get up, Captain?’
‘I haven’t been to bed.’ Falco handled the frying pan with the ease of someone who was at home in the kitchen. ‘At sea you get used to keeping watch at all hours and I wanted to make a start. Believe it or not, Essie, I like things to be shipshape. You can’t live on board ship if things are in a mess.’
‘And I always rise at six o’clock,’ Mrs Grimes added cheerfully. ‘It was so good to come downstairs and find the captain here instead of Smeaton and that trollop he brought into the house. You can’t imagine what we’ve been through these past months.’
‘No, I don’t
suppose I can,’ Essie said thoughtfully. ‘But it will be different now. Sadie and I will help to put things straight. We’re used to hard work.’
‘And a good breakfast will set us all up for the day.’ Mrs Grimes gave the dough a final thump with her fists. ‘There’s enough here for two loaves and some small rolls, which will cook quickly, and if Smeaton’s whore hasn’t eaten it all there’s some of my homemade raspberry jam in the cupboard. We have – or rather we had – a very productive vegetable garden, although goodness knows what state it’s in now.’
Falco glanced over his shoulder, grinning broadly. ‘I can command a ship and I sing like a nightingale. I can also cook bacon, but I don’t know anything about gardening.’
‘You’d better concentrate on what you’re doing, Captain,’ Mrs Grimes said grimly. ‘Put this tray in the oven, will you, please? The first batch should be ready now so we’ll have hot rolls to go with the bacon, providing it isn’t burned to a crisp.’
Minutes later they were joined by Jenifry, who struggled into the kitchen carrying two wooden buckets filled with water. She knocked the snow off her boots and it plopped onto the tiles, dissolving into small puddles. ‘I hope the pump don’t freeze,’ she said, shaking snowflakes from her hair. ‘We’re going to need lots of hot water.’
‘Sit down and have some breakfast, maid.’ Mrs Grimes began dishing out the bacon. ‘There should be eggs in the henhouse, but someone will have to plough through the snow to reach them.’
‘I’ll go,’ Sadie said eagerly. ‘I can look for eggs.’
‘What do you know about hens?’ Mrs Grimes stared at her in surprise. ‘You being a townsperson and all that.’
‘There was chickens at the first place they sent me from the Foundling Hospital. Us nippers had to learn how to look after them, and I used to milk the goat on board the captain’s ship. Lorenzo showed me how.’
‘Lorenzo will feel the toe of my boot when I go back on board,’ Falco said grimly. ‘He’s a lazy fellow.’
‘Even so, Sadie has acquired a useful skill.’ Essie took the rolls from the oven and tipped them into the wooden bowl. She set it down in the middle of the table. ‘Are there any goats on the estate, Mrs Grimes?’