Shocked, for no one had ever laid a finger on her before, Erin raised a hand to her face which was now an angry red, and stared at her mistress with tears of bewilderment in her eyes.
‘Now you may clear up that mess and get out,’ crackled Helena.
Erin put the photograph on the mantelpiece and, placing the broken glass in her bucket, rushed from the room, almost bumping into the master on her way.
‘Steady child,’ chuckled Roland, stepping aside for her to pass.
‘What possessed you to employ a useless dolt like that?’ Helena enquired as he came into the room.
‘I?’ answered Roland. ‘The servants are your responsibility, my dear, not mine.’
‘I am quite aware of that,’ came the curt reply. ‘But do I not recall you telling me some weeks ago that you had attended the Martinmas Hirings and had secured another maid.’
‘Ah,’ Roland remembered. – That must be Tommy’s stepdaughter. Poor little thing, rubbing Helena up the wrong way on her first day. ‘I humbly beg your pardon, my dear, you are quite correct. I did hire her. It is to be regretted that my choice does not rise to your standards – but pray, give the child a chance. She has barely had time to learn.’
‘Do I detect a little more than an employer’s interest in that girl?’
‘I cannot imagine what you mean, Helena,’ he replied coolly. ‘I am merely asking you not to be too harsh on the child out of consideration for yourself. Servants are very hard to come by; if you frighten them away you may have to soil your own lily-white hands.’
‘I remember thinking it odd at the time, you concerning yourself with the running of the household.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘If you have brought one of your by-blows into this house…’
‘Helena!’ He appeared outraged. ‘The very suggestion.’ She ignored the ragging tone. ‘I do not suppose you would care to enlighten me as to your whereabouts since yesterday morning?’
‘I do not think you would wish to hear my explanation, Helena,’ smiled her husband.
‘Perhaps it is of such an unsavoury nature that you cannot divulge it to your wife?’ retorted Helena, then sauntered casually to the mantelpiece to make a play of examining the broken picture. ‘No matter, I have little interest in your whereabouts, but I think it a great shame that you were not present to witness a rather interesting incident.’ She paused to wait for his response, then continued, ‘After I had breakfasted I returned to my bedroom to prepare for my morning commitments. There, I chanced to look from the window and saw a red-haired woman leaving my house. She caught my gaze and returned it very boldly, as if she were an equal. I do not suppose her visit has any connection with your employment of the brat?’
Roland shook his head, assuming a flummoxed stance, his eyes almost disappearing under the furry eyebrows. ‘I really cannot say, my dear. Before the Hirings I had never laid eyes on the girl.’
‘And the woman?’
‘How can I say if I have ever met the woman if, as you yourself said, I was not present to witness her visit? Even if I had been at home I doubt whether I would have seen her as I am not privy to your bedchamber. The window of my room overlooks the garden, not the street.’
She curled her lip at this adroit side-stepping. ‘Then you have no idea of her interests in this house?’
‘None at all.’ He moved towards the door and opened it. ‘Shall we go to breakfast?’
She swept past him into the breakfast room where Johnson served them then was dismissed; Helena had no wish to converse about such a matter in the hearing of servants. Although she often treated them as though they were not there, she was intelligent enough to realise that they did have ears and, given the opportunity, would repeat what they had heard to servants of other households.
‘So, you deny ever having met the woman?’ she continued.
‘Deny?’ cried Roland. ‘My dear, what a very odd choice of word. You make it sound like some sort of accusation.’
‘Oh, enough of this taradiddle,’ she spat, reaching for a honeycomb. ‘I am neither blind nor deaf. I know what goes on under my own nose.’
‘Do you indeed? Then I would be very pleased if you would enlighten me as I have not the faintest idea to what you are referring.’
‘I am referring to your mistresses.’ There, it was out in the open, after all those years of pretence. ‘And in particular to that red-headed woman whom I spoke of earlier. Do not bother to lie, I have an exceedingly good memory, I well remember the humiliation of seeing her in your company at the Theatre Royal, flaunting yourselves for all to see.’
Roland rested his fork on his plate and threaded his fingers thoughtfully. ‘Forgive me, Helena, my memory is not as acute as your own. If you recall the occasion so clearly perhaps you can remember who accompanied you?’ She fumed silently as he went on, ‘I seem to think he was rather a youngish fellow, much too young to be your dear papa.’
The mention of her father brought a vindictive spark to her eye. ‘You would not be so bold if it had been Papa. Had he been there to perceive your faithlessness you would not be sitting there so smugly.’
‘If you are so beset by my misdemeanours why did you not tell him, my dear? Shall I tell you? Because you know as well as I that there is more than one miscreant in this woeful tale and I suspect, Helena, that however many mistresses I may have had their total would look sadly inadequate when compared to your string of lovers.’
‘How dare you! My father would break you if he knew the way you treated me.’
‘I dare because it is quite true,’ said Roland. ‘And if it is in your mind to raise the question of divorce, might I remind you that, however badly off you consider yourself to be at this moment, being the wife of a “poor” lawyer, this house and everything in it is mine. In the case of a divorce you would receive nothing.’
She smiled grimly. ‘Are you not forgetting my father’s promise, Roland?’
‘I have not forgotten, my dear, I am quite certain your dear papa would delight in ruining my career if there was any scandal. But if my memory serves me correctly, he said that you would be cut off without a penny should you ever contemplate divorce. Which means that without support from either party, you would be in a very sorry state of affairs.’ He grinned at her barely suppressed rage. ‘We are both adults, Helena. Surely it is far better to continue our charade while we engage in our separate pursuits?’ Roland recommenced his breakfast and his mind switched to thoughts of Tommy.
Helena observed him sourly. He seemed to have quite forgotten about their difference of opinion, and one would almost think he had forgotten her presence too, judging by the way he smiled straight through her. She dipped a delicate fork into her scrambled eggs. ‘You look very pleased with yourself,’ she said bitterly.
‘I am enjoying my breakfast, Helena,’ he replied cheerfully.
‘I really cannot imagine anything on this table which would compel you to wear such an inane grin.’
He threw her an ambiguous look under beetle brows. ‘You would be most surprised what sparks my appetite, my dear.’ With an even wider smile he plunged his fork into his devilled kidneys.
Chapter Forty-four
‘Where the hell’s that child?’ raged Alice, storming about the kitchen and getting under Cook’s feet.
‘Alice, will you get out of my way!’ ordered Rose, wobbling back and forth between oven and table. ‘How should I know? Go have a look in the sitting room.’
‘Surely she can’t still be there?’ shouted Alice as she ran up the stairs.
There was no sign of the girl. Perhaps she was in her room – though God knew why. She pelted breathlessly to the attic and found Erin spreadeagled on her bed, sobbing her heart out.
‘Christ, what you doin’?’ yelled Alice. ‘You haven’t got time to blubber up here all day. Get down to that kitchen, there’s a pile o’ pots wants doin’.’ Then in a somewhat kinder tone she asked, ‘What’s the matter? Has the old baggage been telling you off?’
‘Well, I dare say it won’t be the last time,’ said Alice. ‘I’ve had a few clouts off her meself. Come on, it’s not the end o’ the world, gerrup. Oh, look! You’ve gone an’ got soot all over the bedspread.’ Erin started to cry again. ‘Oh, away,’ coaxed Alice, shaking her gently. ‘I’ll help you to do beds else we’ll be running late all day.’
Wiping her eyes Erin shadowed Alice down to the bedrooms and collected the chamberpots which were emptied and scoured out – a most distasteful duty and one which Erin had to do unaided; Alice had placed herself above such tasks now. Instead, she consigned herself to picking up the clothes which Helena had flung willy-nilly over the carpet and hung them in their rightful place.
While they were making the beds Alice spied a piece of paper secreted none too expertly between the pages of a book on the bedside table, and pounced upon it hungrily. ‘Cor, it’s another of Her Highness’s love letters, I’ll bet. Let’s see what it says.’ She pored over it eagerly, having learnt to read at Sunday School – though doubtless the girl’s teacher had not foreseen her talents put to this use.
Erin paused to wipe the sweat from her brow. ‘Are ye supposed to do that?’
‘’Course not, stupid,’ returned Alice scathingly. ‘We’re not supposed to do anything around here. Look, now yer’ve made me lose me place.’ She ran a finger down the page, the nail of which was ragged and dirty. ‘Eh, there’s no wonder she’s seen her backside this mornin’,’ she exclaimed, finding the place where she had left off. ‘Gone an’ given her the order of the boot, he has. S’truth, I’ll bet we’re in for a right time of it now.’
Erin, having little interest in Helena’s affairs, had resumed the bed-making. Her fingers were tucking the sheets neatly under the mattress when they came into contact with a hard object. Lifting the corner of the mattress she inserted her hand and withdrew the object, which turned out to be a sovereign.
She held it up to Alice who was still poring over the letter. ‘Look what I’ve found.’
‘Mmm?’ Alice looked up absently, then opened her eyes wide. ‘Good grief, are yer trying to get us all the push?’ She snatched the coin from Erin and quickly pushed it back under the mattress. ‘Crikey, have you gorra lot to learn.’ She folded up the letter and replaced it in the book.
‘But won’t the mistress be looking for it?’ asked Erin. ‘I would if I’d lost all that money.’
‘She hasn’t lost it, yer dumbcluck,’ sighed Alice. ‘She’s hidden it there on purpose to test us. See if we’re honest. She’s got hordes of ’em hidden all over t’house. So if you see another one, think on, leave it where it is. Away, let’s get this bathwater shifted.’
They struggled down the many flights of stairs with the hip bath, the water slopping noisily between them. After emptying it they returned to do Cook’s bidding.
‘Oh, you finally found her, did you?’ asked Rose, up to her armpits in flour. ‘And, if I might make so bold as to ask, what happened to her?’
‘She hit her,’ replied Alice matter-of-factly.
‘Aw, poor lamb,’ said Rose, taking the impatience from her voice, a total reversal of her earlier attitude. ‘Here, sit you down and have some breakfast.’ She pulled a chair away from the table and Erin sat down gratefully.
‘Mr Johnson’s just brought the breakfast things down, there might be a bit of something left for you.’ She lifted the lids of the silver tureens. ‘Eh, the cat, look what she’s done!’ Rose pointed to the disgusting mess, her layers of lard quivering in indignation. Helena, in a childish burst of vindictiveness, had poured tea dregs into the scrambled egg and speared the concoction with broken honeycombs.
‘One’d think she was still in the nursery the way she performs,’ said Cook. ‘She’s only done it so we can’t eat it, spiteful little madam. If her father knew what she puts us and Miss Caroline through he’d take a horse whip to her. He’s proper gentry; he knows how to treat his staff.’
Alice told Cook about the letter.
‘Oh, well, you might know,’ answered Rose, then turned to Erin. ‘You’d best just snatch a few biscuits, child. I haven’t got time to do you owt decent what with us being all behind this morning.’
Erin took two biscuits from the barrel, then sneaked four into her pocket when Cook was not looking.
‘You’ll soon get used to it, love.’ Rose patted her hand then went to continue with her baking. ‘She’s a hard piece is that one, but don’t think it’s only you that bears the brunt of her ill-humour. She takes it out on all of us. You’ll be all right when you’ve learned to keep out of her way.’
Erin crunched thoughtfully on the biscuits, making them last, until Rose said, ‘When you’ve eaten your biscuits you’d best make a start on those pots.’ She made a floury gesture at an enormous pile of dirty crockery and pans coated with dried-on scrambled egg.
It was incredible how two people could get through such an array of crockery, thought Erin.
‘Then when you’ve done that,’ Cook was saying, ‘you can give Alice a hand upstairs.’
Erin brushed the crumbs from the table and went to fetch a receptacle in which to do the washing up. It was barely nine o’clock and already she felt like going back to bed. She poured some hot water from the big kettle into the bowl and yelped as it stung her sore knuckles. It was not fair. There was Alice sauntering about, making herself look busy and leaving the hardest of the work to Erin.
She waded through the washing up, wondering what her new friend, Caroline, was doing now; certainly not this. She was probably in the schoolroom taking her lessons. Lucky Caroline, how she longed to change places with her. Finally the pile diminished, leaving only a bowlful of grey, scummy water to be disposed of.
‘Right, grab a duster and follow me,’ ordered Alice, and Erin trudged wearily after her. ‘Change your apron first,’ said the maid. ‘You can’t go upstairs looking like summat that’s been stuck up t’chimney.’
Erin looked askance.
‘In here!’ said an exasperated Alice, opening a drawer and pulling out a clean apron. She thrust it towards Erin then made for the stairs.
After a busy hour in the drawing room the girls trooped up another flight of stairs to attend to the cleaning of the landing. As she trailed half-heartedly after Alice, Erin caught sight of Caroline through the open door of the schoolroom and dawdles outside to catch her friend’s eye, which she succeeded in doing, until Alice pulled her away with a sharp rebuke.
‘Don’t you be gettin’ fancy ideas just ’cause she asked you to stay and talk to her yesterday,’ she said acidly. ‘Your place is with us in the kitchen.’
Miss Elwood, the governess, looked up from her book to see what had distracted Caroline’s attention, and was just in time to see Erin disappear down the corridor.
‘To whom were you waving, Caroline?’ she asked.
‘Oh!’ Caroline started. ‘Please excuse my manners, Miss Elwood, but I was so pleased to see my new friend, Erin, she is the new maid. I do hope you will forgive my inattention?’
‘Of course,’ smiled Louisa Elwood, then pretended to look stern. ‘But I am not sure that your parents would approve of such a friendship. After all, you are a young lady and must choose your friends accordingly.’
‘And where do you propose I should meet these friends, Miss Elwood?’ asked Caroline petulantly. ‘I am never allowed out of the house. The only people to whom I may converse are servants. Besides which,’ she added stubbornly, ‘I happen to like Erin and cannot imagine a more “suitable” friend in any sphere. She has such a sympathetic ear and is so pretty. And I suspect that she is fond of me, too.’
‘How long has she been here?’ enquired the governess. ‘I do not recall having seen her before today.’
‘She only started her employment yesterday,’ divulged Caroline. ‘But already she is such a good friend that I feel that I have known her for years.’
Miss Elwood’s mouth f
lickered good-humouredly at the girl’s impetuosity. Caroline saw the reserved half-smile and reared up defensively. ‘You think I cannot possibly attain such a friendship in the course of one day, but I can! It is so unfair. I have never had anyone of my own age to talk to. In fact, no one seems to want to talk to me at all.’
‘You wound me, Caroline,’ cried the governess, drawing an instant apology from her pupil.
‘Pray forgive me, you know that I did not mean it to sound as it did. I look forward immensely to the times we spend together. But,’ Caroline sighed, ‘I really do like Erin.’
Louisa looked at her charge’s wistful face and decided that, maidservant or no, Erin was much needed here. She herself had endured the same loneliness as a child, though perhaps not quite so harshly as Caroline for her own parents had been very loving, and Louisa felt it was her duty to attend to all aspects of Caroline’s happiness, not just her education.
‘I agree,’ she said at last, ‘that it will be nice for you to have someone of your own age in the house. Perhaps we could arrange for the two of you to spend a little time together.’
Caroline decided that this was the right time to make her request. ‘Do you think it might be possible for Erin to join my lessons sometimes? She desperately wants to learn. It seems unfair that her brothers are allowed to go to school but she isn’t.’
‘I see no reason why not,’ replied Louisa kindly. ‘I shall speak to your papa about the matter. Provided,’ she added sternly, ‘that you now cease your daydreaming and let us continue with our lesson.’
‘Yes, Miss Elwood,’ smiled Caroline, and happily buried her nose once more in the book.
* * *
‘You’d better go down now,’ said Alice, rising from the chair where she had been idly watching Erin do all the work. ‘Cook’ll give you the shopping list. I’ve got to clean the silver, though I don’t see why I should. It’s old Johnson’s job truth be known, but he’s gone over to the mews to collect a carriage for Titifollol.’
A Long Way from Heaven Page 46