The Downstairs Maid

by Rosie Clarke

  ‘How long ago was that?’ Amy asked.

  ‘Just a few minutes. I thought you should know he was here.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Amy’s hands were trembling. She looked nervous and unsure. Lizzie wanted to comfort her but there was nothing she could say. ‘Do you think I should go down?’

  ‘You can’t intrude on them while they’re talking. I don’t think either of them would appreciate you being there – it’s men’s business, Amy. You should wait in the parlour opposite until you hear Sir Arthur leaving.’

  ‘He will surely ask for me.’

  ‘He might not if Papa tells him he is a disgrace and asks him to release you.’

  ‘Father wouldn’t do that without my permission … would he?’

  Amy gripped the handle of her hairbrush so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Lizzie had never seen her sister like this and her heart went out to her. Even if Amy hadn’t loved Arthur, she’d liked him and she was clearly very upset.

  ‘You know how angry Papa was when he heard the news. I heard him speaking to Granny this morning. She was advising it and he agreed with her that it was the best thing for all of us.’

  Amy dropped the hairbrush on her dressing table with a little clatter. Her nervousness turned to sudden anger and her head went up, her eyes bright with pride.

  ‘No! I won’t be bullied into giving him up. It is my decision, not Papa’s and certainly not Grandmama’s.’

  ‘Can you stand against the whole family? They are all convinced you should walk away from him … except me. I think you should do what you want, Amy. If you still care for him you should stand by him.’

  ‘As you would?’ Amy smiled at her. ‘It’s all right, dearest. I know you are fond of Arthur. I’m fond of him too. I think I’ve realised it more since all this happened.’

  ‘Go down now,’ Lizzie urged. ‘If Papa tries to send him away you can tell him you still wish to marry him.’

  ‘Yes, I shall. Thank you for telling me Arthur was here.’

  Lizzie watched her sister walk away. She hoped it would all turn out right but she knew it was unlikely. Their father had been adamant that the wedding could not go ahead. Whatever Amy said, he was unlikely to change his mind. The only way she could marry Sir Arthur now was to run away with him, but somehow Lizzie didn’t think her sister would carry her defiance that far.

  Chapter 17

  Emily finished scouring the breakfast dishes, washed down the wooden draining boards and then wiped her hands on a towel before going through to the big, slightly over-warm kitchen where Cook was busy preparing food for the midday meal. At least she had been when Emily started her work, but the scene in the kitchen was very different now. Most of the servants seemed to have gathered there and were talking in an excited manner. A hush fell over them as she walked in and they looked at one another, as if wondering what to say to her.

  ‘I’ve finished the dishes and I’ve cleaned the sinks and surfaces. What should I do now?’

  ‘You’d best come and sit down and have a cup of tea, same as the rest of us, Emily. We’ve had a bit of a shock if you want the truth,’ Mrs Hattersley said and pointed to a spare stool.

  Emily approached but didn’t sit immediately. She looked at the faces of the other servants. Everyone seemed very serious. ‘Has something happened?’

  ‘It’s terrible that’s what it is,’ Mrs Marsh said. ‘I’ve never known such a scandal in the family.’

  ‘Sir Arthur wasn’t really family – yet,’ Tomas Phillips objected.

  He was wearing black trousers, a white shirt and a waistcoat with a striped red front. In the evenings when he was serving upstairs, he’d wear a dark coat over his waistcoat but when he was downstairs during the day he took it off.

  ‘He was considered family being engaged to Miss Amy and this scandal must reflect badly on her. It’s a tragedy.’

  Mr Payne, his lordship’s valet, a middle-aged man with slightly receding hair shook his head sorrowfully. Like the footmen, he wore dark clothes and a white shirt, but had kept his coat on.

  ‘This is a very sad day for us all.’

  ‘Has someone died?’ Emily asked.

  ‘Not died but …’ Cook looked odd and shook her head. ‘Well, we don’t know the truth of it so perhaps we shouldn’t say.’

  ‘What has happened?’

  ‘Miss Amy’s engagement is off,’ Mary said. ‘They won’t be getting married.’

  Emily accepted the cup of strong tea placed before her on the table. She felt cold all over. Looking at their faces, she sensed there was a lot more that she wasn’t being told. Because she was still new at the manor, they didn’t quite trust her and whatever had happened was out of the ordinary.

  ‘Well,’ Mr Payne said, placing his empty cup on the kitchen table. ‘I’m sure we’re all very sorry about what has happened today. I thought you should all know, but there must be no gossiping about this unpleasant business. Anyone who takes this outside the family will be severely reprimanded. His lordship is adamant that this is all to be kept as quiet as possible, for Miss Amy’s sake.’

  ‘Yes, Mr Payne.’

  ‘Mary, you’re wanted upstairs. The rest of you, get on with your work.’

  Mary obeyed without question. Over the past two weeks since she arrived, Emily had noticed that Mr Payne was respected by everyone and seemed to be in charge when Mr Hattersley wasn’t around, though Mrs Marsh looked after the household arrangements. It was she who asked Cook what was needed for the larder and paid the tradesmen who came to the kitchen door once a month.

  One by one the maids and footmen finished their tea and left the kitchen. Emily had emptied her cup and, without waiting to be asked, she gathered the dirty cups on to a tray and picked them up ready to take through to the scullery. She felt sorry for Miss Amy, even though the girl had been rude about her dress that night at the dance, but of course she’d been right, and Emily no longer resented her comments.

  ‘Put that tray down for a moment,’ Mrs Hattersley said. ‘I think you should know it all, and then you won’t do or say anything silly.’

  Emily pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at her expectantly. She already knew that Mrs Hattersley enjoyed a gossip when she wasn’t too busy. Emily’s eyes travelled round the large kitchen, which was twice the size of her mother’s at home. The range was large too and took a lot of blacking and brushing. Emily didn’t enjoy that, but it was a part of her job, just as scrubbing the floor and the scullery was her work.

  ‘Why has the engagement been called off?’

  ‘They say Sir Arthur’s emerald mine is in trouble and a lot of people may lose their money. They say he may have sold the shares fraudulently – though I don’t believe that myself. You wouldn’t find a more decent and honest man if you searched the country … but mud sticks even if it isn’t warranted.’

  Emily stared at her in silence for a moment, then, ‘That’s a shame. Miss Amy must be very upset.’

  ‘Yes, of course she is,’ Mrs Hattersley agreed. ‘Marriage in families like ours isn’t always a love match, but I think Miss Amy is fond of him and she was happy. We’d been expecting lots of visitors, parties, dances and the like. It was part of the reason you were taken on. There’s bound to be a terrible scandal whatever happens.’

  ‘Does that mean I’ll be let go?’ She’d hardly got here and now they wouldn’t need her. Emily was conscious of a sharp disappointment. Even though some of the others weren’t particularly friendly she liked the cook and the footmen, and the maids seemed all right too. It was just Mrs Marsh and Miss Lancaster who treated her as an outsider.

  ‘Not if I have anything to do with it. You’ve been a big help to me since you came. The last girl took ages to do a simple job. You just get on without being asked. Don’t worry; I’ll put in a good word for you with Mrs Marsh.’

  ‘Thank you. My mother needs my wages, because my Pa isn’t well.’

  ‘Mrs Marsh told me. I’m sorry your father isn’t wel
l, lass, but I’m glad to have you here.’

  ‘If they get rid of anyone it will be me. I’m only the scullery maid.’

  ‘Well, if you work as hard as you have recently, you’ll soon be promoted to my assistant.’

  ‘Will that mean more money?’ She frowned and Emily added, ‘I only ask because it’s for my pa, Mrs Hattersley.’

  ‘I understand you want to do your best for your family at a time like this, but be careful, because they may decide they don’t need you now.’

  Emily was thoughtful as she went through to the scullery to start preparing vegetables for lunch. If she’d been a spiteful girl she would’ve thought Miss Amy had got her come-uppance for being such a snob, but instead she felt sorry for her. It was rotten luck and she must be feeling devastated, especially if she’d been in love with him.

  ‘We shall be busy today,’ Mrs Hattersley said the next morning. She was rolling pastry with a wooden pin and dusted it with flour, before turning the dough on the marble slab. ‘Lord Barton decided that they would go ahead with a reception for the church dignitaries – it was planned months ago and I understand a couple of bishops are coming here. Mr Hattersley said Lord Barton thought it would occasion more scandal to cancel than to go ahead. It is more a business meeting than a party, of course – but they all have a buffet lunch here and as there are at least twenty of them it makes more work for us.’

  ‘It may help to lift the gloom,’ Emily said. Everyone was still subdued, speaking in whispers and looking anxious. ‘I’d rather be busy than sit around with nothing to do.’

  ‘Well, you won’t have time to be idle today,’ Cook told her. ‘The circumstances have cast a cloud over things here and no mistake. We were all looking forward to the wedding.’

  ‘I wonder what will happen to Sir Arthur – will he go to prison?’

  ‘I should hope not. I heard he’d gone up to London.’

  ‘I saw Miss Amy in the garden when you sent me for some vegetables earlier. I took the wrong turning into the rose garden again and she was picking dead heads off the flowers, and cutting the best ones.’

  ‘You didn’t get lost again?’

  ‘It’s just that I get muddled which is left and which is right,’ Emily made a wry face. ‘Miss Amy saw me and I apologised. She told me to turn right by the water butt.’

  Miss Amy had been cutting flowers, placing them into a shallow shrug and had seemed to be enjoying the sunshine. Outwardly, she was serene, but Emily had caught an expression in her eyes, which told her Miss Amy wasn’t as calm as she appeared.

  ‘Was she annoyed with you for disturbing her?’

  ‘No, not at all.’ To Emily’s surprise Miss Amy had smiled and asked her how she liked being at the manor.

  ‘I hope you apologised for being in the wrong place?’

  ‘She said it didn’t matter but I was not to make a habit of it because Lady Prior might be annoyed if she saw me.’

  ‘If you’ve finished that asparagus, you can help me by fetching the things on that list from the pantry.’

  Cook had begun to cut out fancy shapes to place around the lid of her chicken and ham pie. She didn’t look up as she spoke, concentrating on her work as always. Emily had never seen things done in quite Mrs Hattersley’s way and admired her skill. All the other servants respected her, because she was such a good cook and also because she’d been here since she was a girl. She had a vast repertoire of stories about the family and, sometimes, when they had a quiet moment, she would tell Emily about her early years at the manor. She had been a young woman when Lady Barton was married and she’d known all the younger members of the family from the time they were born.

  Emily picked up the list of ingredients Cook wanted and walked to the far end of the kitchen, opening the pantry door. She saw Tomas immediately. He’d entered through the far door, which led into the butler’s pantry. Tomas had obviously been cleaning silver and he was wearing gloves, carrying a tray of cutlery and fancy dishes, used for sweets and fancy cakes.

  ‘A present for you,’ he said. ‘This lot needs washing. I’ll take it into the scullery and then I’ll give you a hand with polishing it dry. You’ll need hot water and soda to get this off, Em – and a lot of washing.’

  ‘I’ve got a list of things to fetch for Cook first. You’ll have to make a start yourself if you’re in a hurry. Cook’s very busy this morning and …’ Emily gave a little shriek as he aimed a kiss at her cheek when he squeezed past her. ‘You watch what you’re doing, Tomas Phillips, or I’ll box your ears.’

  ‘You can’t blame a man for taking advantage of an opportunity. I fancy you, Emily Carter. I reckon it was a stroke of good luck for me when you came to work here.’

  ‘Don’t you believe it,’ she retorted but his kiss had not been malicious and she wasn’t afraid of him, as she had been of Derek. ‘I’ve got my heart set on being a farmer’s wife.’

  ‘My father’s father was a farmer, but not a very good one. They had some bad luck – three rotten harvests on the trot and then the sheep and pigs took sick and they lost everything. I’ve thought about going into business for myself, but not farming.’

  ‘What do you want to do?’ Emily asked. She didn’t stop what she was doing, but gathered the bits and pieces she needed as she waited for his answer.

  ‘I’ve thought about running a little shop – newspapers and sweets, tobacco. I think there’s more to be had out of working for yourself in a business like that than being in service or running a farm.’

  ‘Not if you’ve got enough acres. I know a rich farmer.’

  ‘You’d be better off with me, Emily.’

  ‘You’d best take that lot to the scullery,’ Emily warned. ‘Cook will have my hide if I don’t get these things back to her.’

  Emily tossed her head as she filled her tray with all the spices and bits and pieces Cook needed for the next stage of her work. She liked the young footman but she had her own ideas about the future and she didn’t think she would want to be stuck behind a counter in Tomas’s shop. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do in the future. It was all right here for the moment, but as soon as Pa could manage things himself again, Emily would leave. She would try to find herself another job, something different – something that would get her somewhere. She saw herself working in a high class shop, wearing a smart suit and fancy shoes, but that was probably ever going to be only a dream. Maybe she would do better to be a cook like Mrs Hattersley, who was respected by the staff and family.

  Returning to the kitchen, she saw that Mary was sitting by the range and sipping a hot drink Cook had given her. She made a moaning sound and held a hand to her right cheek, which looked swollen and painful.

  ‘Why did this have to happen today of all days?’

  ‘Is something wrong?’ Emily asked.

  ‘I’ve got terrible toothache,’ Mary said. ‘I asked Mrs Marsh if I could go off to have my tooth seen to but she said I must wait until tomorrow, because I can’t be spared.’

  ‘Couldn’t June take your place for a while or Anne?’

  ‘Anne is helping Lady Barton, because Mrs Marsh has so much to do. June and I will both be needed when the guests start arriving. The ladies will want someone to take them upstairs and to attend to their needs, and then Cook needs June to take the food from the serving hatch and place it on the side tables so that she can send up more. June will be setting out the cold dishes while the guests are arriving and then we’ll both be on hand when the hot dishes start coming up.’

  ‘Couldn’t Mrs Marsh help out? Or one of the footmen?’

  ‘Mrs Marsh will be helping the ladies upstairs, and the footmen will open the door, take the guests to the drawing room and circulate with drinks. They’ve all got their jobs to do. I’ll be seeing to the ladies’ coats and hats when they come in, taking them upstairs to tidy themselves. Then I’ve got to help June with the dishes. Mrs Marsh oversees it all and helps the guests if they need anything. Mr Payne will be looking after t
he gentlemen and Mr Hattersley sees to the wine and makes sure the table is perfect, the silver all in place. The footmen serve and fill glasses so don’t ask why they can’t do my job.’ She moaned again. ‘I’m not sure I can do it, Mrs Hattersley. I’m in too much pain.’

  ‘I could help June,’ Emily said. ‘If she told me where things go, I could help – once we’ve finished down here.’

  ‘You don’t have the right uniform,’ Mary objected. ‘If you were seen upstairs in what you’re wearing there would be ructions, especially when they have company.’

  ‘I bet I could wear your uniform,’ Emily said. ‘If June shows me what to do and then goes downstairs to take your place I could manage until she came back.’

  ‘Do you think you could manage?’ Mrs Hattersley asked her. ‘I shall need you here for a bit longer, then you can change into Mary’s uniform and June will show you what to do. If Mary gets off now she’ll likely catch the bus into Ely.’

  Mary left the kitchen hastily, before she could change her mind. Mrs Hattersley looked at Emily. ‘It will mean extra work for you. Once we’ve finished down here you should be having a cup of tea and a bite to eat – and I’ll need you here when the dirty dishes start coming back. It’s times like these when we need more help. In the old days we had six maids in the laundry room and another six in the house.’

  ‘I don’t mind going without my lunch for once,’ Emily said. ‘Do you need me for a few minutes? Tomas said he wanted me to wash the silver he’s been cleaning.’

  ‘No, I can manage for a while, but don’t let him keep you talking. You won’t have time if you’re going to change into a different uniform and be ready when they all start to arrive.’

  ‘I promise to be as quick as I can,’ Emily said. ‘I won’t let you down, Cook. It can’t be that difficult to lay some dishes out, can it?’

  ‘Mrs Marsh likes them just so. She will come to inspect your work, but if she asks what you’re doing there just tell her I sent Mary off and told you to take her place.’