arrive a day early from the country. She was finding it an effort to maintain her polite smile; she hadn’t liked the patronizing note in Sir Geoffrey’s voice, but it was more the way he was looking at her that bothered her. Not that she wasn’t used to men looking at her. Maggie had told her long ago, just after her thirteenth birthday when the changes in her body had come to full fruition, that as long as they just looked she had no cause for worry. But this was different somehow. There was a quality to the heavy-lidded gaze that made her uneasy, something almost . . . reptilian, and the pale, full-lipped face and big heavy figure were faintly repulsive.
‘Miss Brown?’ As Lady Harris called from the drawing room she walked quickly towards the open door, and she noted Sir Geoffrey turned to allow her to pass him just a fraction too late, his shoulder brushing the side of her bosom under her coat, the contact slight, but - she felt uncomfortably sure - intentional.
When she entered the room she saw Lady Harris was not alone. A plain thin woman, whom Sarah took to be Sir Geoffrey’s wife, was seated next to her employer on one of the blue velvet couches which had been drawn close to the blazing fire, and two equally thin and plain children, a boy and a girl, were sitting in one of the deep-cushioned window-seats which overlooked the street. All three glanced at her as she came into the room, the children without interest, the woman with keen regard.
‘Miss Brown, my son and his family have arrived a little early.’ Lady Harris’s voice was expressionless but Sarah felt sure she was put out. ‘Perhaps you would be so good as to advise cook that there will be five for dinner? And could you ask Peggy to light a fire in the appropriate bedrooms. She will know which ones.’
‘Certainly, Lady Harris.’ Sarah was aware Sir Geoffrey had come into the room behind her but he hadn’t moved into her vision, and now, as she turned to leave, it was to see him holding the door for her.
It wasn’t until she was in the hall again and the sigh left her in a silent whoosh that she realized she had been holding her breath as she passed Sir Geoffrey, and now she sped along the passageway to the kitchen as though she had wings on her heels, and not at all like the sedate, composed Miss Brown the household had seen thus far.
Peggy and Hilda were setting the tea trolley when she entered, the former unusually subdued and the latter tight-lipped, and it was Peggy who said, ‘Do they want the fires lighting now, miss?’
Sarah nodded, turning to Hilda and saying, ‘It will mean five for dinner, Hilda. I think Lady Harris was annoyed Sir Geoffrey didn’t let her know they were coming earlier than planned,’ before she added, ‘Lady Harris said you would know which rooms the family use, Peggy?’
‘Oh yes, I’ll see to it, miss.’
Peggy left the room as though she was glad to escape, and Sarah raised her eyebrows at Hilda when the two of them were alone. In the few weeks she had been in Lady Harris’s employ the two of them had become friends, in spite of the cook being as old and idiosyncratic as her mistress.
‘I’ve just warned her to behave herself.’ Hilda answered the silent enquiry with a frown and a disapproving sniff as she added, ‘Bit too free and easy in some quarters, if you get my meaning.’
‘I don’t think I do.’
‘You’ve met Sir Geoffrey?’ Sarah nodded. ‘And his wife?’ She nodded again. ‘And Peggy is young, very young, and impressionable.’ Hilda’s chin went down into her neck as she eyed Sarah.
‘You mean she . . .’ Sarah didn’t quite know how to continue.
‘Let’s just say I’ve known Sir Geoffrey since he was in his cradle and he’s always had an eye for the ladies, only lately it’s the younger the better. Of course Lady Harris is blind to any goings-on, Sir Geoffrey is her weak spot, always has been, but his
‘Miss Brown?’ As Lady Harris called from the drawing room she walked quickly towards the open door, and she noted Sir Geoffrey turned to allow her to pass him just a fraction too late, his shoulder brushing the side of her bosom under her coat, the contact slight, but - she felt uncomfortably sure - intentional.
When she entered the room she saw Lady Harris was not alone. A plain thin woman, whom Sarah took to be Sir Geoffrey’s wife, was seated next to her employer on one of the blue velvet couches which had been drawn close to the blazing fire, and two equally thin and plain children, a boy and a girl, were sitting in one of the deep-cushioned window-seats which overlooked the street. All three glanced at her as she came into the room, the children without interest, the woman with keen regard.
‘Miss Brown, my son and his family have arrived a little early.’ Lady Harris’s voice was expressionless but Sarah felt sure she was put out. ‘Perhaps you would be so good as to advise cook that there will be five for dinner? And could you ask Peggy to light a fire in the appropriate bedrooms. She will know which ones.’
‘Certainly, Lady Harris.’ Sarah was aware Sir Geoffrey had come into the room behind her but he hadn’t moved into her vision, and now, as she turned to leave, it was to see him holding the door for her.
It wasn’t until she was in the hall again and the sigh left her in a silent whoosh that she realized she had been holding her breath as she passed Sir Geoffrey, and now she sped along the passageway to the kitchen as though she had wings on her heels, and not at all like the sedate, composed Miss Brown the household had seen thus far.
Peggy and Hilda were setting the tea trolley when she entered, the former unusually subdued and the latter tight-lipped, and it was Peggy who said, ‘Do they want the fires lighting now, miss?’
Sarah nodded, turning to Hilda and saying, ‘It will mean five for dinner, Hilda. I think Lady Harris was annoyed Sir Geoffrey didn’t let her know they were coming earlier than planned,’ before she added, ‘Lady Harris said you would know which rooms the family use, Peggy?’
‘Oh yes, I’ll see to it, miss.’
Peggy left the room as though she was glad to escape, and Sarah raised her eyebrows at Hilda when the two of them were alone. In the few weeks she had been in Lady Harris’s employ the two of them had become friends, in spite of the cook being as old and idiosyncratic as her mistress.
‘I’ve just warned her to behave herself.’ Hilda answered the silent enquiry with a frown and a disapproving sniff as she added, ‘Bit too free and easy in some quarters, if you get my meaning.’
‘I don’t think I do.’
‘You’ve met Sir Geoffrey?’ Sarah nodded. ‘And his wife?’ She nodded again. ‘And Peggy is young, very young, and impressionable.’ Hilda’s chin went down into her neck as she eyed Sarah.
‘You mean she . . .’ Sarah didn’t quite know how to continue.
‘Let’s just say I’ve known Sir Geoffrey since he was in his cradle and he’s always had an eye for the ladies, only lately it’s the younger the better. Of course Lady Harris is blind to any goings-on, Sir Geoffrey is her weak spot, always has been, but his
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