vaguely.
‘You be in again?’
‘If you’ll take my money.’
She threw up her hands, laughing. ‘Some hard man you are.’
‘But fair.’
Her chuckles remained with him as he hesitated outside a small stone cottage with a weathered board nailed above the doorway. The painted name had long since faded to illegibility. Tiny windows were thrown open to the evening, but whether to let fresh air in, or the smell of stale beer, wet sawdust, and tobacco smoke out, only the landlord knew. After a moment’s hesitation, Gabriel ducked inside. It had been a long, hard day, and though brandy or a fine claret would have been his choice, he would gladly settle for a jar of ale.
In one corner, a wizened old man sucked on a clay pipe. Another two were hunched over a table talking quietly together. They all looked round to see who had come in, and remained silent, watching, until Gabriel left with the basket in one hand, a stone jar of ale in the other, and all too few coins left in his pocket.
Deeply asleep, Melissa wove the sounds into her dream. But the soft persistent knocking grew increasingly urgent. She turned over. The grey light percolating through the summer curtains told her it was too early. Even the sun wasn’t up yet. Still tired, she rubbed her eyes. Then the knocking came again. She heard hurried footsteps and anxious whispers outside her door. Addey and Lobb.
Throwing back the covers, almost tripping over her long, white nightdress, Melissa hurled herself at the door and wrenched it open. Butler and nurse jumped violently. Both were fully dressed, but it was clear that while Addey had slept in her clothes, keeping vigil beside her mistress, Lobb’s dishevelled air betrayed a recent hasty rousing from his bed.
Addey’s hands covered her mouth as if to stop any sound escaping, but her eyes were wide and wet with tears.
‘’Tis the master, Miss Melissa,’ Lobb said gently.
‘What happened? Is he worse?’ Melissa would have started along the passage. But, to her astonishment, Lobb stepped in front of her, grave and gentle.
‘I’m ever so sorry, miss. I’m afraid he’s gone.’
She rocked as if he had hit her. Her throat suddenly dried, so when she swallowed it felt sharp and painful. ‘You’re sure? I mean, it couldn’t be just –?’
‘Quite sure, miss. It was sudden but very peaceful. Gilbert will tell you himself.’
‘He was there?’ At least her father had not died alone.
‘He was, miss. I’d only just gone to my bed. We – Gilbert and me – have been taking turns to sit with master. Anyway, it can’t have been no more than half an hour after I’d left the room when Gilbert comes to tell me master’s gone. It happened that quick, Gilbert didn’t even have time to get out of the chair. So, with respect, miss, don’t you start fretting about no one from the family being with him, for he couldn’t have known nothing about it. All over in a breath, it was. That’s the honest truth.’
Melissa searched his face, but his gaze, though shocked and sad, never wavered. She glanced from Lobb to Addey. ‘Does my mother know?’
The old nurse’s face crumpled as, hands still clamped over her mouth, she gave a muffled squeak before shaking her head.
‘I must go to her.’ The passage floor felt as though it was heaving beneath Melissa’s feet as she hurried to her mother’s room. This wasn’t happening. It was just a nightmare. Only it wasn’t her imagination run riot, a terrible dream from which waking would rescue her: it was real. And there was no escape.
Emma Tregonning lay on her side with only her head above the bedclothes. A frilled lawn nightcap tied with strings beneath her chin covered her hair, so that in the dim light her face looked small, almost childlike on the pillow. Her slow breathing indicated deep sleep.
Reaching out to touch her mother’s shoulder, Melissa hesitated, then withdrew her hand, instead clasping her arms across her chest. What purpose
‘You be in again?’
‘If you’ll take my money.’
She threw up her hands, laughing. ‘Some hard man you are.’
‘But fair.’
Her chuckles remained with him as he hesitated outside a small stone cottage with a weathered board nailed above the doorway. The painted name had long since faded to illegibility. Tiny windows were thrown open to the evening, but whether to let fresh air in, or the smell of stale beer, wet sawdust, and tobacco smoke out, only the landlord knew. After a moment’s hesitation, Gabriel ducked inside. It had been a long, hard day, and though brandy or a fine claret would have been his choice, he would gladly settle for a jar of ale.
In one corner, a wizened old man sucked on a clay pipe. Another two were hunched over a table talking quietly together. They all looked round to see who had come in, and remained silent, watching, until Gabriel left with the basket in one hand, a stone jar of ale in the other, and all too few coins left in his pocket.
Deeply asleep, Melissa wove the sounds into her dream. But the soft persistent knocking grew increasingly urgent. She turned over. The grey light percolating through the summer curtains told her it was too early. Even the sun wasn’t up yet. Still tired, she rubbed her eyes. Then the knocking came again. She heard hurried footsteps and anxious whispers outside her door. Addey and Lobb.
Throwing back the covers, almost tripping over her long, white nightdress, Melissa hurled herself at the door and wrenched it open. Butler and nurse jumped violently. Both were fully dressed, but it was clear that while Addey had slept in her clothes, keeping vigil beside her mistress, Lobb’s dishevelled air betrayed a recent hasty rousing from his bed.
Addey’s hands covered her mouth as if to stop any sound escaping, but her eyes were wide and wet with tears.
‘’Tis the master, Miss Melissa,’ Lobb said gently.
‘What happened? Is he worse?’ Melissa would have started along the passage. But, to her astonishment, Lobb stepped in front of her, grave and gentle.
‘I’m ever so sorry, miss. I’m afraid he’s gone.’
She rocked as if he had hit her. Her throat suddenly dried, so when she swallowed it felt sharp and painful. ‘You’re sure? I mean, it couldn’t be just –?’
‘Quite sure, miss. It was sudden but very peaceful. Gilbert will tell you himself.’
‘He was there?’ At least her father had not died alone.
‘He was, miss. I’d only just gone to my bed. We – Gilbert and me – have been taking turns to sit with master. Anyway, it can’t have been no more than half an hour after I’d left the room when Gilbert comes to tell me master’s gone. It happened that quick, Gilbert didn’t even have time to get out of the chair. So, with respect, miss, don’t you start fretting about no one from the family being with him, for he couldn’t have known nothing about it. All over in a breath, it was. That’s the honest truth.’
Melissa searched his face, but his gaze, though shocked and sad, never wavered. She glanced from Lobb to Addey. ‘Does my mother know?’
The old nurse’s face crumpled as, hands still clamped over her mouth, she gave a muffled squeak before shaking her head.
‘I must go to her.’ The passage floor felt as though it was heaving beneath Melissa’s feet as she hurried to her mother’s room. This wasn’t happening. It was just a nightmare. Only it wasn’t her imagination run riot, a terrible dream from which waking would rescue her: it was real. And there was no escape.
Emma Tregonning lay on her side with only her head above the bedclothes. A frilled lawn nightcap tied with strings beneath her chin covered her hair, so that in the dim light her face looked small, almost childlike on the pillow. Her slow breathing indicated deep sleep.
Reaching out to touch her mother’s shoulder, Melissa hesitated, then withdrew her hand, instead clasping her arms across her chest. What purpose
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