shoes. 'Were you in the fire too?'
'I got out. I was lucky. Celine was got out too.'
'But her mother died.'
Miss Campbell shrugged. 'I wasn't going back inside for her. She deserved to die.'
'No one deserves to die in a fire like that,' Georgina said gently. 'Miss Campbell, are you sure you're the right person to care for the daughter of someone you hated so much? It must be difficult to be constantly seeing her mother in Celine.'
'It doesn't matter with Celine. The child's simple, or hadn't you noticed? No man will ever make the mistake of marrying her!'
'I hope you're wrong, Miss Campbell. Meanwhile I have nothing to do with my time and I rather want to look after Celine myself. I imagine you could get another job quite easily?'
'You're asking me to go?'
Georgina looked her straight in the eyes. 'I'm telling you to go, Miss Campbell. Shall we say a month's notice and an extra month's pay at the end of that to tide you over until you find something else?'
Miss Campbell made a strangled sound. 'We'll see what Mr. Ayres has to say about that! You won't get rid of me so easily, my fine madam! You'll never get rid of me!'
'We'll see.' Georgina crossed her fingers surreptitiously, praying that William would back her up and insist that the woman went. He had said he wanted to be rid of her, but not, perhaps, the minute of their arrival.
'You'll have to persuade Celine too,' Miss Campbell said, her twisted smile more confident. 'You've yet to see her in one of her states. It isn't a pretty sight and I very much doubt if you could cope with her single-handed as I've been expected to do these last years. We shall see, Mrs. Ayres, whether I go or not after you've had to put up with her screaming for hours together. We'll see if you change your mind then!'
Georgina could only think how much she disliked this ugly woman. 'I shan't.'
Miss Campbell tossed her head. 'Very sure of ourselves, aren't we? Well, you won't find Mr. Ayres at all pleased by this day's work, young lady. He knows my value and remunerates me accordingly, and I didn't have to put myself out to attract him either! What did you offer him? A young, nubile body —'
'And a black eye,' Georgina muttered under her breath. A look of
venom crossed Miss Campbell's face. 'Poor Georgie Porgie, did she hope to wear the trousers and did she get a shock when she found her
William has a mind of his own?'
'No, Miss Campbell, I did not. I've known William since I was ten years old, so I think I may be said to know exactly what he's like. Nor do I relish being called Georgie Porgie —'
'He calls you that!'
'He has privileges I don't accord to anyone else!' Georgina snapped. She felt both exasperated and weary. 'Please go away!'
'Very well, Mrs. Ayres, but I shall be speaking to Mr. Ayres about this, you may be sure!'
'About what?' William asked, coming into the bedroom through the bathroom door.
Absurdly, Georgina felt guilty at the sight of him. 'It doesn't matter now,' she began.
Miss Campbell folded her hands across her stomach, bridling with displeasure. 'Your — wife has taken it upon herself to give me notice, sir. She seems to think she can manage Celine all. by herself! She has also been unpardonably rude, but I can hardly expect you to defend me from that now, can I? A strong-minded young lady, if you don't mind my saying so! She'd have us all bending to that will of hers if we allowed it, and that's the last thing Celine needs, as you very well know. I may be exceeding my duties, sir, but I will not have that poor girl bullied—not while I'm still in charge of her welfare!'
William's face froze. 'She won't be, Miss Campbell. I will see to that. Please leave us alone now, will you?'
'Of course, sir. But I should like to know whether I am to be dismissed or not? Mrs. Ayres —'
'The decision is mine, Miss Campbell. It's true I've been thinking Celine might benefit from being treated more like anyone else than is possible when she is in the constant
'I got out. I was lucky. Celine was got out too.'
'But her mother died.'
Miss Campbell shrugged. 'I wasn't going back inside for her. She deserved to die.'
'No one deserves to die in a fire like that,' Georgina said gently. 'Miss Campbell, are you sure you're the right person to care for the daughter of someone you hated so much? It must be difficult to be constantly seeing her mother in Celine.'
'It doesn't matter with Celine. The child's simple, or hadn't you noticed? No man will ever make the mistake of marrying her!'
'I hope you're wrong, Miss Campbell. Meanwhile I have nothing to do with my time and I rather want to look after Celine myself. I imagine you could get another job quite easily?'
'You're asking me to go?'
Georgina looked her straight in the eyes. 'I'm telling you to go, Miss Campbell. Shall we say a month's notice and an extra month's pay at the end of that to tide you over until you find something else?'
Miss Campbell made a strangled sound. 'We'll see what Mr. Ayres has to say about that! You won't get rid of me so easily, my fine madam! You'll never get rid of me!'
'We'll see.' Georgina crossed her fingers surreptitiously, praying that William would back her up and insist that the woman went. He had said he wanted to be rid of her, but not, perhaps, the minute of their arrival.
'You'll have to persuade Celine too,' Miss Campbell said, her twisted smile more confident. 'You've yet to see her in one of her states. It isn't a pretty sight and I very much doubt if you could cope with her single-handed as I've been expected to do these last years. We shall see, Mrs. Ayres, whether I go or not after you've had to put up with her screaming for hours together. We'll see if you change your mind then!'
Georgina could only think how much she disliked this ugly woman. 'I shan't.'
Miss Campbell tossed her head. 'Very sure of ourselves, aren't we? Well, you won't find Mr. Ayres at all pleased by this day's work, young lady. He knows my value and remunerates me accordingly, and I didn't have to put myself out to attract him either! What did you offer him? A young, nubile body —'
'And a black eye,' Georgina muttered under her breath. A look of
venom crossed Miss Campbell's face. 'Poor Georgie Porgie, did she hope to wear the trousers and did she get a shock when she found her
William has a mind of his own?'
'No, Miss Campbell, I did not. I've known William since I was ten years old, so I think I may be said to know exactly what he's like. Nor do I relish being called Georgie Porgie —'
'He calls you that!'
'He has privileges I don't accord to anyone else!' Georgina snapped. She felt both exasperated and weary. 'Please go away!'
'Very well, Mrs. Ayres, but I shall be speaking to Mr. Ayres about this, you may be sure!'
'About what?' William asked, coming into the bedroom through the bathroom door.
Absurdly, Georgina felt guilty at the sight of him. 'It doesn't matter now,' she began.
Miss Campbell folded her hands across her stomach, bridling with displeasure. 'Your — wife has taken it upon herself to give me notice, sir. She seems to think she can manage Celine all. by herself! She has also been unpardonably rude, but I can hardly expect you to defend me from that now, can I? A strong-minded young lady, if you don't mind my saying so! She'd have us all bending to that will of hers if we allowed it, and that's the last thing Celine needs, as you very well know. I may be exceeding my duties, sir, but I will not have that poor girl bullied—not while I'm still in charge of her welfare!'
William's face froze. 'She won't be, Miss Campbell. I will see to that. Please leave us alone now, will you?'
'Of course, sir. But I should like to know whether I am to be dismissed or not? Mrs. Ayres —'
'The decision is mine, Miss Campbell. It's true I've been thinking Celine might benefit from being treated more like anyone else than is possible when she is in the constant
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