and Mrs. Thompson were seated on the far side of the table discussing the menu. She saw Betty peeling potatoes, humming to herself. She was turning to leave when Betty saw her.
“ Master Chris.” The maid dropped the knife and potato.
Christine raised her brows in question as the maid ran to her.
Betty stopped and moved her head about in every direction, looking to see if anyone was around. She ignored both the housekeeper and the cook for they weren’t paying them any attention.
“ What is it?” Christine asked.
“ Well, you see, Master Chris, it’s about the bet,” Betty whispered.
“ The bet, I see,” Christine replied but was not seeing where this was going at all.
“ Master Chris, what’s wrong? Why are your eyes all wet, and you look like you’ve been crying?”
“ It’s nothing.” Christine turned her face away.
“ But, Master Chris, you have been crying.” The maid tried to turn Christine to face her, but the other girl wouldn’t cooperate.
Both the cook and the housekeeper stopped their discussion and turned to look at Christine.
“ Betty is right, Master Chris, you don’t look right there. Tell us what’s wrong,” Mrs. Ross said.
The cook snorted. “Come tell us, Master Chris. Tell us who bullied you,” she said, folding her arms about her large bosom.
“ Oh, it’s nothing really,” Christine replied.
“ Come now, you must sit down.” Betty led Christine to the chair next to Mrs. Ross. She seated Christine there and placed herself on the next chair. “Then tell us what’s wrong,” Betty suggested.
“ Well, actually nobody has hurt me directly, but you see, somebody has hurt someone I care about, and it kind of hurt me as well,” she said, looking down at the table, thinking about Merrick.
“ I see. Tell us who this person you care about is,” Mrs. Ross put in.
Christine shook her head. “Oh, I can’t. That is, I don’t want to.”
“ That won’t help much. Why don’t you tell us who this person that hurt the person you care about is?” Betty carried on.
“ Oh no, I can’t do that either.” Christine thought seriously if she were to tell everybody that it was Lady Anne then, Lord, what would happen?
Mr. Sam, the head gardener, poked his head in through the door at that moment.
“ Hello, everybody, what’s going on?” he asked innocently.
“ Master Chris needs help,” Betty answered.
“ Does he now?” Mr. Sam straightened and walked toward them. He came to sit opposite Christine and then leaned forward. “Tell me, Master Chris, what’s bothering you?”
“ It’s nothing really.” Christine tried to smile.
“ Somebody hurt someone that he cares about,” Betty supplied.
“ Really? And who is this someone you care about, and who is this other someone that hurt that someone that you care about?” Mr. Sam asked.
“ He can’t tell us, Mr. Sam. Come to think of it, it could be any one of us.” Betty placed a finger to her lips, contemplating the situation seriously.
“ Aye, now that I think about it, it must be someone in the Hall or at least someone who Master Chris knows of, right?” the cook said, nodding her head.
“ That’s right,” Betty agreed.
“ So you can’t tell us who this person is?” Mr. Sam asked.
Christine shook her head. She really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry for the path this situation was taking.
“ I know,” Mr. Sam boomed out.
“ You know what?” Mrs. Ross asked.
“ I know what to do,” Mr. Sam said, smiling with mischief.
“ And what would that be?” Betty asked, getting quite excited.
“ That is easy, you see. Master Chris, you said this someone hurt this other someone that you care about, and does that hurt you too then?” He saw Christine nod. “I see. Then what you must do is to get even.” He nodded his head as though this was a sound solution.
“ What do you mean, get even?” Christine asked.
“ Don’t listen to him. Mr. Sam, I think it’s about time you leave
“ Master Chris.” The maid dropped the knife and potato.
Christine raised her brows in question as the maid ran to her.
Betty stopped and moved her head about in every direction, looking to see if anyone was around. She ignored both the housekeeper and the cook for they weren’t paying them any attention.
“ What is it?” Christine asked.
“ Well, you see, Master Chris, it’s about the bet,” Betty whispered.
“ The bet, I see,” Christine replied but was not seeing where this was going at all.
“ Master Chris, what’s wrong? Why are your eyes all wet, and you look like you’ve been crying?”
“ It’s nothing.” Christine turned her face away.
“ But, Master Chris, you have been crying.” The maid tried to turn Christine to face her, but the other girl wouldn’t cooperate.
Both the cook and the housekeeper stopped their discussion and turned to look at Christine.
“ Betty is right, Master Chris, you don’t look right there. Tell us what’s wrong,” Mrs. Ross said.
The cook snorted. “Come tell us, Master Chris. Tell us who bullied you,” she said, folding her arms about her large bosom.
“ Oh, it’s nothing really,” Christine replied.
“ Come now, you must sit down.” Betty led Christine to the chair next to Mrs. Ross. She seated Christine there and placed herself on the next chair. “Then tell us what’s wrong,” Betty suggested.
“ Well, actually nobody has hurt me directly, but you see, somebody has hurt someone I care about, and it kind of hurt me as well,” she said, looking down at the table, thinking about Merrick.
“ I see. Tell us who this person you care about is,” Mrs. Ross put in.
Christine shook her head. “Oh, I can’t. That is, I don’t want to.”
“ That won’t help much. Why don’t you tell us who this person that hurt the person you care about is?” Betty carried on.
“ Oh no, I can’t do that either.” Christine thought seriously if she were to tell everybody that it was Lady Anne then, Lord, what would happen?
Mr. Sam, the head gardener, poked his head in through the door at that moment.
“ Hello, everybody, what’s going on?” he asked innocently.
“ Master Chris needs help,” Betty answered.
“ Does he now?” Mr. Sam straightened and walked toward them. He came to sit opposite Christine and then leaned forward. “Tell me, Master Chris, what’s bothering you?”
“ It’s nothing really.” Christine tried to smile.
“ Somebody hurt someone that he cares about,” Betty supplied.
“ Really? And who is this someone you care about, and who is this other someone that hurt that someone that you care about?” Mr. Sam asked.
“ He can’t tell us, Mr. Sam. Come to think of it, it could be any one of us.” Betty placed a finger to her lips, contemplating the situation seriously.
“ Aye, now that I think about it, it must be someone in the Hall or at least someone who Master Chris knows of, right?” the cook said, nodding her head.
“ That’s right,” Betty agreed.
“ So you can’t tell us who this person is?” Mr. Sam asked.
Christine shook her head. She really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry for the path this situation was taking.
“ I know,” Mr. Sam boomed out.
“ You know what?” Mrs. Ross asked.
“ I know what to do,” Mr. Sam said, smiling with mischief.
“ And what would that be?” Betty asked, getting quite excited.
“ That is easy, you see. Master Chris, you said this someone hurt this other someone that you care about, and does that hurt you too then?” He saw Christine nod. “I see. Then what you must do is to get even.” He nodded his head as though this was a sound solution.
“ What do you mean, get even?” Christine asked.
“ Don’t listen to him. Mr. Sam, I think it’s about time you leave
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