next pillow, then the next, her frown
deepening. Unable to believe her eyes, she checked the pillows again, but not one
sprig of lace had progressed.
‘Morning, Lily. How was the
funeral?’ Mary asked, entering the room closely followed by the rest of the
ladies, chattering together.
‘The funeral service went well,
thank you, Mary, which is more than I can say about your work here. Will someone
please tell me the meaning of this?’ she asked, pointing to their pillows.
The room fell silent, as the puzzled
ladies stared at her.
‘Before I left, did I or did I not
remind you of the quota you had to achieve before you took your leave?’ she
asked. They nodded in agreement. ‘Is this another of your pranks?’ she
asked, turning to Cora.
‘No!’ the girl protested,
looking bewildered.
‘Then why has no progress been
made?’
The ladies looked at
each other and then back to Lily.
‘Well?’ she asked, hearing
her voice rising and fighting to control her emotions.
As usual, it was Mary who spoke.
‘What’s wrong, Lily? We only did like we’d been told.’
‘What do you mean, you did as you
were told …’ Lily began, but Nell butted in.
‘We just did what that lady
said.’
‘What lady?’ Lily asked.
‘The one you sent to tell us the
pattern had been changed and we was to go home,’ Nell said slowly, as if she
was talking to a child.
‘But I didn’t send anyone.
What was she called?’ Lily asked.
‘She didn’t say. Just said
you’d told her to deliver the message straight away. As she was wearing a
black veil and long black gloves, we guessed she’d come from the
funeral.’
Now it was Lily’s turned to look
confused. Casting her mind back to the small group gathered in the church she was
sure no one there had been wearing a black veil.
‘She spoke all genteel, like Mrs
Bodney does when she receives the merchants,’ piped up Anna.
‘But I didn’t send anyone
here and, as far as I know, no change has been made to the pattern. I’ll go
and check with Mrs Bodney straight away,’ she said snatching up her shawl.
‘In the meantime, please get on with your work.’
‘Tilda, did you let a lady wearing
a black veil into the workroom yesterday?’ she called out to the maid once
she’d closed the workroom door.
Startled, Tilda looked up from her
duties and nodded.
‘You’ve
been told that only Mrs Bodney and the lace makers are permitted to enter that room,
Tilda, so explain yourself.’
Looking scared now, the maid explained
that the lady had told her that Lily had instructed her to speak to the workers.
‘Were you with her the whole
time?’
‘Yes, but she was only here a
moment.’
‘Did she look at the ladies’
work?’
‘Oh, no, she wasn’t
interested in that at all. She just stood in the doorway and told them that as the
pattern had been changed, you’d said they were to stop work straight away and
go home. Then she rushed out like she’d been stung by a bee. Am I in trouble,
miss?’ she asked, her lip wobbling.
As Lily looked at the worried girl, she
felt her anger evaporating.
‘No, Tilda,’ she sighed.
‘Tell me, is Mrs Bodney working at High House this morning?’
‘Yes, she is,’ she said,
nodding frantically.
‘I’m going to see her right
away. No one is to enter the workroom in my absence. Should anyone call, they are to
wait in the parlour until I return. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, Miss Lily.’
Rushing up the lane, her thoughts in
turmoil, she didn’t see the women washing their clothes in the brook, or the
parson waving to her from the church steps. She was in such a state that her breath
was coming in noisy gasps by the time she reached High House. Rapping briskly on the
door, she could hardly contain her anxiety.
‘Is something wrong, Lily? I trust
all went well at thefuneral?’ Mrs Bodney asked, as soon as
the maid had
deepening. Unable to believe her eyes, she checked the pillows again, but not one
sprig of lace had progressed.
‘Morning, Lily. How was the
funeral?’ Mary asked, entering the room closely followed by the rest of the
ladies, chattering together.
‘The funeral service went well,
thank you, Mary, which is more than I can say about your work here. Will someone
please tell me the meaning of this?’ she asked, pointing to their pillows.
The room fell silent, as the puzzled
ladies stared at her.
‘Before I left, did I or did I not
remind you of the quota you had to achieve before you took your leave?’ she
asked. They nodded in agreement. ‘Is this another of your pranks?’ she
asked, turning to Cora.
‘No!’ the girl protested,
looking bewildered.
‘Then why has no progress been
made?’
The ladies looked at
each other and then back to Lily.
‘Well?’ she asked, hearing
her voice rising and fighting to control her emotions.
As usual, it was Mary who spoke.
‘What’s wrong, Lily? We only did like we’d been told.’
‘What do you mean, you did as you
were told …’ Lily began, but Nell butted in.
‘We just did what that lady
said.’
‘What lady?’ Lily asked.
‘The one you sent to tell us the
pattern had been changed and we was to go home,’ Nell said slowly, as if she
was talking to a child.
‘But I didn’t send anyone.
What was she called?’ Lily asked.
‘She didn’t say. Just said
you’d told her to deliver the message straight away. As she was wearing a
black veil and long black gloves, we guessed she’d come from the
funeral.’
Now it was Lily’s turned to look
confused. Casting her mind back to the small group gathered in the church she was
sure no one there had been wearing a black veil.
‘She spoke all genteel, like Mrs
Bodney does when she receives the merchants,’ piped up Anna.
‘But I didn’t send anyone
here and, as far as I know, no change has been made to the pattern. I’ll go
and check with Mrs Bodney straight away,’ she said snatching up her shawl.
‘In the meantime, please get on with your work.’
‘Tilda, did you let a lady wearing
a black veil into the workroom yesterday?’ she called out to the maid once
she’d closed the workroom door.
Startled, Tilda looked up from her
duties and nodded.
‘You’ve
been told that only Mrs Bodney and the lace makers are permitted to enter that room,
Tilda, so explain yourself.’
Looking scared now, the maid explained
that the lady had told her that Lily had instructed her to speak to the workers.
‘Were you with her the whole
time?’
‘Yes, but she was only here a
moment.’
‘Did she look at the ladies’
work?’
‘Oh, no, she wasn’t
interested in that at all. She just stood in the doorway and told them that as the
pattern had been changed, you’d said they were to stop work straight away and
go home. Then she rushed out like she’d been stung by a bee. Am I in trouble,
miss?’ she asked, her lip wobbling.
As Lily looked at the worried girl, she
felt her anger evaporating.
‘No, Tilda,’ she sighed.
‘Tell me, is Mrs Bodney working at High House this morning?’
‘Yes, she is,’ she said,
nodding frantically.
‘I’m going to see her right
away. No one is to enter the workroom in my absence. Should anyone call, they are to
wait in the parlour until I return. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, Miss Lily.’
Rushing up the lane, her thoughts in
turmoil, she didn’t see the women washing their clothes in the brook, or the
parson waving to her from the church steps. She was in such a state that her breath
was coming in noisy gasps by the time she reached High House. Rapping briskly on the
door, she could hardly contain her anxiety.
‘Is something wrong, Lily? I trust
all went well at thefuneral?’ Mrs Bodney asked, as soon as
the maid had
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