almost cheerful.
‘Morning, Harriet.’ She was guarded in her warmth. On the surface all was well between them after the unfortunate happenings of last summer, but you never knew, and she always ensured Fred was out of Harriet’s way when she could. ‘What you doing early?’
‘I dunno.’ Harriet shrugged. ‘It seemed a nice morning. I thought I’d take Miss Caroline a cup of tea.’
It was on the tip of Mrs Dibble’s tongue to say she’d do that, thank you all the same, seeing it was Miss Caroline’s first morning home, but good humour made her generous. ‘Good idea, Harriet.’ The Rector had stopped early morning tea for the family now there were only the three of them, that’s if you didn’t count Percy—which she seldom did—and Fred, poor love.
She turned her head as the door opened, andthere was Mrs Lilley, still in her nightdress and old dressing gown with her dark hair flowing down her back.
‘I thought, if you don’t object, Mrs Dibble, I’d take Caroline a cup of tea. It is her first morning.’
After breakfast, Caroline decided to put off the evil moment for as long as she could by walking the long way round to the Dower House. Instead of taking the garden gate out into Silly Lane, she made her way through the churchyard, with a quick visit to St Nicholas to draw strength for the coming ordeal.
Parker, the butler, opened the door of the Dower House to her with the same degree of condescension, she noted, as he had at Ashden Manor. An imp of mischief had made her bring a calling card: she would be as formal as Lady Hunney herself. It also prevented Parker’s sniff when he asked ‘What name shall I say?’, ridiculous since she had been calling on, and indeed working for, the Hunneys all her life. She had put on her longest skirt, so that only a hint of ankle could be seen and even that was chastely hidden by her boots.
She told herself that anyone who had braved Grandmother Buckford had nothing to fear from Lady Hunney, but was all too well aware that where she was concerned, Lady Hunney remained an implacable opponent who would not hesitate to involve Reggie in her campaign to break the engagement. She braced herself, adopted her best Grandmother Buckford walk,and sailed into the morning room to find to her surprise that Lady Hunney was not there, although she was quite sure it was her ‘At Home’ time.
‘Her ladyship is at her committee meeting,’ Parker informed her smugly, as though some kind of victory had been won. ‘She will be with you soon.’
Committee? The hospital, Caroline presumed. Or had Lady Hunney started an organisation of her own for the war effort? Caroline hoped the latter; if that steely will were set to conquer the Kaiser instead of her, the war would be over and Reggie returned to her extremely quickly.
‘Good morning, Caroline. I am pleased to see you.’
Caroline swung round in surprise, suddenly conscious that, despite her efforts, in this setting she still managed to feel dowdy beside Lady Hunney’s Bond Street wool costume. She could not bring herself to return the false compliment but greeted Lady Hunney politely.
‘Do sit down. Will you take coffee before you begin?’
‘Begin?’ In her confusion, Caroline sat on too low a chair. She’d forgotten Lady Hunney’s Red Queen tactics of surprise.
‘I assume,’ Lady Hunney rang for coffee, ‘that you’ve come to resume your duties.’
Caroline was nonplussed. ‘The hospital is fully staffed, Lady Hunney. They have already replaced Felicia.’
‘Not nursing duties, Caroline. I’m glad you’verealised you are unsuited for that. I meant, in the library.’
Before the war she had worked in the Ashden Manor library, but that was a long time ago. Surely Lady Hunney could not be serious? ‘But the hospital staff wouldn’t want me getting in their way there now.’
‘I told you last autumn. Many of the books have now been transferred to the Dower House and I naturally assumed you had
‘Morning, Harriet.’ She was guarded in her warmth. On the surface all was well between them after the unfortunate happenings of last summer, but you never knew, and she always ensured Fred was out of Harriet’s way when she could. ‘What you doing early?’
‘I dunno.’ Harriet shrugged. ‘It seemed a nice morning. I thought I’d take Miss Caroline a cup of tea.’
It was on the tip of Mrs Dibble’s tongue to say she’d do that, thank you all the same, seeing it was Miss Caroline’s first morning home, but good humour made her generous. ‘Good idea, Harriet.’ The Rector had stopped early morning tea for the family now there were only the three of them, that’s if you didn’t count Percy—which she seldom did—and Fred, poor love.
She turned her head as the door opened, andthere was Mrs Lilley, still in her nightdress and old dressing gown with her dark hair flowing down her back.
‘I thought, if you don’t object, Mrs Dibble, I’d take Caroline a cup of tea. It is her first morning.’
After breakfast, Caroline decided to put off the evil moment for as long as she could by walking the long way round to the Dower House. Instead of taking the garden gate out into Silly Lane, she made her way through the churchyard, with a quick visit to St Nicholas to draw strength for the coming ordeal.
Parker, the butler, opened the door of the Dower House to her with the same degree of condescension, she noted, as he had at Ashden Manor. An imp of mischief had made her bring a calling card: she would be as formal as Lady Hunney herself. It also prevented Parker’s sniff when he asked ‘What name shall I say?’, ridiculous since she had been calling on, and indeed working for, the Hunneys all her life. She had put on her longest skirt, so that only a hint of ankle could be seen and even that was chastely hidden by her boots.
She told herself that anyone who had braved Grandmother Buckford had nothing to fear from Lady Hunney, but was all too well aware that where she was concerned, Lady Hunney remained an implacable opponent who would not hesitate to involve Reggie in her campaign to break the engagement. She braced herself, adopted her best Grandmother Buckford walk,and sailed into the morning room to find to her surprise that Lady Hunney was not there, although she was quite sure it was her ‘At Home’ time.
‘Her ladyship is at her committee meeting,’ Parker informed her smugly, as though some kind of victory had been won. ‘She will be with you soon.’
Committee? The hospital, Caroline presumed. Or had Lady Hunney started an organisation of her own for the war effort? Caroline hoped the latter; if that steely will were set to conquer the Kaiser instead of her, the war would be over and Reggie returned to her extremely quickly.
‘Good morning, Caroline. I am pleased to see you.’
Caroline swung round in surprise, suddenly conscious that, despite her efforts, in this setting she still managed to feel dowdy beside Lady Hunney’s Bond Street wool costume. She could not bring herself to return the false compliment but greeted Lady Hunney politely.
‘Do sit down. Will you take coffee before you begin?’
‘Begin?’ In her confusion, Caroline sat on too low a chair. She’d forgotten Lady Hunney’s Red Queen tactics of surprise.
‘I assume,’ Lady Hunney rang for coffee, ‘that you’ve come to resume your duties.’
Caroline was nonplussed. ‘The hospital is fully staffed, Lady Hunney. They have already replaced Felicia.’
‘Not nursing duties, Caroline. I’m glad you’verealised you are unsuited for that. I meant, in the library.’
Before the war she had worked in the Ashden Manor library, but that was a long time ago. Surely Lady Hunney could not be serious? ‘But the hospital staff wouldn’t want me getting in their way there now.’
‘I told you last autumn. Many of the books have now been transferred to the Dower House and I naturally assumed you had
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