she had to take Sir Edward with it.”
“Was that such an ordeal?”
“He was a strange sort, he was. You never got to know him. She was used to having her own way. Old Arkwright adored her. Good-looking, she was, and all that brass of course. Only child … heiress. You could see what Sir Edward was after.”
“How was he such a strange one?”
“He didn’t say much. He was always so very proper. My goodness, he was strict.”
“I’ve heard that.”
“At church every Sunday… morning and evening. Everyone had to go even the tenants … or it was a black mark against them. He was making sure of his place in Heaven … and then that boy …”
“Yes?” I said eagerly, for she had paused.
“Bringing him in like that. If it was anyone else’s you would have said … you know what I mean … men being what they are. But you wouldn’t believe it with Sir Edward. I often wondered who that boy was. Her ladyship hated the sight of him. Well, you could understand it. Old Nanny Crockett used to stick up for him.
I wondered her ladyship didn’t get rid of her . but Sir Edward wouldn’t have had that. He’d have put his foot down hard about that . though mostly he didn’t interfere about the house . as long as they all went to church and attended the prayer meetings every morning in the hall. I’ve heard her ladyship storm and rage, say she wouldn’t have the little bastard in the house . yes, she went as far as that. Well, you could understand it. I heard everything, me being her personal maid and all that, having been with her when we was in Yorkshire. She wanted her own maid and she settled on me. There’s not much I haven’t seen. Here, why am I talking to you like this? Well, I look on her as my child, really. It’s like talking about myself. And you’re here . one of the family, you know. You must have seen a bit of life with that Miss Kate . “
She pressed her lips together and I had the impression that she was reproaching herself for having talked of such intimate matters to me, almost a stranger.
“You must have seen a great many changes here,” I said.
She nodded.
“I was always one for a bit of gossip,” she said, still excusing herself.
“And I don’t get much chance of that up here all day. It gets a bit lonely. You’ve got one of them sympathetic natures.
Miss Cranleigh, I can see that. You’re an understanding sort. “
“I hope so. I find it very interesting here … the house and the people.”
“That’s so. As you was saying, I’ve seen some changes. People don’t come to this part of the house much. You know what they’re like round here, as we were saying … Sir Ed ward died here. They think he’ll come back and haunt the place. There’s talk about it. They’ve seen lights. They say it’s Sir Edward looking for something because he can’t rest.”
“I saw a light once,” I said.
“I thought it was a candle.. It flickered … and then I didn’t see it any more.”
She nudged me.
“I can tell you what that was. That was her.” She jerked her head towards Lady Perrivale’s room.
“She does that sometimes. Gets up in the night. She’ll light a candle. I’ve told her many times. I said, ” You’ll set the place alight one day . your own nightdress perhaps. ” She said, ” I have to look. I have to find it. “
“Find what?” I say. Then she gets a funny look in her eyes and shuts her mouth and won’t say a thing. “
“Do you think she is really looking for something?”
“People get notions when they get old. No … there’s nothing. She’s just got this notion in her head. Time after time I’ve told her, ” If there’s something you’ve mislaid, tell me what. I’ll find it for you.”
But no . it’s just some fancy that comes to her in the night. I have to watch out, though. She could start a fire and there’s a lot of wood in a place like this. What I do is hide the matches. But that don’t stop her. I’ve heard her groping about in the dark. “
“In her room?”
“No, in his room … Sir Edward’s. They had separate rooms, you know.
I always think there’s something amiss with separate rooms. “
“You must be kept busy here, looking after Lady Perrivale.”
“Oh yes. I do everything. Keep the place clean … cook her food.
It’s not often she goes down to parties like she did the other night.
But she’d been better for the last week or so. They lead their own lives and she’s very content with the present Lady Perrivale. She wanted her to marry one of the boys. “
“Yes, I heard that she knew her mother.”
“Yes, school friend, she was. She wanted the Major to come here; she found Seashell Cottage for them and before long Miss Mirabel was engaged to Mr. Cosmo.”
“He died though … didn’t he?”
“Murdered. I can tell you, that was a time. It was that boy Simon.
They’d always been against each other. “
“He went away, didn’t he?”
“Oh yes. Ran off. He was a sharp little fellow when he was little, even. It was the only thing he could do … or hang by the neck. I reckon he’ll fall on his feet. He was that sort.”
“What do you think happened?”
“It’s plain as the nose on your face. Simon had had enough. He had his eyes on Mirabel. Not that he had a chance.” She lowered her voice.
“Perhaps I’m speaking out of turn, but I always thought she had her eyes on the title, so she took Cosmo. I think Simon shot him in a temper.”
“But why should he have the gun handy like that?”
“Now you’re asking me. Looks like he took it there for a purpose, don’t it? Eee. You never know. There’s nowt so queer as folk, as we say in Yorkshire. And by gum, we’re right. Well, everyone seems to have made up their minds it was jealousy … and jealousy’s a terrible thing. It can lead anywhere.”
“So then Lady Perrivale married Tristan.”
“Yes. Well, they always had a fancy for each other, those two. I’ve got a pair of eyes in my head. I’ve seen things. And I’ll tell you this: I said to myself, more than once, ” Ho, ho, there’ll be trouble when she marries Cosmo because Tristan’s the one she wants. ” I’ve seen a thing or two.”
She stopped abruptly and put her fingers to her mouth.
“I’m talking out of turn again. It’s so nice to have a chat with someone who’s interested.”
“I am certainly interested,” I assured her.
“Well, you’re one of the family now, I suppose. And, after all, it happened some time ago. It’s all over and done with now.”
I could see that she would need but little prompting to overcome her qualms of conscience, and I continued to prompt her.
“Yes, of course,” I said.
“And I dare say everyone was discussing it all at one time.”
“My goodness yes. That’s a fact.” , “You were saying you’d seen a thing or two.”
“Oh … I don’t know. It was just that I noticed one or two things … so it didn’t surprise me at all when she turned to Tristan. People said it was on the rebound … and poor things they comforted each other. Well, you know what people say …”
She was frowning slightly. She was, I think, trying to remember how much she had said.
“Her ladyship and me … we used to have some fun together. She’d tell me everything … two girls together, that’s what we were like and then of course she’s changed since Cosmo’s death. You wouldn’t believe how it’s aged her. It’s a long time since I’ve had a chat like this. Well… I’d better take a look at her. Catnaps, that’s what she takes. Then she’ll wake up suddenly and want to know what’s going on.”
She rose and went to the door. I was hoping that Lady Perrivale would not have woken up, for the conversation with Maria had been very interesting and illuminating. I had always been aware that servants knew as much as anyone did of the family’s secrets perhaps even more.
