‘Course not! When are you going todo it?’
Mary shrugged. ‘Maybe afterthe wedding!’
The girls giggled as they walked down thecorridor to the stairs. Clara failed to spot that one of the bedroomdoors, which she had left closed, was now slightly ajar. Through thesmall gap, listening intently, was the scullery maid, Joan Leigh.
Marywas still feeling unwell, despite having picked at a piece of ham and sipped ata cup of tea. Yet something else was now troubling her. Joan wasbeing unusually quiet, sitting opposite her with some kind of a knowing look onher face. With one eyebrow raised, Joan flicked her head between Mary andEdward.
‘Is something the matter with your neck,Joan?’ Mary hissed across the table. It was quiet enough for only her tohear.
‘Me?’ she asked with mockincredulity. ‘Me?’ Joan held out her left hand and studied herfingers. ‘No, I’ve got nothing to say.’ Her eyes glanced up to meetMary’s critical gaze. ‘You got anything you want to share with everyone,Mary?’ She spoke loudly enough for several servants on the lower half ofthe table to turn and stare.
Mary’s mouth and throat dried up and thenausea returned. She couldn’t know…could she? Mary glared atClara, then Eliza, who had turned their attention to the altercation takingplace. One of them must have told her. Why did I ever trust themagain? Mary chastised herself.
‘Anything the matter down there?’ Mrs Cuffcalled from the top of the table.
‘No, Mrs Cuff,’ Eliza replied.
Clara raised her eyebrows at Mary.
‘Grow up, Joan,’ Mary retorted quietly.
Mr Risler stood from the table. ‘Lord Rothborne has been gracious enough to extend your breakfast time thismorning and offers his sincere apologies for the delay. As soon as MrMansfield has woken, preparations for the hunting trip will resume.’ MrRisler returned to his seat and tolerated the inevitable low level of chatterto rise from his statement.’
‘Flippin’ right we get a longerbreakfast,’ Joan remarked to nobody in particular. ‘Gracious—I ask you.’
Mary deliberately turned her head,pretending not to have heard her. Mary’s eyes met with Edward’s and hesmiled. Part of her couldn’t wait for the household to go to Scotlandjust for some peace and quiet to descend on Blackfriars. The downside,and it was a major downside for Mary, was that Edward had been chosen toaccompany the family there. She saw him so seldom now, despite working inthe same place, but now she faced almost ten days without even a glimpse of himacross the breakfast table.
Afterthe extended breakfast was over, Mrs Cuff led the majority of the female staffto the bedroom suites. She divided the girls into small groups,instructing them on what they were to pack. Mary was paired with Elizaand, under the guidance of Miss Herriot, given the exciting task of packingLady Philadelphia’s outdoor wear.
‘The winter coats!’ Mary said, excitedlygrabbing Eliza’s arm as they headed towards Lady Philadelphia’s bedroom.
‘All those furs!’ Eliza responded with agrin. ‘Come on, let’s get to it.’
As the girls reached the doorway to Philadelphia’sbedroom, they stopped still as if held back by an invisible barrier. LadyPhiladelphia was in her room, bending down with her back to them. She turnedand smiled. ‘Come in, girls.’
The girls stepped into the room and stoodawkwardly by the bed. Neither of them had expected her to actually bethere.
‘Right, the trunk is down here. We’re a little short on space, so I must be prudent in what I take. Atleast, that’s what my dear husband tells me,’ she said with a pleasantsmile. She was midway through neatly folding a pair of elbow-length silkgloves.
Mary reciprocated with a smile of her ownand, for the first time since she had started at Blackfriars, fully took herin. Her experiences of Lady Philadelphia were always fleeting or from a distance. The two of them had, mainly by virtue of their opposing standings in the house,never actually spoken to one another. To her surprise, Mary found herselfquite in awe of Lady Philadelphia’s magnanimous beauty.
‘Between the three of us, however, I’vehad one of the footmen fetch me another case, which my dear husband will benone the wiser about,’ Lady Philadelphia said. ‘I think it might be bestif I hunt through my wardrobes and see what I think I’ll need, then give it toyou girls to pack for me. How does that sound?’
Mary and Eliza mumbled their agreement andstood waiting with anticipation for the first garment.
Lady Philadelphia returned carrying abundle of attractive clothing. ‘I think most of these will have had theirlast after Scotland,’ she said, passing an ermine fur-lined cloak toMary.
‘What’s wrong with them, my lady?’Mary asked quietly, running her fingers through the fine black and whitefur. She was quite sure that she had never seen nor touched anything soperfect.
‘They’re very outdated,’ Lady Philadelphiasaid. ‘I’m sure they’ll do for those wretched days out watching the menhunting for deer on the Scottish glens, but they’ll not do anywhere ofnote.’ She lowered her voice. ‘It’s more like something LadyRothborne would wear.’
Mary smiled, delighting in the sense oftheir shared camaraderie. Maybe she hadn’t been silly and immature tobelieve that she, Mary Mercer could enjoy some of the trappings of high socialstanding after all.
‘These are much more the fashion,’ LadyPhiladelphia said, handing Eliza a full-length coat. ‘It’s an orientalcocoon. Beautifully made—so elegant, don’t you think?’
The girls nodded their agreement and Elizacarefully began to fold it into the trunk.
‘Do you think if you stroke it long enoughthe poor stoat might come back to life?’ Lady Philadelphia asked Mary with alaugh.
Mary flushed. She was mid-waythrough one of her daydreams where she and Lady Philadelphia were attending agrand ball together in London. ‘Sorry, my lady. I’m in my own worldagain. I’m always getting into trouble because of it. It was thesame at school.’ Mary set the garment down on the bed and gently foldedit, just the way she had been shown by Clara.
‘What a magnificent thing,’ a boomingvoice called from the doorway. It was Lady Rothborne. She steppedinside the room and picked up the ermine cloak from the bed. ‘Simplyresplendent.’
Mary and Eliza backed away deferentially,allowing Lady Rothborne to sweep into the room.
‘What do you think, Mary?’ Lady Rothborneasked.
Mary was taken aback to be included in
