Ashworth Hall - Anne Perry [121]
It was a shame to wake her up, but she would not thank anyone for assuming she was not up to her duty. And anyway, she would waken some time in the night, stiff from lying curled up, and then she would wonder what had happened. She might be terrified Charlotte had not come home.
“Gracie,” Charlotte said, touching her sleeping hand where it lay curled under her chin. It was as small as a child’s, scrubbed clean like her face. “Gracie!”
Gracie stirred and slipped back into sleep again.
“Gracie,” Charlotte said more firmly. “You can’t stay there, you’ll wake up suffer than Mr. Pitt.”
“Oh!” Gracie opened her eyes and relief flooded her face as she saw Charlotte. She straightened up and scrambled to her feet. “Oh, I’m real glad yer safe, ma’am! Yer didn’t ought ter go on them trains all by yerself. The master’s in bed, ma’am, but I’ll lay anything ’e in’t asleep yet neither.”
“Thank you for waiting up for me,” Charlotte replied, hiding her smile and taking off her cape as Gracie reached for it to hang it up.
“That’s me job,” Gracie said with satisfaction. “Yer like some ’ot water ter wash in?”
“No, cold will do very well.” Charlotte shook her head. She was not sending Gracie downstairs to heat water and carry jugs up at this time of night. “And trains are perfectly safe, you know,” she added. “You shouldn’t worry. How was everything here?”
“Terrible.” Gracie helped her unlace her boots, then undo her dress and slip it off. The boots could be cleaned in the morning, and the mud taken off the hem of her skirt, and of course her underclothes would be laundered. “Everyone’s scared o’ their own shadows,” she said, taking the heavy skirt. “Footman popped a cork and the parlor maid near screamed the place down. Wonder she didn’t shatter the gas mantles, them what’s left!”
“Oh dear.” Charlotte took the pins out of her hair and felt the wonderful relief as the weight of it fell and she ran her fingers through it.
Gracie unlaced her stays for her.
“I want to sleep until ten!” Charlotte said, knowing it was impossible.
“Yer like breakfast up ’ere?” Gracie asked helpfully.
“No … no, thank you. I shall have to get up in the morning and go down, even if only to watch and listen, or try to help Mrs. Radley.”
“We in’t doin’ a very good job o’ detectin’, are we?” Gracie said unhappily. “We in’t bin no ’elp ter the master at all.”
“Not so far,” Charlotte agreed with a sharp stab of unhappiness. “I’ve been more concerned about Emily and this wretched weekend.” She kept her voice low, not to disturb Pitt, in the next room, if by chance he were asleep. “I don’t know where to begin.” She frowned. “Usually we are more use if there are women involved, families, something ordinarily human. I don’t understand the issues of religion and nationalism.” She poured water from the jug into the bowl and splashed it over her face. It was cold and clean, but it took her breath away.
“I can understand ’ating wot’s done to yer family ’cos o’ religion and nationalism,” Gracie responded, handing the towel to her. “Some of them things is just tragedy like any other.”
“I know,” Charlotte said quickly, not wanting to get drawn into the Neassa and Drystan story tonight. “We’ll have to think about it tomorrow. You must be tired now, and I know I am. Good night, Gracie, and thank you for waiting up.”
“It in’t nuffink, ma’am,” Gracie replied, stifling a yawn, but she was pleased nonetheless.
Pitt was half asleep, too exhausted to stay awake but not able to rest properly until Charlotte was home.
“How was Vespasia?” he mumbled, hunching the blankets over himself and, without realizing it, pulling them away from her half of the bed.
“Very well,” she answered, climbing in and tugging back her portion.
He grunted and allowed them out of his grasp, shivering as she let in the cold air, then moved closer to him with her cold hands and feet.
“I learned a lot,” she went on, knowing he wanted only to sink back into sleep.