Hope - Lesley Pearse [16]
Since Albert’s arrival Nell had spent far more time watching for him out of the windows than she should have. He was very handsome, over six feet tall, with black curly hair, a thick dark beard and strong very brown hands, and she believed him to be about twenty-five.
Sadly, as Lady Harvey’s maid she didn’t get any opportunity to mix with gardeners or grooms as they had rooms over the stable and took their meals after the other servants. That was another reason for suggesting the children came back with her today, for if they asked to see the horses in the stables, she might get the opportunity to speak to Albert.
The children ran ahead of her through the woods, the boys balancing on fallen trees like little mountain goats, shrieking loudly to each other as Hope picked bluebells for Cook. Nell watched them fondly, reminding herself how lucky she was to have her family so near to her. Cook had left her family when she was twelve, and she’d had no contact with any of them for over twenty years.
The late-afternoon sun was still very warm as they came out of the woods and made their way across the paddock to the stile by the stables.
‘Will Cook like the bluebells?’ Hope asked excitedly. She looked as if she might burst because she was finally going to the house she’d heard so much about. ‘Will she put them in a jam jar?’
‘I’m sure she will,’ Nell said, amused at her excitement. ‘But you won’t be able to stay long because they’ll be preparing tonight’s dinner. And I have to go up and see to Lady Harvey’s bath; they’ve got guests tonight.’
‘Will James let us see Merlin?’ Henry asked.
Merlin was the master’s new stallion and James talked about him all the time.
‘I’m sure he will,’ Nell said. ‘You can see Duchess and Buttercup, her foal, and there’s the carriage horses too.’
Cook was delighted to see the children, for she’d heard as much about them as they had about her. She poured each of them a glass of her special lemonade and gave them a slice of apple tart.
Ruth came into the kitchen, neat in her striped blue and white nursemaid’s uniform. She was nineteen now, and a slightly thinner and taller replica of Nell. She let out a cry of delight to see her brothers and sister, embarrassing the boys by hugging and kissing them in front of Cook.
‘I’ll be home tomorrow on my afternoon off,’ she told them. ‘But I’ve got to go now because it’s nearly time for Master Rufus’s tea. But mind you go and see James before you leave.’
Sir William was out riding Merlin, but James showed them Duchess and Buttercup in their paddock, and let them feed the carriage horses with some carrots. To Nell’s disappointment she couldn’t see Albert anywhere. ‘Is he still working in the garden?’ she asked James. ‘I thought he might show Hope around.’
James grinned. He was twenty now, and since coming here to work he’d grown several inches and developed muscle with all the hard work. He was quite a hit with the other maids, for although a plain lad, with his floppy dark hair and the Renton big nose, he had a nice way with him, funny and warm. ‘You mean you hoped you could meet him!’ he said pointedly.
Nell blushed. She didn’t try to deny it for James knew her too well.
‘He’s round the front of the house, weeding the rosebed. Take Hope round there!’ He grinned knowingly. ‘The boys can stay here with me.’
‘I can’t go there,’ Nell said in horror. There was a kind of unwritten rule that the servants didn’t go round to the front of the house. She would have felt quite comfortable showing Hope the gardens at the back, but the front was different because she could be seen by anyone glancing out of the windows.
‘Don’t be daft, of course you can go round there,’ James laughed. ‘Hope will like seeing the statues. And Albert will like seeing you.’
Emboldened, Nell took Hope’s hand and walked back through the arch of the stable yard to the front of the house. Aside from the big circular