Hope - Lesley Pearse [63]
Suddenly everyone’s attention was turned on Hope, but although this much of the story was true, she couldn’t bask in their admiration. She knew it was only a matter of minutes before Rufus spilled out about their secret meetings and how they had found the boat.
Martha put a cup of tea in her shaking hands, and smoothed her wet hair back from her face. ‘How did you know where to look for him?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know,’ Hope whimpered.
Ruth put some pans of water on the stove to heat for a bath for Rufus, and Hope saw how badly shaken she was for her face was white and her movements jerky. She let Baines dress the wound on Rufus’s forehead, but she took his hand in hers and asked in a plaintive voice why he’d gone to the woods.
At that Hope felt really sick because she realized Ruth thought her job was in jeopardy now: she was the nursemaid and she’d let the young master go off on his own. All at once Hope was sobbing; she could bear punishment herself, but not the thought of Ruth or anyone else in the room being blamed for something she’d done.
‘Why is Hope crying?’ Rufus asked, his clear, high voice ringing out.
‘Because she thought you were dead, Master Rufus,’ Baines replied. ‘You might very well have drowned if it hadn’t been for her.’
‘Let me see her?’ Rufus asked, and nudging Ruth away from him, he came padding over to Hope, still wrapped in his blanket.
‘Don’t cry, Hope,’ he said, using a bit of the blanket to dry her eyes. ‘Look, I’m fine. You were very clever to find me, and I’m sorry if I frightened you.’
He looked right into her eyes as he spoke, a faint smile playing at his lips. ‘Mama is going to be very grateful that you saved my life, because I’m sure Ruth will have to tell her what I did. But I was so excited because I found an old boat. I wanted to get it out and play in it. I didn’t stop to think it might be dangerous.’
A lump came up in Hope’s throat for she knew he was trying to tell her that their secret meetings would remain secret.
‘That’s all very well, Master Rufus,’ she said sternly. ‘But your mama will blame Ruth for not watching you more closely. She is afraid she will be dismissed.’
‘Then maybe we shouldn’t tell Mama about it?’ He looked round at the other servants. ‘I could have got this bump on the head falling over. And anyway, it might be gone by the time she gets back.’
He turned and went over to Ruth, wrapping his arms around her and leaning against her chest. ‘I’m sorry I scared you, Ruthie,’ he said. ‘I won’t do it again. Will you forgive me?’
Hope wanted to laugh then for he had the same easy charm as his father.
‘You are going to have a bath, get into bed and stay there,’ Ruth said, but though she had clearly meant that to sound like punishment, the break in her voice implied only relief and concern. ‘And you will not go out of my sight again or I’ll lock you in the nursery.’
‘Well done, Hope. You averted a tragedy today,’ Baines said as Rose cleared away the supper things. Ruth had taken Rufus upstairs, and Albert had gone home, so they were alone in the servants’ hall. ‘I think it’s as well the young master is going away to school soon, he needs the company of other boys and some discipline.’
Hope hung her head. She had a strong feeling that Baines guessed she had more involvement with Rufus than she’d let on, and he was warning her it had to end.
‘There’s a storm brewing up,’ he said, getting to his feet and going over to the window. ‘I can feel the thunder in the air. Perhaps it’s as well – this heat has made us all somewhat irresponsible.’
Chapter Seven
1847
Hope was whipping egg whites at the kitchen table one morning in November when Martha returned to the kitchen after her usual weekly meeting with Lady Harvey about the meals for the forthcoming week.
‘The mistress will be going down to Sussex again tomorrow,’ Martha announced importantly.
Hope