Hope - Lesley Pearse [88]
It was Christmas Eve, a day of frantic preparation, yet in the past always a joyous one. Up until a couple of years ago there had always been many guests at Briargate, with a lavish celebration supper on Christmas Eve, followed the next day by an even more extravagant dinner. Nell had known years when a quartet of musicians had been hired, and they’d rolled back the rugs in the drawing room for the guests to dance. There were fancy-dress parties too. She recalled Lady Harvey dressed as Nell Gwynn and Sir William as Charles II, laughter and singing resounding throughout the house.
But this Christmas was not going to be a happy one for anyone.
Two hours later, as dawn was breaking, Nell picked up the pillowcase holding her belongings and made for the door.
She had tidied up, not out of any sense of wifely duty, but merely to fill the time until she left for the big house. As she packed her things she found the dress Hope had taken was her oldest, a plain grey workaday one which would have been far too big for her. That was further confirmation of what she believed. If Hope had really been going to run off with her lover she would have cared what she looked like and taken the pretty pink and white one Nell had worn on her wedding day. But that was still folded away in the drawer, yet another symbol of all the dreams Albert had shattered for her.
‘Nell!’ Baines exclaimed as she swept into the servants’ hall where he was cleaning Sir William’s riding boots and plonked the full pillowcase of belongings on the floor. ‘What’s all that?’
‘My things,’ she said quietly. ‘I can’t live with Albert any longer.’
Baines looked stunned, but came over to her and lightly touched her inflamed cheek. ‘He hit you?’ he asked in little more than a whisper, his faded blue eyes grave with concern.
‘Yes, but it will be the last time,’ Nell said resolutely. ‘I’ll take up her ladyship’s early-morning tea now and talk to her about staying here. Is Sir William going out riding this morning?’
Baines frowned. ‘He’s already gone out, but Merlin is still in the stable. He had harsh words with Lady Harvey last night. I don’t think you are going to find her very receptive to you this morning.’
‘That’s too bad,’ Nell said tartly. ‘Just make sure Rose isn’t listening at the keyhole while I’m in with her.’
Baines had a heavy heart as he watched Nell walking back into the kitchen. He had never seen her so steely and grim-faced before; whatever came her way, she always carried on smiling. He guessed she thought Albert was in some way responsible for Hope leaving.
Baines didn’t like Albert, neither the way he looked down on the other servants nor his dour uncommunicative nature. He’d had even less time for him since the last occasion when he hit Hope, but he couldn’t see how Albert could be responsible for her leaving; since she’d moved into the big house, they hardly ever saw each other.
It had been a huge blow to Baines when Hope left, for she was a good girl and worked hard, but if Nell carried out her threat and left Albert, the whole fabric of Briargate would fall apart.
It was already threadbare: a skeleton staff, who with the best will in the world couldn’t take proper care of such a big house. With a drunken master, a mistress who seemed unaware of anyone but herself, and their son and heir growing up without any real guidance, disaster was imminent.
Yet the gentry expected their servants to behave with the utmost propriety, to obey the laws of the land and of the Church, even if they flouted the selfsame laws themselves. Nell had a spotless character, and over twenty years’ service in this house, but Baines doubted that would mean the master and mistress would support her desire to leave Albert. Wives who left their husbands were always pilloried, even if that husband was cruel, a womanizer or a drunk. The chances were they would order Nell back to Albert, and if she refused she’d be told to leave Briargate.
Lady Harvey was awake when Nell took her tray of tea in to her.