truth. I’m not here to judge.’
‘But, ma’am,’ I said carefully. ‘You asked me only to tell you if I knew anything for a fact and I don’t.’
‘Oh, I see I was mistaken,’ said Beatrice. ‘You are much cleverer than I supposed.’ To my horror she opened her purse and took out some coins. ‘How much?’
‘I am more than adequately compensated for my services,’ I said coldly. ‘As Mr Bertram said I worked at Stapleford Hall for a very short time.’
Beatrice Wilton leant forward and touched my arm. ‘Come now, my dear, don’t be proud. All servants can do with a little more than their masters give them. No matter how good they might be.’ She laughed girlishly. ‘I’m sure you do know something if you put your mind to it. Why, your Mr Bertram says you display almost to an educated standard.’
I shot Mr Bertram a furious look. To be fair, he did look embarrassed, but then to my astonishment he opened his mouth and said, ‘If there is anything, Euphemia, you should tell Miss Wilton. She’s a professional.’
‘I’m tired,’ I said, ‘and I feel dizzy. I need to rest. I don’t want your money, Miss Wilton. I don’t know anything that can be of any help.’
Beatrice didn’t budge an inch and her face took on an unbecoming mulish look. Sadly, she had her back to Bertram. I decided to up the stakes. ‘In fact,’ I said, ‘I think I may vomit at any moment.’
‘Good heavens!’ said Bertram. ‘We must leave at once. I shall send Merry to you.’ He fairly bolted for the door. Miss Wilton gave me an astute look. ‘I’m not as squeamish as Bertram,’ she said, ‘but I’ll concede the field for now.’ She got up and went to the door. She paused with her hand on the door handle. ‘You may like to consider, my dear, that in a very short space of time your Mr Bertram and myself have found ourselves to be extremely compatible. Unlike Madam Arcana, I cannot foretell the future, but it may very well be in your best interests for us to reach agreement. I understand you have been invaluable in helping Bertram,’ she paused as though struggling for the right word, ‘invaluable in helping Bertram sort things out.’
‘He told you about that!’ I gasped.
‘Not everything, but he will. He seems uncommonly fond of you. Are you of him?’
‘Your only interest is in filling your column,’ I said astounded.
Miss Wilton raised one dainty eyebrow. ‘I haven’t decided what my interest is yet,’ she said. ‘But readers are always more interested in current news. One never needs to go raking through old material when one has new.’ The accompanying smile was as lacking in warmth as it is possible for one alive to be. ‘I’ll leave you to your rest. We’ll talk again later, I’m sure.’
I sat up and gaped at her, unable to find the words to express my shock. The smile widened and she left, closing the door gently and slowly behind her. I heard her calling for Bertram as she had intended I would. Her voice was sweet and low and, I feared Bertram would think, enticing.
The door had barely closed before Rory burst in. ‘What’s this? Are ye worse, lass? Do I need to send for yon doctor again?’
I settled my head back against the pillows. ‘Do you realise you become alarmingly Scotch when you’re upset?’
‘Do I? It tends to slip out when I’m not concentrating. What’s this about you being sick on Miss Wilton?’
‘I wish,’ I muttered under my breath. ‘I’m fine, Rory. Or as fine as I was. She and Mr Bertram were pestering me with questions until my head span. I had to find a way to get them to leave.’
Rory came over and placed a hand on my brow. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they had worried you back into a fever,’ he said angrily. ‘I’ve half a mind …’
‘Not to say something to our betters, Rory?’ I said. ‘That’s not like you.’
‘Aye, well. From what I’ve heard every time you’ve got mixed up with the Staplefords it’s not come out
‘But, ma’am,’ I said carefully. ‘You asked me only to tell you if I knew anything for a fact and I don’t.’
‘Oh, I see I was mistaken,’ said Beatrice. ‘You are much cleverer than I supposed.’ To my horror she opened her purse and took out some coins. ‘How much?’
‘I am more than adequately compensated for my services,’ I said coldly. ‘As Mr Bertram said I worked at Stapleford Hall for a very short time.’
Beatrice Wilton leant forward and touched my arm. ‘Come now, my dear, don’t be proud. All servants can do with a little more than their masters give them. No matter how good they might be.’ She laughed girlishly. ‘I’m sure you do know something if you put your mind to it. Why, your Mr Bertram says you display almost to an educated standard.’
I shot Mr Bertram a furious look. To be fair, he did look embarrassed, but then to my astonishment he opened his mouth and said, ‘If there is anything, Euphemia, you should tell Miss Wilton. She’s a professional.’
‘I’m tired,’ I said, ‘and I feel dizzy. I need to rest. I don’t want your money, Miss Wilton. I don’t know anything that can be of any help.’
Beatrice didn’t budge an inch and her face took on an unbecoming mulish look. Sadly, she had her back to Bertram. I decided to up the stakes. ‘In fact,’ I said, ‘I think I may vomit at any moment.’
‘Good heavens!’ said Bertram. ‘We must leave at once. I shall send Merry to you.’ He fairly bolted for the door. Miss Wilton gave me an astute look. ‘I’m not as squeamish as Bertram,’ she said, ‘but I’ll concede the field for now.’ She got up and went to the door. She paused with her hand on the door handle. ‘You may like to consider, my dear, that in a very short space of time your Mr Bertram and myself have found ourselves to be extremely compatible. Unlike Madam Arcana, I cannot foretell the future, but it may very well be in your best interests for us to reach agreement. I understand you have been invaluable in helping Bertram,’ she paused as though struggling for the right word, ‘invaluable in helping Bertram sort things out.’
‘He told you about that!’ I gasped.
‘Not everything, but he will. He seems uncommonly fond of you. Are you of him?’
‘Your only interest is in filling your column,’ I said astounded.
Miss Wilton raised one dainty eyebrow. ‘I haven’t decided what my interest is yet,’ she said. ‘But readers are always more interested in current news. One never needs to go raking through old material when one has new.’ The accompanying smile was as lacking in warmth as it is possible for one alive to be. ‘I’ll leave you to your rest. We’ll talk again later, I’m sure.’
I sat up and gaped at her, unable to find the words to express my shock. The smile widened and she left, closing the door gently and slowly behind her. I heard her calling for Bertram as she had intended I would. Her voice was sweet and low and, I feared Bertram would think, enticing.
The door had barely closed before Rory burst in. ‘What’s this? Are ye worse, lass? Do I need to send for yon doctor again?’
I settled my head back against the pillows. ‘Do you realise you become alarmingly Scotch when you’re upset?’
‘Do I? It tends to slip out when I’m not concentrating. What’s this about you being sick on Miss Wilton?’
‘I wish,’ I muttered under my breath. ‘I’m fine, Rory. Or as fine as I was. She and Mr Bertram were pestering me with questions until my head span. I had to find a way to get them to leave.’
Rory came over and placed a hand on my brow. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they had worried you back into a fever,’ he said angrily. ‘I’ve half a mind …’
‘Not to say something to our betters, Rory?’ I said. ‘That’s not like you.’
‘Aye, well. From what I’ve heard every time you’ve got mixed up with the Staplefords it’s not come out
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