it
hasn’t been possible for you on the farm, with having to carry
water up from that well, but I hope you’ll take full advantage of
the facilities here. Please feel free to ask the maids to run a
bath for you whenever you want. Every night, if you wish.’
Despite Sarah’s careful effort not to demean
her, Amy felt chastened at the revelation that her standards of
cleanliness might be wanting. She hoped fervently that she would
not cause Sarah embarrassment by any social graces she might
lack.
She was distracted from her uncomfortable
thoughts by the next wonder revealed to her. Beside the bathroom
was a smaller room that held a large, wooden-topped porcelain bowl
with a tank suspended above it. A chain dangled from the tank, with
a decorated porcelain handle at its end.
‘Pull the chain,’ Sarah invited. ‘Pull it
hard.’
Amy did, then let go of it with a startled
squeal and took a step backwards when a rush of water was released
into the bowl.
‘A flush toilet,’ she said, plucking up her
courage to lean forward and peer in. ‘So that’s what one looks
like.’ She frowned, not quite comfortable with the idea of a
lavatory inside the house. It seemed a rather unhygienic
arrangement, though the room certainly smelt more of carbolic than
anything else. The novelty of the flush toilet appealed to Amy; it
also made her realise that she had a need of the lavatory beyond
mere curiosity.
‘Try it out properly,’ Sarah suggested when
she saw Amy’s expression. ‘I’ll call Nellie back, she can finish
your unpacking.’
She closed the door after her, and Amy
sampled the delights of the flush toilet in all its glory. The
squares of white paper fastened neatly to the wall were the final
touch of luxury; no re-used pages of the Weekly News , these,
but paper obviously intended solely for the lavatory.
Sarah was waiting in the passage, and she
led the way back to Amy’s room. ‘That’s enough surprises for your
first morning, I think. I really should leave you in peace to
freshen up.’ Her hand rested lightly on Amy’s shoulder. ‘The
trouble is,’ she murmured, ‘now that I have you here at last, I’m
reluctant to let you out of my sight.’
‘Stay if you want—I’d like you to.’
Sarah’s hand travelled up to brush Amy’s
cheek. ‘Look at those circles under your eyes! I’ve hardly taken
any notice of how tired you look. Was it dreadful on the boat?’
‘It wasn’t specially rough or anything. I’m
not very good about boats, though.’
‘Neither am I, on the steamships. I must get
that from you. Yachts are quite different, of course. I don’t
suppose you got much sleep?’
‘Not really. Not proper sleep, anyway.’
‘Would you like to have a nap before
lunch?’
Amy felt she did not want to waste a moment
of her time with Sarah, but the thought of lying down on that soft
bed was inviting. ‘I think perhaps I would. I’m not going to be
very good company if I keep yawning.’
‘Very well, I’ll just have to do without you
for a little while.’ Sarah glanced around the room. ‘Now, where
might your nightdress be?’
‘I think that girl—Nellie, is that her name?
I think she put it in the top drawer. I’ll get it, Sarah, don’t you
bother.’
Sarah retrieved the nightdress from its
drawer and placed it on the bed. ‘You must let me fuss over you,
I’m afraid I’ll insist on that. Sit down here, please.’ She
indicated the chair in front of the dressing table, and Amy did as
she asked.
‘Let me be ladies’ maid, this once at
least,’ Sarah said. She removed Amy’s veiled black hat and set it
to one side, then carefully removed the hairpins.
‘There,’ she said when Amy’s hair, released,
tumbled over her shoulders and down her back. ‘I won’t attempt to
help you undress, though. I’m not really a very good ladies’
maid.’
Sarah folded back the coverlet and made a
show of smoothing the pillows. ‘You should be quite comfortable.
Now, if you want
hasn’t been possible for you on the farm, with having to carry
water up from that well, but I hope you’ll take full advantage of
the facilities here. Please feel free to ask the maids to run a
bath for you whenever you want. Every night, if you wish.’
Despite Sarah’s careful effort not to demean
her, Amy felt chastened at the revelation that her standards of
cleanliness might be wanting. She hoped fervently that she would
not cause Sarah embarrassment by any social graces she might
lack.
She was distracted from her uncomfortable
thoughts by the next wonder revealed to her. Beside the bathroom
was a smaller room that held a large, wooden-topped porcelain bowl
with a tank suspended above it. A chain dangled from the tank, with
a decorated porcelain handle at its end.
‘Pull the chain,’ Sarah invited. ‘Pull it
hard.’
Amy did, then let go of it with a startled
squeal and took a step backwards when a rush of water was released
into the bowl.
‘A flush toilet,’ she said, plucking up her
courage to lean forward and peer in. ‘So that’s what one looks
like.’ She frowned, not quite comfortable with the idea of a
lavatory inside the house. It seemed a rather unhygienic
arrangement, though the room certainly smelt more of carbolic than
anything else. The novelty of the flush toilet appealed to Amy; it
also made her realise that she had a need of the lavatory beyond
mere curiosity.
‘Try it out properly,’ Sarah suggested when
she saw Amy’s expression. ‘I’ll call Nellie back, she can finish
your unpacking.’
She closed the door after her, and Amy
sampled the delights of the flush toilet in all its glory. The
squares of white paper fastened neatly to the wall were the final
touch of luxury; no re-used pages of the Weekly News , these,
but paper obviously intended solely for the lavatory.
Sarah was waiting in the passage, and she
led the way back to Amy’s room. ‘That’s enough surprises for your
first morning, I think. I really should leave you in peace to
freshen up.’ Her hand rested lightly on Amy’s shoulder. ‘The
trouble is,’ she murmured, ‘now that I have you here at last, I’m
reluctant to let you out of my sight.’
‘Stay if you want—I’d like you to.’
Sarah’s hand travelled up to brush Amy’s
cheek. ‘Look at those circles under your eyes! I’ve hardly taken
any notice of how tired you look. Was it dreadful on the boat?’
‘It wasn’t specially rough or anything. I’m
not very good about boats, though.’
‘Neither am I, on the steamships. I must get
that from you. Yachts are quite different, of course. I don’t
suppose you got much sleep?’
‘Not really. Not proper sleep, anyway.’
‘Would you like to have a nap before
lunch?’
Amy felt she did not want to waste a moment
of her time with Sarah, but the thought of lying down on that soft
bed was inviting. ‘I think perhaps I would. I’m not going to be
very good company if I keep yawning.’
‘Very well, I’ll just have to do without you
for a little while.’ Sarah glanced around the room. ‘Now, where
might your nightdress be?’
‘I think that girl—Nellie, is that her name?
I think she put it in the top drawer. I’ll get it, Sarah, don’t you
bother.’
Sarah retrieved the nightdress from its
drawer and placed it on the bed. ‘You must let me fuss over you,
I’m afraid I’ll insist on that. Sit down here, please.’ She
indicated the chair in front of the dressing table, and Amy did as
she asked.
‘Let me be ladies’ maid, this once at
least,’ Sarah said. She removed Amy’s veiled black hat and set it
to one side, then carefully removed the hairpins.
‘There,’ she said when Amy’s hair, released,
tumbled over her shoulders and down her back. ‘I won’t attempt to
help you undress, though. I’m not really a very good ladies’
maid.’
Sarah folded back the coverlet and made a
show of smoothing the pillows. ‘You should be quite comfortable.
Now, if you want
Similar Books
