never get another one with a housekeeper like Aggie, who made sure she didn’t go home any day empty-handed. ‘She can be a right snotty bugger at times.’
‘I don’t think she will be today, somehow.’ The housekeeper nodded her head knowingly. ‘Yer see, sunshine, yer didn’t half miss a treat last night. Yer wouldn’t believe the shenanigans what went on. If it hadn’t been for Mr Robert persuading me to stay I’d have been out of that bleedin’ door with me coat on.’
‘Go ’way!’ Kitty’s eyes widened. ‘What happened, queen?’
‘Wait till I make a couple of rounds of toast and a pot of tea, then I can rest me feet while we’re having a natter.’ Agnes was nothing if not efficient. Within minutes they were sitting down with a large plate of golden-brown toast on the table and two cups of piping hot tea. But she could see Kitty’s eyes going to the door that led into the hall, and knew she was afraid of being caught out. ‘Don’t worry, sunshine. Mrs Dennison hasn’t stirred yet, nor have Miss Victoria or Mr Nigel. We’re all right for ten minutes. Mr Robert was out early because he’s got something on in Chester today, and Miss Abbie left just before you came.’
Kitty reached for a round of toast, and when she took a bite the butter oozed out and ran down her chin. Oh, what luxury, she thought. Some people don’t know they’re born, being able to have butter spread so liberally. ‘Tell us what happened, queen.’
‘Well, yer might know it was Miss Victoria what started it.’ The housekeeper related the incident from the very beginning. ‘I only asked Miss Abbie if someone had been having a go at her, and that’s when the sparks began to fly.’ Before adopting the posh voice and haughty pose of Victoria, she said, ‘Get a load of this. “I really don’t think it’s any of your concern. How dare you interfere in what is a private family matter. Now please remove these plates and bring in the dinner. I have a visitor coming soon.” Well, I wasn’t going to be spoken to like that by no one, so I told her to remove the bleedin’ plates herself!’
Kitty gasped. ‘Yer didn’t, did yer?’
‘I said a lot more, sunshine, like telling them to get their own bleedin’ dinner ’cos I was off to pack me bags as I’d had a bellyful of them.’
‘Ooh, wouldn’t I love to have been there to hear that! She’s a snooty cow, that Miss Victoria, and it’s been on the tip of me tongue many times to tell her to sod off. But I can’t afford to lose me job, so I have to keep me gob shut and take everything she wants to throw at me.’ Kitty helped herself to another piece of toast. ‘What happened then, queen?’
‘Miss Edwina begged me to stay, saying her daughter didn’t really mean what she said. But the bold one sat there without saying a word, posing like a flipping mannequin. So I said no, I was leaving. Miss Abbie was crying and said she was going to fetch her father, and when she opened the door, there he was standing there. He’d heard every word and he made Miss Victoria apologise, then took me through to his study and gave me a glass of whisky. He said he was ashamed of his daughter, and if I left, him and Miss Abbie would follow me.’ Agnes leaned her elbows on the table and grinned. ‘And how about this, sunshine? He ordered his wife to see to the family’s dinner, and while she was at it she could bring two plates through to the study. One for him and the other for yours truly.’
‘Well, I declare! Put the bleedin’ flags out and declare it a national holiday.’
‘That’s not all. He gave me the night off and the family had to wash their own dishes. So I went next door and spent a couple of hours with Tilly. And to round the day off, she had six bottles of milk stout stashed away in the scullery and we ended up in a very happy frame of mind.’
‘You jammy bugger!’ The smile suddenly dropped from Kitty’s face. ‘Yer’d better watch out for that
‘I don’t think she will be today, somehow.’ The housekeeper nodded her head knowingly. ‘Yer see, sunshine, yer didn’t half miss a treat last night. Yer wouldn’t believe the shenanigans what went on. If it hadn’t been for Mr Robert persuading me to stay I’d have been out of that bleedin’ door with me coat on.’
‘Go ’way!’ Kitty’s eyes widened. ‘What happened, queen?’
‘Wait till I make a couple of rounds of toast and a pot of tea, then I can rest me feet while we’re having a natter.’ Agnes was nothing if not efficient. Within minutes they were sitting down with a large plate of golden-brown toast on the table and two cups of piping hot tea. But she could see Kitty’s eyes going to the door that led into the hall, and knew she was afraid of being caught out. ‘Don’t worry, sunshine. Mrs Dennison hasn’t stirred yet, nor have Miss Victoria or Mr Nigel. We’re all right for ten minutes. Mr Robert was out early because he’s got something on in Chester today, and Miss Abbie left just before you came.’
Kitty reached for a round of toast, and when she took a bite the butter oozed out and ran down her chin. Oh, what luxury, she thought. Some people don’t know they’re born, being able to have butter spread so liberally. ‘Tell us what happened, queen.’
‘Well, yer might know it was Miss Victoria what started it.’ The housekeeper related the incident from the very beginning. ‘I only asked Miss Abbie if someone had been having a go at her, and that’s when the sparks began to fly.’ Before adopting the posh voice and haughty pose of Victoria, she said, ‘Get a load of this. “I really don’t think it’s any of your concern. How dare you interfere in what is a private family matter. Now please remove these plates and bring in the dinner. I have a visitor coming soon.” Well, I wasn’t going to be spoken to like that by no one, so I told her to remove the bleedin’ plates herself!’
Kitty gasped. ‘Yer didn’t, did yer?’
‘I said a lot more, sunshine, like telling them to get their own bleedin’ dinner ’cos I was off to pack me bags as I’d had a bellyful of them.’
‘Ooh, wouldn’t I love to have been there to hear that! She’s a snooty cow, that Miss Victoria, and it’s been on the tip of me tongue many times to tell her to sod off. But I can’t afford to lose me job, so I have to keep me gob shut and take everything she wants to throw at me.’ Kitty helped herself to another piece of toast. ‘What happened then, queen?’
‘Miss Edwina begged me to stay, saying her daughter didn’t really mean what she said. But the bold one sat there without saying a word, posing like a flipping mannequin. So I said no, I was leaving. Miss Abbie was crying and said she was going to fetch her father, and when she opened the door, there he was standing there. He’d heard every word and he made Miss Victoria apologise, then took me through to his study and gave me a glass of whisky. He said he was ashamed of his daughter, and if I left, him and Miss Abbie would follow me.’ Agnes leaned her elbows on the table and grinned. ‘And how about this, sunshine? He ordered his wife to see to the family’s dinner, and while she was at it she could bring two plates through to the study. One for him and the other for yours truly.’
‘Well, I declare! Put the bleedin’ flags out and declare it a national holiday.’
‘That’s not all. He gave me the night off and the family had to wash their own dishes. So I went next door and spent a couple of hours with Tilly. And to round the day off, she had six bottles of milk stout stashed away in the scullery and we ended up in a very happy frame of mind.’
‘You jammy bugger!’ The smile suddenly dropped from Kitty’s face. ‘Yer’d better watch out for that
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