on-off-on-off just for the fun of it and washed my hands until the skin went pink. Then the pots started coming from the kitchen. I got to work as best I could. All the soaking and scrubbing quickly turned my hands raw and wrinkly like newborn mice. The hot water made me sweat and my hair kept escaping from under the cap. Bending over the sink made my back ache too. After an hour or more of it, I’d really had enough.
I was mighty glad to see Cook again, especially since she’d brought me a cup of tea and a pastry.
‘Get this down you,’ she said, noticing the scrubbed draining board and racks full of drying pots. ‘Haven’t you done well here?’
I gulped the tea and stuffed the pastry into my mouth. I was famished, and tired too. How could anyone scrub pots all day and not fall down dead in a heap?
I handed back the cap and apron.
‘If you’re lucky, you might need these again,’ said Cook.
I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but I began to wonder what I’d discover about Kit stuck in here all day with my nose in a pot.
‘This position what’s going,’ I said. ‘Is it only working in the kitchens?’
‘Not as such. It’s for a proper housemaid. It’d be a smashing job for a girl like you.’
‘Good,’ I said, relieved.
‘But things is topsy-turvy here. We’re so short-staffed, you’ll have to try your hand at all sorts.’
It was better than nothing, so I put on my best smile. ‘I’d do anything to work here, really I would.’
‘I can see that. Now get yourself off home.’
I was half out the back door when she called, ‘So where was it Jake caught you then? Go on, tell us.’
She’d been kind enough to me. It couldn’t hurt to say.
‘The Barringtons’ graveyard. Looking at the stone angel,’ I said.
Her face went pale. ‘Oh no! Not Master Kit’s grave? What on earth was you doing up there ?’
The way she said it made me go cold. I’d have done better keeping my mouth shut.
11
Gone
I’d no intention of waiting for that rat Will Potter. It was almost dark by now, and though the snow had stopped falling, the sky was clear, making the cold seem sharper than before. I went up the drive with a heavy heart, sure I’d blown my chances of a job at the Hall. Who in their right minds would hire a sneak like me? I was absolutely useless.
Nearing home, I saw a huddle of people on our front step. The door was open, casting a pale light over them. They were too many all at once to be ordinary visitors paying a call. One by one, they turned to watch me coming up the lane, their faces so grim that a sense of dread came over me, and I began to feel sick and ill.
Something was very wrong.
I walked slowly towards them, fearing what they might tell me. One of them was our neighbour Ruby, jiggling her squawking baby on her hip, and talking quickly in a low voice. She hadn’t yet seen me.
I stopped at our gate. ‘Ruby? What is it?’
‘Tilly! You’re here!’ she cried and rushed towards me, seizing my arm. ‘Thank goodness!’
‘What is it? What’s happened?’
People stepped aside to let me through and I felt a hand on my back, pushing me into the house. Ruby closed the door behind us.
‘Be gentle with your ma. She’s had an awful shock,’ Ruby said.
My stomach lurched.
Someone’s died. Pa. Is it Pa?
I reached out to steady myself.
He’s dead. That’s why he hasn’t come home.
I stumbled into the room like a blind thing.
‘Ma?’ My voice shook.
A little grey shape sat huddled on the chair.
‘Ma?’
She turned her head just a bit, like she wasn’t sure who was speaking. Her face was whiter than the wall behind her.
‘What’s going on?’ I rushed to her side. ‘Ma? Please! Speak to me!’
She looked right through me, then turned away.
‘We thought you’d both gone after him,’ said Ruby. ‘You and Eliza.’
Every part of me turned cold.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Your father. He was seen boarding the Bristol coach this afternoon. Eliza was
I was mighty glad to see Cook again, especially since she’d brought me a cup of tea and a pastry.
‘Get this down you,’ she said, noticing the scrubbed draining board and racks full of drying pots. ‘Haven’t you done well here?’
I gulped the tea and stuffed the pastry into my mouth. I was famished, and tired too. How could anyone scrub pots all day and not fall down dead in a heap?
I handed back the cap and apron.
‘If you’re lucky, you might need these again,’ said Cook.
I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but I began to wonder what I’d discover about Kit stuck in here all day with my nose in a pot.
‘This position what’s going,’ I said. ‘Is it only working in the kitchens?’
‘Not as such. It’s for a proper housemaid. It’d be a smashing job for a girl like you.’
‘Good,’ I said, relieved.
‘But things is topsy-turvy here. We’re so short-staffed, you’ll have to try your hand at all sorts.’
It was better than nothing, so I put on my best smile. ‘I’d do anything to work here, really I would.’
‘I can see that. Now get yourself off home.’
I was half out the back door when she called, ‘So where was it Jake caught you then? Go on, tell us.’
She’d been kind enough to me. It couldn’t hurt to say.
‘The Barringtons’ graveyard. Looking at the stone angel,’ I said.
Her face went pale. ‘Oh no! Not Master Kit’s grave? What on earth was you doing up there ?’
The way she said it made me go cold. I’d have done better keeping my mouth shut.
11
Gone
I’d no intention of waiting for that rat Will Potter. It was almost dark by now, and though the snow had stopped falling, the sky was clear, making the cold seem sharper than before. I went up the drive with a heavy heart, sure I’d blown my chances of a job at the Hall. Who in their right minds would hire a sneak like me? I was absolutely useless.
Nearing home, I saw a huddle of people on our front step. The door was open, casting a pale light over them. They were too many all at once to be ordinary visitors paying a call. One by one, they turned to watch me coming up the lane, their faces so grim that a sense of dread came over me, and I began to feel sick and ill.
Something was very wrong.
I walked slowly towards them, fearing what they might tell me. One of them was our neighbour Ruby, jiggling her squawking baby on her hip, and talking quickly in a low voice. She hadn’t yet seen me.
I stopped at our gate. ‘Ruby? What is it?’
‘Tilly! You’re here!’ she cried and rushed towards me, seizing my arm. ‘Thank goodness!’
‘What is it? What’s happened?’
People stepped aside to let me through and I felt a hand on my back, pushing me into the house. Ruby closed the door behind us.
‘Be gentle with your ma. She’s had an awful shock,’ Ruby said.
My stomach lurched.
Someone’s died. Pa. Is it Pa?
I reached out to steady myself.
He’s dead. That’s why he hasn’t come home.
I stumbled into the room like a blind thing.
‘Ma?’ My voice shook.
A little grey shape sat huddled on the chair.
‘Ma?’
She turned her head just a bit, like she wasn’t sure who was speaking. Her face was whiter than the wall behind her.
‘What’s going on?’ I rushed to her side. ‘Ma? Please! Speak to me!’
She looked right through me, then turned away.
‘We thought you’d both gone after him,’ said Ruby. ‘You and Eliza.’
Every part of me turned cold.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Your father. He was seen boarding the Bristol coach this afternoon. Eliza was
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