wrong.
One day, another rainy day, Jessica pleaded a headache in order to escape from the schoolroom. Miss Trumble let her go reluctantly. She did not believe Jessica had a headache but could think of no good reason to detain her.
Despite her mother’s orders not to speak to the servants, Jessica was suddenly determined to seek out Barry and find out what was going on over at Mannerling. At the same time, she dreaded hearing that Harry had left to rejoin his regiment.
She slipped quietly into her bedroom and put a calash over her hair, pattens over her thin shoes, and a cloak around her shoulders, and then went out into the garden. At first she could not find Barry but then she heard sounds of activity coming from the garden shed. She pushed open the door and went in. Barry was sitting on a box in the corner, sharpening a scythe. He stood up when he saw Jessica.
‘Good day,’ said Jessica awkwardly.
‘May I be of service to you, miss?’
‘I . . . I have never been in here before,’ said Jessica, looking around vaguely in the darkness of the shed at various implements and flowerpots. ‘How interesting.’
Barry merely continued to look inquiringly at her.
Jessica drew forward another box and sat down with a little sigh. ‘You may continue your work, Barry.’
Barry sat down obediently, picked up the stone, and recommenced sharpening the scythe with long, easy strokes.
‘I wonder how they are getting on at Mannerling,’ said Jessica after some moments had passed. ‘Do you know if they are still in residence, Barry?’
He put down the stone and propped the scythe against the wall. ‘Yes, so I hear, Miss Jessica.’
‘So Mr Harry has not yet rejoined his regiment?’
‘No, miss. They had a big party for him the other day. Some of his army friends had come over. They had planned to have a fête in the gardens, but because of the bad weather it had to be held in the house.’
‘How odd that we were not invited,’ said Jessica. ‘But surely an oversight. Are you sure of this?’
‘Yes, the vicar was talking about it the other day. He and his daughter, Mrs Judd, were among the guests.’
Jessica coloured with mortification. ‘Mrs Devers cannot be as high in the instep as she pretends to be if that sorry couple were invited.
‘As you know, Mrs Judd does have encroaching ways.’
I should not be talking like this with a servant, thought Jessica, but I must know more.
She tried to introduce a light, indifferent note into her voice as she asked, ‘Is Mr Harry being pursued by all the ladies of the county?’
Barry did not want to tell her, but surely Miss Trumble, say, would point out that it was only for the girl’s good. She had to know sometime.
‘I think they have all given up hope,’ he said, not looking at her.
‘And why is that?’
‘They do say he has set his cap at Miss Habard.’
‘The heiress,’ said Jessica, half to herself. ‘The rich Miss Habard.’
‘The same.’
Jessica tried to rally. ‘How people will gossip. It is probably a mere flirtation.’
‘Report has it that they are much taken with each other.’
‘Report, report,’ jeered Jessica. ‘The vicar’s daughter again?’
‘No, miss, it was Mrs Devers herself.’
‘Now I know you are hamming me! Mrs Devers talk to
you
!’
‘No, of course not. I overheard her in the town, in Hedgefield. She was with that Mr Sommerville, and she was telling him loudly about it and saying for all to hear that it was a suitable match.’
‘It is cold here,’ said Jessica with a little shiver. ‘Good day to you, Barry.’
He watched her go sadly and then picked up the stone again and began to sharpen the blade of the scythe, this time with savage strokes.
Miss Trumble looked up in surprise when Jessica re-entered the schoolroom. ‘Why, Jessica,’ she said, ‘you do look rather pale. I thought you would lie down until your headache passed.’
‘I think I will feel better if I resume my studies,’ said
One day, another rainy day, Jessica pleaded a headache in order to escape from the schoolroom. Miss Trumble let her go reluctantly. She did not believe Jessica had a headache but could think of no good reason to detain her.
Despite her mother’s orders not to speak to the servants, Jessica was suddenly determined to seek out Barry and find out what was going on over at Mannerling. At the same time, she dreaded hearing that Harry had left to rejoin his regiment.
She slipped quietly into her bedroom and put a calash over her hair, pattens over her thin shoes, and a cloak around her shoulders, and then went out into the garden. At first she could not find Barry but then she heard sounds of activity coming from the garden shed. She pushed open the door and went in. Barry was sitting on a box in the corner, sharpening a scythe. He stood up when he saw Jessica.
‘Good day,’ said Jessica awkwardly.
‘May I be of service to you, miss?’
‘I . . . I have never been in here before,’ said Jessica, looking around vaguely in the darkness of the shed at various implements and flowerpots. ‘How interesting.’
Barry merely continued to look inquiringly at her.
Jessica drew forward another box and sat down with a little sigh. ‘You may continue your work, Barry.’
Barry sat down obediently, picked up the stone, and recommenced sharpening the scythe with long, easy strokes.
‘I wonder how they are getting on at Mannerling,’ said Jessica after some moments had passed. ‘Do you know if they are still in residence, Barry?’
He put down the stone and propped the scythe against the wall. ‘Yes, so I hear, Miss Jessica.’
‘So Mr Harry has not yet rejoined his regiment?’
‘No, miss. They had a big party for him the other day. Some of his army friends had come over. They had planned to have a fête in the gardens, but because of the bad weather it had to be held in the house.’
‘How odd that we were not invited,’ said Jessica. ‘But surely an oversight. Are you sure of this?’
‘Yes, the vicar was talking about it the other day. He and his daughter, Mrs Judd, were among the guests.’
Jessica coloured with mortification. ‘Mrs Devers cannot be as high in the instep as she pretends to be if that sorry couple were invited.
‘As you know, Mrs Judd does have encroaching ways.’
I should not be talking like this with a servant, thought Jessica, but I must know more.
She tried to introduce a light, indifferent note into her voice as she asked, ‘Is Mr Harry being pursued by all the ladies of the county?’
Barry did not want to tell her, but surely Miss Trumble, say, would point out that it was only for the girl’s good. She had to know sometime.
‘I think they have all given up hope,’ he said, not looking at her.
‘And why is that?’
‘They do say he has set his cap at Miss Habard.’
‘The heiress,’ said Jessica, half to herself. ‘The rich Miss Habard.’
‘The same.’
Jessica tried to rally. ‘How people will gossip. It is probably a mere flirtation.’
‘Report has it that they are much taken with each other.’
‘Report, report,’ jeered Jessica. ‘The vicar’s daughter again?’
‘No, miss, it was Mrs Devers herself.’
‘Now I know you are hamming me! Mrs Devers talk to
you
!’
‘No, of course not. I overheard her in the town, in Hedgefield. She was with that Mr Sommerville, and she was telling him loudly about it and saying for all to hear that it was a suitable match.’
‘It is cold here,’ said Jessica with a little shiver. ‘Good day to you, Barry.’
He watched her go sadly and then picked up the stone again and began to sharpen the blade of the scythe, this time with savage strokes.
Miss Trumble looked up in surprise when Jessica re-entered the schoolroom. ‘Why, Jessica,’ she said, ‘you do look rather pale. I thought you would lie down until your headache passed.’
‘I think I will feel better if I resume my studies,’ said
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