horror. Had he not been sitting down, he feared he might have fallen. As it was, his breakfast threatened to make a reappearance. “What… what did he say? Precisely?”
Frederick looked at him, his eyebrows raised. “I don’t recall, precisely . Something about that gamekeeper of yours? Yes, that was it. I gather you’d had some trouble with him? Needed to give the man a dressing-down? At any rate, Matthew said he’d seen a whole new side of you, dealing with him.”
Philip fought a disastrous urge to laugh. A whole new side ….
Chapter 6
D ANNY went about his duties in the morning with a heavy tread. For all his determination, he’d not slept well last night. Deciding not to worry about something was like deciding the weather would stay fine. If a storm was coming over the hills, there was nowt he could do to stop it.
He was out mending one of the pheasant coops, making sure it was secure enough to keep foxes out and chicks safely in, when he heard his name hollered.
“Mr. Costessey, sir!” One of the lads from the house, it was, his face bright red from running.
“What’s the hurry, young Arthur?”
“It’s Mrs. Standish, sir. She says you’re to come and talk to her, if you’ve a minute.”
Danny frowned as he straightened. “And did Mrs. S say what I’m to talk to her about?”
“No, sir. But she said as it couldn’t wait ’til dinnertime. That’s why she sent me.”
Danny’s heart beat faster, for all he tried to tell it there was no call to suppose this had to do with last night. If he and Philip had been seen… behaving inappropriately by one of the staff, he’d not have gone to Mrs. S. He’d have gone straight to the law, or to Mr. S.
Who’d like as not have asked Mrs. S to have a quiet word, damn it all to hell.
No, he couldn’t go thinking like that. He’d mither himself half to death if he went around expecting the worst all the time. Maybe some more guests had arrived unexpected like, and she was in need of a couple of birds for the table? Seemed unlikely, though. Not much of one for guests, Philip wasn’t. Least he hadn’t been until lately. “I’ll be right along. You run back and tell her I’m on my way.”
As Arthur scurried off, Danny forced himself to follow at a more dignified pace. Running after the lad would only cause more comment. Reaching the house, he poked his head into the kitchen. Mrs. Standish stood at the table, teaching one of the maids to make pastry. “Mrs. S? What’s so urgent it can’t wait till tonight?”
The housekeeper looked up and wiped floury hands on her apron. She usually smiled when she saw Danny, but this time her face was stern. A cold weight seemed to fall into Danny’s stomach. “Would you step out into the kitchen garden for a moment with me, please? Flora,” she said to the maid, “carry on with this while I have a word with Mr. Costessey. Just rub it in as I taught you, and you’ll be fine.”
Flora bobbed her head, and Danny followed Mrs. S into the garden. Even within the shelter of its walls, the chill bit through his clothes and right down into his bones. Mrs. S looked pinched with it, wrapping her arms around her body.
Danny leaned against the wall, folding his arms. If there was trouble, he’d as soon she’d get on and tell him about it. The fear that eyes had seen him and Philip, and tongues had started to wag, curled in his belly like a viper. “From the look on your face, Mrs. S, I’m thinking this isn’t about you wanting another couple of rabbits for the table.”
“No, Danny, that it isn’t.” She gave a sigh. “Have you spoken to that brother of yours lately?”
“Toby?” Danny’s voice was louder than he meant it to be as he stepped forward in surprise—and relief. “Has he got himself into trouble?”
There was a sour look on Mrs. Standish’s face as she answered. “Not himself, no. It’s young Effie who’s the one in trouble.”
“Effie? Effie the upstairs maid?” Danny barely
Frederick looked at him, his eyebrows raised. “I don’t recall, precisely . Something about that gamekeeper of yours? Yes, that was it. I gather you’d had some trouble with him? Needed to give the man a dressing-down? At any rate, Matthew said he’d seen a whole new side of you, dealing with him.”
Philip fought a disastrous urge to laugh. A whole new side ….
Chapter 6
D ANNY went about his duties in the morning with a heavy tread. For all his determination, he’d not slept well last night. Deciding not to worry about something was like deciding the weather would stay fine. If a storm was coming over the hills, there was nowt he could do to stop it.
He was out mending one of the pheasant coops, making sure it was secure enough to keep foxes out and chicks safely in, when he heard his name hollered.
“Mr. Costessey, sir!” One of the lads from the house, it was, his face bright red from running.
“What’s the hurry, young Arthur?”
“It’s Mrs. Standish, sir. She says you’re to come and talk to her, if you’ve a minute.”
Danny frowned as he straightened. “And did Mrs. S say what I’m to talk to her about?”
“No, sir. But she said as it couldn’t wait ’til dinnertime. That’s why she sent me.”
Danny’s heart beat faster, for all he tried to tell it there was no call to suppose this had to do with last night. If he and Philip had been seen… behaving inappropriately by one of the staff, he’d not have gone to Mrs. S. He’d have gone straight to the law, or to Mr. S.
Who’d like as not have asked Mrs. S to have a quiet word, damn it all to hell.
No, he couldn’t go thinking like that. He’d mither himself half to death if he went around expecting the worst all the time. Maybe some more guests had arrived unexpected like, and she was in need of a couple of birds for the table? Seemed unlikely, though. Not much of one for guests, Philip wasn’t. Least he hadn’t been until lately. “I’ll be right along. You run back and tell her I’m on my way.”
As Arthur scurried off, Danny forced himself to follow at a more dignified pace. Running after the lad would only cause more comment. Reaching the house, he poked his head into the kitchen. Mrs. Standish stood at the table, teaching one of the maids to make pastry. “Mrs. S? What’s so urgent it can’t wait till tonight?”
The housekeeper looked up and wiped floury hands on her apron. She usually smiled when she saw Danny, but this time her face was stern. A cold weight seemed to fall into Danny’s stomach. “Would you step out into the kitchen garden for a moment with me, please? Flora,” she said to the maid, “carry on with this while I have a word with Mr. Costessey. Just rub it in as I taught you, and you’ll be fine.”
Flora bobbed her head, and Danny followed Mrs. S into the garden. Even within the shelter of its walls, the chill bit through his clothes and right down into his bones. Mrs. S looked pinched with it, wrapping her arms around her body.
Danny leaned against the wall, folding his arms. If there was trouble, he’d as soon she’d get on and tell him about it. The fear that eyes had seen him and Philip, and tongues had started to wag, curled in his belly like a viper. “From the look on your face, Mrs. S, I’m thinking this isn’t about you wanting another couple of rabbits for the table.”
“No, Danny, that it isn’t.” She gave a sigh. “Have you spoken to that brother of yours lately?”
“Toby?” Danny’s voice was louder than he meant it to be as he stepped forward in surprise—and relief. “Has he got himself into trouble?”
There was a sour look on Mrs. Standish’s face as she answered. “Not himself, no. It’s young Effie who’s the one in trouble.”
“Effie? Effie the upstairs maid?” Danny barely
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