away at the moment, Oliver in India and Charles at university.’ She opened the door to the smaller room. ‘This will be where you live, Beatrice.’
There was just enough space in this room for a single wooden bed with a blue patchwork quilt, while under the window stood a pine table with a jug and a basin on it, for washing. The only other furniture was a small bow-fronted wardrobe, with two drawers underneath. There wasn’t even a chair.
On the wall beside the bed hung a framed engraving of a bearded man in a long blue cloak. ‘St Philip,’ said cousin Sarah. ‘A great worker of miracles. Did you know that he was crucified upside down? But he still kept on preaching, even as he hung there.’
At that moment, Jeremy came up the stairs, lugging Beatrice’s trunk. It bumped loudly on every tread and cousin Sarah hissed, ‘ Ssshh ! We don’t want your father to have one of his fits.’
Jeremy said, ‘He’s asleep, mother. I looked in on him.’
‘All the same, I don’t want you waking him up. At the moment I have quite enough to cope with.’
Jeremy left the trunk on the landing and went back downstairs, deliberately whistling as he went.
‘That boy,’ said cousin Sarah. ‘He’ll be the death of me one day.’ She looked around the room. ‘I’ll leave you to unpack, then. Once you’ve done that, come down to the kitchen and help Elizabeth. We have seven for dinner tonight, from the parish council, and she always gets herself into such a panic when she has to cook for more than four.’
She went to the door, but then she stopped and said, ‘Before I forget... the proceeds.’
Beatrice frowned at her. ‘What proceeds?’
‘The proceeds from the sale of your father’s business. Felicity told me that you realized quite a reasonable sum. Two hundred and forty-three guineas, I believe, after your lawyers and auctioneers had both been paid.’
‘Yes,’ said Beatrice.
‘You brought the money with you, I assume?’
‘Yes. Aunt Felicity said that you would have a strongbox to keep it safe.’
‘Well, yes, because I will depend on it to pay for your board and lodging, not to mention your clothing and any other incidental expenses that may arise in the coming years.’
‘I’ll bring it down for you, cousin Sarah, so soon as I’ve changed.’
Cousin Sarah gave her a ferrety smile. ‘Don’t be too long, then. And put on something plain, with an apron. I don’t care for frivolous dress in this house, and besides, you have work to do.’
Before she left she took the key out of the door and held it up. ‘In case of fire,’ she said, and dropped it into her pocket. ‘Wouldn’t want to have you locked in here, would we, with your bed ablaze, and us unable to get in to save you?’
*
That evening, after she had bid goodnight to the last of her dinner guests, cousin Sarah came downstairs into the kitchen. She was wearing a plain blue satin round gown and her hair was tightly braided.
In the scullery, Beatrice and Agnes, the housemaid, were already starting to wash the plates and cutlery, while Elizabeth, the cook, was sitting at the table, scouring her pots as if she had a grudge against them.
Agnes, when she had returned from shopping that afternoon, had turned out to be a small, busy girl with a large bosom and a protruding bottom and a round face with a button nose and two of her front teeth missing. She got on with her work without any fuss, and spoke in a very matter-of-fact way, but her Birmingham accent was so thick that Beatrice had difficulty understanding what she was talking about.
‘Burt-triss, joos bring me the plights from the tie-bull, would you?’ she asked, as she tipped an enamel jug of hot water into the sink.
Cousin Sarah stood watching them for a while and then she said, ‘I’m retiring now. I will see you in the morning, Beatrice – I hope you sleep well. Agnes – my tea at half-past six, please. I have much to do tomorrow. Elizabeth, the caper sauce was very
There was just enough space in this room for a single wooden bed with a blue patchwork quilt, while under the window stood a pine table with a jug and a basin on it, for washing. The only other furniture was a small bow-fronted wardrobe, with two drawers underneath. There wasn’t even a chair.
On the wall beside the bed hung a framed engraving of a bearded man in a long blue cloak. ‘St Philip,’ said cousin Sarah. ‘A great worker of miracles. Did you know that he was crucified upside down? But he still kept on preaching, even as he hung there.’
At that moment, Jeremy came up the stairs, lugging Beatrice’s trunk. It bumped loudly on every tread and cousin Sarah hissed, ‘ Ssshh ! We don’t want your father to have one of his fits.’
Jeremy said, ‘He’s asleep, mother. I looked in on him.’
‘All the same, I don’t want you waking him up. At the moment I have quite enough to cope with.’
Jeremy left the trunk on the landing and went back downstairs, deliberately whistling as he went.
‘That boy,’ said cousin Sarah. ‘He’ll be the death of me one day.’ She looked around the room. ‘I’ll leave you to unpack, then. Once you’ve done that, come down to the kitchen and help Elizabeth. We have seven for dinner tonight, from the parish council, and she always gets herself into such a panic when she has to cook for more than four.’
She went to the door, but then she stopped and said, ‘Before I forget... the proceeds.’
Beatrice frowned at her. ‘What proceeds?’
‘The proceeds from the sale of your father’s business. Felicity told me that you realized quite a reasonable sum. Two hundred and forty-three guineas, I believe, after your lawyers and auctioneers had both been paid.’
‘Yes,’ said Beatrice.
‘You brought the money with you, I assume?’
‘Yes. Aunt Felicity said that you would have a strongbox to keep it safe.’
‘Well, yes, because I will depend on it to pay for your board and lodging, not to mention your clothing and any other incidental expenses that may arise in the coming years.’
‘I’ll bring it down for you, cousin Sarah, so soon as I’ve changed.’
Cousin Sarah gave her a ferrety smile. ‘Don’t be too long, then. And put on something plain, with an apron. I don’t care for frivolous dress in this house, and besides, you have work to do.’
Before she left she took the key out of the door and held it up. ‘In case of fire,’ she said, and dropped it into her pocket. ‘Wouldn’t want to have you locked in here, would we, with your bed ablaze, and us unable to get in to save you?’
*
That evening, after she had bid goodnight to the last of her dinner guests, cousin Sarah came downstairs into the kitchen. She was wearing a plain blue satin round gown and her hair was tightly braided.
In the scullery, Beatrice and Agnes, the housemaid, were already starting to wash the plates and cutlery, while Elizabeth, the cook, was sitting at the table, scouring her pots as if she had a grudge against them.
Agnes, when she had returned from shopping that afternoon, had turned out to be a small, busy girl with a large bosom and a protruding bottom and a round face with a button nose and two of her front teeth missing. She got on with her work without any fuss, and spoke in a very matter-of-fact way, but her Birmingham accent was so thick that Beatrice had difficulty understanding what she was talking about.
‘Burt-triss, joos bring me the plights from the tie-bull, would you?’ she asked, as she tipped an enamel jug of hot water into the sink.
Cousin Sarah stood watching them for a while and then she said, ‘I’m retiring now. I will see you in the morning, Beatrice – I hope you sleep well. Agnes – my tea at half-past six, please. I have much to do tomorrow. Elizabeth, the caper sauce was very
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