knowing little smile.
The lessons in the schoolroom were interrupted two days later when a footman burst into the room and shouted, ‘Sir Andrew Fairchild, for the king. He’s here!’
Rose and Daisy rushed back to the west wing. Rose helped Daisy out of her clothes and into a nightgown. Daisy quickly applied a white lead cosmetic to her face. ‘I don’t think we need to worry,’ whispered Rose. He will not dare risk infection. But if he comes, play your part well.’
She shot out of the room, and hearing footsteps ascending the staircase, dived into another servant’s room and stood with her ear against the door.
She heard her father protesting, ‘I’ll never forgive myself if you catch this awful infection.’
They went on past where she was hiding. ‘In here,’ she heard her father say. ‘If you don’t mind, Sir Andrew, I’ll wait downstairs. The footman will bring you back when you’re ready.’
Rose waited until her father had left and eased out into the corridor. John, the footman, saw her and Rose held a finger to her lips for silence. They both stood listening.
They heard Daisy say in a weak voice, ‘The angels are coming for me. I hears the beating of their wings. Is that a light in the sky? Is that you, Mother?’
Oh, Lord, thought Rose bitterly. She’s overdoing it. She put a handkerchief over her face and walked past the footman and into the room. ‘There, now, dear girl,’ she said firmly. ‘You must not tire yourself by talking. Sleep now.’ She flashed a warning look at Daisy, who subsided into silence.
‘Come away, Sir Andrew,’ ordered Rose. ‘It is dangerous to be so close to the infection.’
‘Doesn’t seem to bother you, hey?’
‘It is my Christian duty to do what I can,’ said Rose firmly. ‘Your arm, sir.’
He reluctantly held out his arm and Rose took it, urging him back along the corridor.
A week later, the earl was informed by telegram that the king would be visiting him in a month’s time. ‘I’ll send that wretched girl packing. It’s her fault the trick didn’t work,’ raged the earl, erupting into the schoolroom.
‘A word with you outside, Pa, if you please.’
Father and daughter walked outside and down the corridor a little way. ‘Pa,’ said Rose firmly, ‘I do not wish Daisy to leave until I have taught her how to read and write.’
‘Stuff and nonsense. Didn’t do you much good, did it?’
‘I beg you to let her stay. I have nothing else to occupy my time. Unless, of course, I do some work for the suffragette movement.’
‘Don’t you dare!’ yelled the earl. ‘Oh, keep your latest toy. I’m wiring Cathcart.’
CHAPTER FOUR
As a rule, the men-servants in large houses expect gold. These gratuities are really a great tax on people’s purses; and the question whether to accept an invitation is often decided in the negative by the thought of the expenses entailed, not by railway tickets and cabs, but by the men and the maids.
Lady Colin Campbell, Etiquette of Good Society (1911)
‘I wonder why our king got suspicious,’ said Harry to his manservant after reading the earl’s telegram.
‘Perhaps one of his servants talked.’
‘He assured me they were all very loyal.’
‘A royal visit would mean a great deal of money in tips for the servants, not to mention the prestige of having served His Majesty. They may have felt balked and bitter that such a visit was cancelled.’
‘We’d better deal with it, anyway. Know anything about dynamite, Becket?’
‘Nothing, sir.’
‘Where would I find out?’
‘I read somewhere, sir, that they were blasting a new railway tunnel on the underground railway at Liverpool Street Station. Perhaps one of the workers there might be able to supply you with some dynamite and instructions as to how to use it, if discreetly bribed.’
‘Good man, Becket.’
Harry, disguised in clothes purchased at a second-hand clothes store, made his way late in the afternoon to Liverpool Street
The lessons in the schoolroom were interrupted two days later when a footman burst into the room and shouted, ‘Sir Andrew Fairchild, for the king. He’s here!’
Rose and Daisy rushed back to the west wing. Rose helped Daisy out of her clothes and into a nightgown. Daisy quickly applied a white lead cosmetic to her face. ‘I don’t think we need to worry,’ whispered Rose. He will not dare risk infection. But if he comes, play your part well.’
She shot out of the room, and hearing footsteps ascending the staircase, dived into another servant’s room and stood with her ear against the door.
She heard her father protesting, ‘I’ll never forgive myself if you catch this awful infection.’
They went on past where she was hiding. ‘In here,’ she heard her father say. ‘If you don’t mind, Sir Andrew, I’ll wait downstairs. The footman will bring you back when you’re ready.’
Rose waited until her father had left and eased out into the corridor. John, the footman, saw her and Rose held a finger to her lips for silence. They both stood listening.
They heard Daisy say in a weak voice, ‘The angels are coming for me. I hears the beating of their wings. Is that a light in the sky? Is that you, Mother?’
Oh, Lord, thought Rose bitterly. She’s overdoing it. She put a handkerchief over her face and walked past the footman and into the room. ‘There, now, dear girl,’ she said firmly. ‘You must not tire yourself by talking. Sleep now.’ She flashed a warning look at Daisy, who subsided into silence.
‘Come away, Sir Andrew,’ ordered Rose. ‘It is dangerous to be so close to the infection.’
‘Doesn’t seem to bother you, hey?’
‘It is my Christian duty to do what I can,’ said Rose firmly. ‘Your arm, sir.’
He reluctantly held out his arm and Rose took it, urging him back along the corridor.
A week later, the earl was informed by telegram that the king would be visiting him in a month’s time. ‘I’ll send that wretched girl packing. It’s her fault the trick didn’t work,’ raged the earl, erupting into the schoolroom.
‘A word with you outside, Pa, if you please.’
Father and daughter walked outside and down the corridor a little way. ‘Pa,’ said Rose firmly, ‘I do not wish Daisy to leave until I have taught her how to read and write.’
‘Stuff and nonsense. Didn’t do you much good, did it?’
‘I beg you to let her stay. I have nothing else to occupy my time. Unless, of course, I do some work for the suffragette movement.’
‘Don’t you dare!’ yelled the earl. ‘Oh, keep your latest toy. I’m wiring Cathcart.’
CHAPTER FOUR
As a rule, the men-servants in large houses expect gold. These gratuities are really a great tax on people’s purses; and the question whether to accept an invitation is often decided in the negative by the thought of the expenses entailed, not by railway tickets and cabs, but by the men and the maids.
Lady Colin Campbell, Etiquette of Good Society (1911)
‘I wonder why our king got suspicious,’ said Harry to his manservant after reading the earl’s telegram.
‘Perhaps one of his servants talked.’
‘He assured me they were all very loyal.’
‘A royal visit would mean a great deal of money in tips for the servants, not to mention the prestige of having served His Majesty. They may have felt balked and bitter that such a visit was cancelled.’
‘We’d better deal with it, anyway. Know anything about dynamite, Becket?’
‘Nothing, sir.’
‘Where would I find out?’
‘I read somewhere, sir, that they were blasting a new railway tunnel on the underground railway at Liverpool Street Station. Perhaps one of the workers there might be able to supply you with some dynamite and instructions as to how to use it, if discreetly bribed.’
‘Good man, Becket.’
Harry, disguised in clothes purchased at a second-hand clothes store, made his way late in the afternoon to Liverpool Street
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