The New Moon with the Old by Dodie Smith Page A

always in a draught,’ said Drew, sotto voce , as Cook, Edith and Burly proceeded to the kitchen. ‘They’re being absolute heroines, Clare. They swear they won’t take a penny of their wages and they’re full of plans for keeping the old home going but I promised not to tell you.’
    Merry collected the newspapers. ‘They’ll want to see Father’s name in these.’
    â€˜They will indeed,’ said Drew. ‘But what they want most is to hear him mentioned on television again. Well, they’ve done me a power of good. I was feeling a mite embarrassed about our situation but now I see disgrace is swallowed up by drama – and not only for Cook and Edith. You never saw such bright smiles as we drove through the village. People practically blew kisses.’
    â€˜How kind of them,’ said Clare. ‘Especially considering we’ve never been popular.’
    â€˜Ah, but our stock’s gone up now. I don’t deny the kindness but I think it’s combined with enjoyment – nice to know someone whose name’s in the news, for whatever reason. Well, we must learn to bask in reflected publicity.’
    Merry returned from the kitchen to say that Cook and Edith were hurrying on a marvellous lunch, to include pancakes.
    â€˜Like Shrove Tuesday, before Lent starts,’ said Drew.
    After lunch, the maids announced that they wished to go out for an hour or so. No, they did not want to be driven anywhere. And they would be back in time to get tea. Jane noted that they now wore unrelieved black.
    â€˜Those are the outfits they wear for funerals,’ said Drew, watching them walk down the drive. ‘Even Burly’s wearing his old black collar.’
    â€˜Perhaps they’re in mourning for Father’s reputation,’ said Merry. She then went off to see her friend Betty, who had telephoned most sympathetically.
    â€˜It may be unfeeling of me but I’m going to watch television,’ said Clare.
    â€˜If the telephone will let you,’ said Drew, who had already declined three telephoned invitations to tea.
    Jane, arranging the flowers she had brought in the previous day, found herself depressed. She still felt emotional aboutRupert, but exhilaration seemed to have gone off duty. She had intended the flowers for the music room, but now disliked the thought of revisiting it, so she took them to the hall. Being with Drew and Glare cheered her, until she reminded herself that only for a few weeks could she stay at Dome House. Eventually she must lose Rupert’s children as well as Rupert.
    Soon after four, Cook and Edith returned to say they had got work at the Swan, where the manager had welcomed them with open arms.
    â€˜Ever so pleased he was that we’d given him the first refusal of us,’ said Cook. ‘We’re going five days a week, starting Monday. We’ll get our lunch free, and Burly will too; we bargained for that. We’re to be paid by the hour – my word, that’s the way to coin money. And we’ll be home in plenty of time to give you dinner. Of course we’ll pay for our share of the food and we’ll rent our room from you.’
    â€˜But darlings, we couldn’t let you pay us,’ Clare protested. ‘You’ll be working for us.’
    â€˜Oh, no, we won’t,’ said Edith, firmly. ‘We’ll be working at the Swan. You’ll let us cook our dinner in your kitchen and it’ll be no trouble to cook enough for you. And if we want to clean the house a bit at weekends, that’s our affair.’
    â€˜And it’s no use arguing,’ said Cook. ‘Because we couldn’t face your grandmother in heaven if we walked out on you now.’
    â€˜We wouldn’t even get to heaven,’ said Edith.
    A discussion then began as to how much they would pay for their room but Jane listened with only half an ear. It had delightfully dawned on her that she, too,