before Mrs Bodney swept into the room, the full skirts of her long black dress
swishing around her ankles.
‘Right, ladies, time to call it a
day,’ she announced and there was a collective sigh of relief and much
scraping of stools as they reached for the sheeting to cover their work. As Lily
hurried to the door with the others, Mrs Bodney called her back.
‘Lily, I’d like a word
before you go, please.’ Although her employer spoke mildly, Lily’s heart
flopped.
‘She’s found you out,’
Cora smirked, her eyes sparkling, as she strutted outside.
Slowly, Lily retraced her steps and
Mary, looking worried, came to stand by her.
However, Mrs Bodney waved her away,
saying, ‘No, you can go home, Mary. It’s Lily I wish to see.’
Mary glanced at Lily. ‘Better do
as she says,’ she whispered, but as the woman scuttled away, Lily’s
heart was beating furiously. Cora was right. Somehow her employer must have found
out she’d swapped pillows with Mary.
‘Right, Lily,’ Mrs Bodney
said, firmly shutting the door. ‘Tell me how this afternoon’s lace
making has progressed, if you please.’
‘Everyone worked hard, Mrs
Bodney,’ she said, striving to keep the tremor from her voice.
‘There have been
no problems then?’ The other woman shot her a penetrating look. Lily shook her
head and Mrs Bodney arched an eyebrow.
‘Well, in that case, let’s
see what has been achieved,’ she said, walking over to the first pillow and
lifting the cloth. As she went around the room inspecting all their work, Lily held
her breath. By the time she reached Mary’s pillow, Lily’s heart was
thumping so loudly she was sure her employer must hear it.
‘Hmm,’ Mrs Bodney said,
before moving on to Lily’s pillow. A few moments later, she turned to Lily,
frowning. ‘Whilst you were having your noon break I checked your lace and was
impressed with the progress you’d made. I have to confess, I’m surprised
you haven’t produced more this afternoon.’ Mrs Bodney’s eyes bored
into hers and Lily almost wilted under the woman’s scrutiny. ‘Of course,
had you been helping somebody else, that would explain why your own work has
suffered,’ she said, looking at Lily knowingly.
‘I might have done,’ she
stammered.
‘Well, whoever corrected
Mary’s mistake has done a fine job. It’s not discernible, even to my
expert eye.’
Lily’s eyes widened; was the woman
a witch?
As if guessing her thoughts, Mrs Bodney
smiled. ‘No, I’m not clairvoyant, Lily, merely observant. I spotted
Mary’s mistake at lunchtime.’
‘Well, if you did,
why …?’ her voice trailed off. She didn’t wish to appear
impertinent.
‘Why didn’t I point it out?
I wanted to see how long it was before she noticed and what would happen when she
did. I must confess to keeping my ear to the wall, soto speak. I
suppose Mary panicked and thought I’d send her packing? No, don’t
answer,’ she said holding up her hand as Lily opened her mouth to protest.
‘I can see you’re trying to be loyal to your friend and I respect
that.’
Lily really couldn’t see where
this conversation was leading. If Mrs Bodney was going to dismiss her why was she
smiling?
‘Sit down, Lily, and I’ll
come to the point,’ her employer said.
Thankfully, Lily sank onto her stool for
the suspense was making her feel quite sick.
‘I’ve been watching you
closely these past few days and have been impressed with what I’ve seen. You
are a highly skilled lace maker and conscientious too. If this afternoon is anything
to go by, you are also proficient at correcting mistakes, which regrettably can and
do occur. Now, if you remember, I mentioned earlier that output needs to
increase?’ She paused and Lily nodded.
‘I have realized that if we are to
meet the deadline, I will need someone to watch over the lace makers here whilst I
attend to my
swishing around her ankles.
‘Right, ladies, time to call it a
day,’ she announced and there was a collective sigh of relief and much
scraping of stools as they reached for the sheeting to cover their work. As Lily
hurried to the door with the others, Mrs Bodney called her back.
‘Lily, I’d like a word
before you go, please.’ Although her employer spoke mildly, Lily’s heart
flopped.
‘She’s found you out,’
Cora smirked, her eyes sparkling, as she strutted outside.
Slowly, Lily retraced her steps and
Mary, looking worried, came to stand by her.
However, Mrs Bodney waved her away,
saying, ‘No, you can go home, Mary. It’s Lily I wish to see.’
Mary glanced at Lily. ‘Better do
as she says,’ she whispered, but as the woman scuttled away, Lily’s
heart was beating furiously. Cora was right. Somehow her employer must have found
out she’d swapped pillows with Mary.
‘Right, Lily,’ Mrs Bodney
said, firmly shutting the door. ‘Tell me how this afternoon’s lace
making has progressed, if you please.’
‘Everyone worked hard, Mrs
Bodney,’ she said, striving to keep the tremor from her voice.
‘There have been
no problems then?’ The other woman shot her a penetrating look. Lily shook her
head and Mrs Bodney arched an eyebrow.
‘Well, in that case, let’s
see what has been achieved,’ she said, walking over to the first pillow and
lifting the cloth. As she went around the room inspecting all their work, Lily held
her breath. By the time she reached Mary’s pillow, Lily’s heart was
thumping so loudly she was sure her employer must hear it.
‘Hmm,’ Mrs Bodney said,
before moving on to Lily’s pillow. A few moments later, she turned to Lily,
frowning. ‘Whilst you were having your noon break I checked your lace and was
impressed with the progress you’d made. I have to confess, I’m surprised
you haven’t produced more this afternoon.’ Mrs Bodney’s eyes bored
into hers and Lily almost wilted under the woman’s scrutiny. ‘Of course,
had you been helping somebody else, that would explain why your own work has
suffered,’ she said, looking at Lily knowingly.
‘I might have done,’ she
stammered.
‘Well, whoever corrected
Mary’s mistake has done a fine job. It’s not discernible, even to my
expert eye.’
Lily’s eyes widened; was the woman
a witch?
As if guessing her thoughts, Mrs Bodney
smiled. ‘No, I’m not clairvoyant, Lily, merely observant. I spotted
Mary’s mistake at lunchtime.’
‘Well, if you did,
why …?’ her voice trailed off. She didn’t wish to appear
impertinent.
‘Why didn’t I point it out?
I wanted to see how long it was before she noticed and what would happen when she
did. I must confess to keeping my ear to the wall, soto speak. I
suppose Mary panicked and thought I’d send her packing? No, don’t
answer,’ she said holding up her hand as Lily opened her mouth to protest.
‘I can see you’re trying to be loyal to your friend and I respect
that.’
Lily really couldn’t see where
this conversation was leading. If Mrs Bodney was going to dismiss her why was she
smiling?
‘Sit down, Lily, and I’ll
come to the point,’ her employer said.
Thankfully, Lily sank onto her stool for
the suspense was making her feel quite sick.
‘I’ve been watching you
closely these past few days and have been impressed with what I’ve seen. You
are a highly skilled lace maker and conscientious too. If this afternoon is anything
to go by, you are also proficient at correcting mistakes, which regrettably can and
do occur. Now, if you remember, I mentioned earlier that output needs to
increase?’ She paused and Lily nodded.
‘I have realized that if we are to
meet the deadline, I will need someone to watch over the lace makers here whilst I
attend to my
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