Chapter 4 #2
‘Oh. Er. Hi. I’m Emmeline. Emmeline Buchanan, from Rose Cottage.
’ I thumbed back down the drive into the darkness.
How I’d actually got here was more by luck than judgement, but once my feet had landed on the crunchy gravel, I’d stayed on it, hoping it would lead to the Manor.
In time, I’d seen faint lights ahead of me and the building, now lit by candlelight, had loomed into view.
Clearly it wasn’t just the power in my cottage that was out.
‘Ms Buchanan. How may I help you?’
‘I was wondering if I might be able to borrow some matches. I only arrived today and I’ve found the candles but no matches. I’m really sorry to bother you.’
‘Not at all. Please do come in.’
I stepped inside and he closed the wide oak door behind me.
‘Thanks for this. I—’
‘Hello.’
I spun round at the plummy, female voice.
‘Are you all right? You look positively frozen.’
‘The lady is after some matches. She’s staying at Rose Cottage.’
‘Oh, you must be Emmeline!’ She put out her hand. ‘I’m Penelope. So happy to meet you. We’ve heard all about you, haven’t we, Dawkins?’
He gave a single nod of agreement.
‘Sorry about the electrics. Happens quite often out here. I was sure I’d put matches down there. Silly me. What a dunce.’
‘No!’ I reached out. ‘The hamper you left was so thoughtful. I’ve had less welcoming stays at posh hotels.’
‘Oh, how kind. It’s just a few bits to help you settle in.
You’ve come from London, is that right? Do come in here, dear.
’ She’d led me to a door down the hall which opened on to a cosy sitting room.
A fire burned in the grate and candles flickered on several surfaces.
‘Now. Let me ask one question. Is that a towel turban or have I missed something in the latest fashions?’
My hand reached up and touched the now soggy towel. ‘I thought I’d settle in for the night and have a nice hot shower after the journey, soaped up and then all the water just stopped.’
‘Stopped? Entirely?’
‘Entirely.’
‘Oh no. The plumbing’s all been refurbished recently too. Edward won’t be happy about that.’
Edward, I remembered, was who I was supposed to have the interview with and I certainly didn’t want to ruffle more feathers, having already fluffed up Isaac’s.
‘I’m not complaining. I was going to take a look myself but then the power went off and my phone went flat.’
‘Oh dear, what a pickle. And you should be complaining! I’ll have to let him know so that it can get fixed for you but I can see you don’t want to make a fuss.’ She leant and patted my hand. ‘I shall be discreet.’
People talk about someone having a twinkle in their eye and it seems so clichéd but here it was in real life. Penelope most definitely had a twinkle in those pale-blue eyes.
‘Now. Let’s see about getting you organised so that you don’t expire from hypothermia.’
Ten minutes later, I was sitting up to my neck in petunia-scented bubbles in the most gorgeous original roll-top bath, surrounded by a mass of plants and dark wood and feeling entirely like I was in a dream.
I had, of course, insisted that I would be fine just taking the matches and that I was sure the water was just a hiccup and would be back on soon.
I had no idea whether this was true but it didn’t matter anyway as Penelope was having none of it and had led me through to her private apartments and begun running a bath for me.
It felt a bit weird but by the time she’d poured me a brandy – ‘Vital to warm you up,’ she’d insisted as she thrust it into my hand – and we’d chatted a bit longer as the bubbles rose, the odd thing was that it didn’t feel quite so weird after all.
She’d placed two large towels of the fluffiest variety on the hardwood stool next to the bathroom, lit another candle and left me to it. I’d locked the door, unwrapped and stepped into the bubbles, sinking down into them as I sipped on the brandy, being warmed from both inside and out.
Half an hour later, although I could have stayed there a lot longer – those metal baths really keep the heat – I was peering out of the door with freshly washed and now dried hair and feeling a whole lot more human.
Having not been prepared to bathe here, I still only had my dressing gown and coat, but the former was no longer damp and cold but lovely and toasty from where it had been hung on the heated rail.
I pulled my coat back over the top of me and shoved my feet into the supplied guest slippers and made my way back along the same route I’d come.
I was hoping to find Penelope’s sitting room and thank her for her kindness and generosity before heading back to Rose Cottage.
‘Hello?’ I knocked on the door which was ajar.
‘Come in!’ her jolly voice called and I popped my head around.
‘I just wanted to say thank you so much for everything.’
‘You’re very welcome. How’s that?’
‘Much better, thank you.’
‘Lovely. You do look more comfortable.’
‘Less blue?’
She let out a raucous laugh which was in contrast to her slight, elegant frame. I liked her even more.
‘Yes. Quite so! You will stay for another drink, won’t you?’
‘Oh,’ I hesitated.
‘Please say you will. It’s so lovely to have some female company for a change.’
It was hard to say no. She’d already been so kind.
‘OK. Just for one.’
‘Good girl. Now, let me get you a wrap so you don’t have to sit in your coat.’
I opened my mouth to protest but she was already on her way up the corridor of the apartment, and presumably into her bedroom, to appear a few moments later with a snuggly-looking wrap which she held out for me.
I shrugged off my coat and slid into the oversized comfort of the pashmina, cashmere if I wasn’t mistaken, and then retook my seat while Penelope topped up my glass.
‘Have you been here with the family long?’
She tilted her head for a moment. ‘Yes. I have. Lovely family. Wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Have you met either of the sons yet?’
‘I interviewed with Barnaby. Were they born when you came to be the housekeeper? At least, I’m assuming you joined at that position? Or did you work your way up?’
‘Yes, I was always in this position and no, they weren’t born when I first came here.’
‘Oh, wow. So you’ve watched them grow up?’
‘I have. They’re good boys. Quite different from each other in some ways and very similar in others. It was a lot for Edward – he’s the eldest – to take on when his father died.’
‘This is a lovely apartment. They clearly value you, which sounds just as it should be.’
‘Just as it should be,’ Penelope repeated and held out her glass for me to clink, angling it slightly so that the bowl of hers tapped the same area on mine, a delightful sound singing out from the crystal as she did so.
I thought about all the times I’d carelessly chinked my glass rim to another’s and assumed, from her action, that I’d been doing it wrong all these years.
Penelope asked me about my background and was interested to hear about my childhood on the smallholding.
‘Did you have a pony?’
‘No. I’m afraid I didn’t. To be honest, I don’t think I would have fitted in at the local pony club.
We did once go to a show when I was thinking that might be my next obsession which turned out to be a wise move by my parents.
I was more interested in getting mucky and rehoming earthworms than I was in prancing about in posh clothes and I felt completely out of place just watching, let alone if I’d dived in and got a horse.
We weren’t really of the same class as a lot of the people there.
In the end, I decided it wasn’t for me and I think that was the right choice. ’
Penelope seemed to ponder that a while. ‘Class can be such a pain in the arse, can’t it?’ Her well-spoken tones declaring such a truth caused me to let out a hoot of laughter which in turn made her do the same. ‘It is, though, isn’t it?’
‘It can be.’ I was nearly two brandies in but I was still aware enough that I’d just been employed by a stalwart (according to Isaac) of the landed gentry and I wasn’t about to bite the hand that would hopefully be feeding me.
Plus, I’d liked Barnaby when I’d met him.
He didn’t have that stuffy feel about him I’d assumed he would.
And Penelope had stuck around them for decades by the sounds of it so they couldn’t be too bad.
‘Everyone talks about how it’s a classless society but it’s not really.
It’s perhaps just a little more nuanced these days. ’
‘There’s still the have and have-nots, that’s for certain.’
‘Quite.’
‘So, you enjoyed working on the smallholding then?’
‘If you asked my parents, I was probably more of a hindrance than a help but I was interested, at least.’
‘I’m sure that’s not the case. Any brothers or sisters?’
‘No. My best friend is the closest thing I have to a sister but we’re not related which probably makes it even better.’
‘And where does she live?’
‘She’s back in London at the moment but looking to get out. It’s finding the right opportunity.’
‘It is. And did you meet her when you were at Kew?’
Damn. Why had I ever said I’d studied there? Perhaps because I wouldn’t have got a look in if I hadn’t…
‘Ah. No. I met Freddy at uni.’
‘Freddy?’
‘Winifred but she hates the name. I think the only time we ever fell out was when I called her that when I was cross with her, just to wind her up when we’d both had a bit too much to drink. She punched me on the arm, I punched her back and we’ve pretty much never argued since.’
‘I like her already,’ Penelope said, laughing. ‘I do hope you’ll invite her to stay at some point.’
‘I’d like to. I just have to find my feet.
I don’t think Isaac’s my biggest fan so I need to try and keep my job first.’ As soon as the words were out, I clapped my hand over my mouth in the manner of a cartoon character.
‘Sorry. I shouldn’t have told you that,’ I mumbled through my palm.
I lowered my hand and rolled my lips in as if to stop any other confidences slipping out.
‘Why would you say that?’
‘It’s something I should have kept to myself.’
‘No, no.’ She waved away my words. ‘I mean, why would you think Isaac doesn’t like you? I’ve always found him very pleasant and hard-working and quite personable.’
Possibly because you’re actually a housekeeper and not pretending to be one, unlike me and my fake gardening credentials.
‘Maybe I just caught him on an off day. Goodness knows we all have those.’ I did my best to hurry the conversation along and onto different ground.
A clock on the mantelpiece gave a delicate chime. I counted.
Ten?
‘Crikey, I didn’t realise the time; I’d better get back. Early start tomorrow!’
‘Oh, of course. How selfish of me. It’s just been so lovely to have company.’
I smiled. ‘Don’t any of the other staff live in?’
‘Well, Dawkins the butler does, of course. But…’
We both looked up at the knock at the door.
‘You did say you wanted company!’ A snigger crept out and I clamped my mouth shut which apparently only served to make Penelope find it even more amusing.
‘Perish the thought!’ she declared, letting out another hoot of laughter.
‘Mother?’ The door opened and a man peered in. ‘Is everything all right?’
I couldn’t make out his features across the room in the low light of the candles and fire but he looked tall and broad. Was it Isaac? Oh God! Was this Isaac’s mother I’d been moaning to about the fact he’d already appeared to have taken a dislike to me?
‘Edward, darling. Come in, come in! I’ve got someone I’d like you to meet.’