Cecilia nodded and followed Julia and Mrs. Vance as they walked quietly to the servants’ stairs. She hadn’t noticed Julia carried a candlestick until the woman stopped to light a candle from one of the oil lamps before she opened the door. The stairwell was Stygian black. Julia held the candle holder high as the three carefully descended the steep staircase.
At the bottom, they listened for any sounds beyond the door before they opened it. This door squeaked a little. Cecilia grimaced. Cecilia held the door only as far as was needed for the other two women to enter the hall of the ground floor. There were lit oil lamps in this hall as there had been on their floor, but they were fewer, the hall even dimmer. Julia kept her candle as she led them to the right. Cecilia knew, from what Julia and Mrs. Vance had told her earlier, that the rooms they passed were two treatment rooms, the estate office, a trunk room, and Mr. Montgomery’s room at the very end.
As they approached his room, they were surprised to find Liddy with Mrs. Worcham. Mrs. Worcham held up a finger to her lips to warn them to silence, then placed her hand behind her ear to signal them to listen.
Liddy, her hands covering her mouth, was trying not to laugh.
Cecilia, Julia, and Mrs. Vance crept closer. There were noises coming from Mr. Montgomery’s room. Whispers and moans punctuated with a female cry of“Oh, Yes! Yes! More!”
The three women turned back to Mrs. Worcham and Liddy. “Who?” Cecilia asked on a faint hiss of breath.
Mrs. Worcham motioned them to follow her. She led them toward the center of the mansion to the main hall and the grand staircase.
“That is Miss Dorn, isn’t it,” said Mrs. Vance when they stopped.
Mrs. Worcham nodded, her brows drawn together and her lips in a tight line.
“And Mr. Turnbull-Minchin!” piped in Liddy before she could say anything.
“Shh,” the women warned Liddy.
Liddy scrunched her shoulders up toward her ears and mouthed,“Sorry!”
“What are you doing here, Liddy?” Cecilia whispered.
“I followed Miss Dorn when she snuck out of our room,” she said.
Cecilia shook her head. “We’ll take Liddy up with us,” Cecilia whispered to Mrs. Worcham. She turned to Mrs. Vance. “I think there is an empty room next to you?”
Mrs. Vance nodded. “She can stay there tonight. We’ll think of some reason for her being there later.”
Mrs. Worcham nodded absently. Cecilia could tell her mind was on the couple in Mr. Montgomery’s room. “What are you going to do?” she quietly asked Mrs. Worcham.
“Wake Thaddeus,” the woman said, a determined light in her eyes. She left to return to her and Dr. Worcham’s quarters.
“We’re going to miss the fun,” Mrs. Vance complained, as they climbed the stairs.
“Not entirely,” Julia said. She gestured to the top of the stairway that branched to their wing.
Arms akimbo, there stood Matron Mildred in a worn blue robe and a voluminous night cap.
“Follow my lead,” Cecilia whispered as the women and Liddy continued up the stairs. She took an ever-ready handkerchief from her dress’s hidden pocket and dabbed at her eyes.
“I miss my husband,” Cecilia wailed. “Why can’t I go see him?”
“It’s the middle of the night, dear,” Julia said, picking up on Cecilia’s ploy.
“I know, but I’m not coughing like I did. I want my husband!” she wailed again. She turned toward Liddy. She winked at the child and hoped she would understand what she said next. “You’re a traitor, Liddy, for telling on me.”
“Me!” protested Liddy.
Julia put her arm around the child. “You did nothing wrong, Liddy. She’s just upset,” Julia said. “I think there is a room open next to Mrs. Vance. Would you like to stay with us on our floor tonight?”
“But, I—” Liddy began.
Mrs. Vance got on her other side and turned her away from Matron. “Hush Liddy. This is make-believe,” she whispered. “You don’t need to say anything.”
Liddy’s eyes grew wide. “Ohh!”
