Chapter Eight
Although it was a Sundaymorning, none of the household, above or below stairs, expressed any interest in attending church.April considered it, since she had discovered church yards after the service were a hotbed of gossip—the wrong reason for attendance, perhaps, and in any case, there seemed too much to learn in the house first, and she wanted to be close if and when Edward awoke.
Returning to the kitchen some time after she had eaten, she saw that the maids had brought down the breakfast dishes.While one of the temporary girls from the village washed them, Becky and Peggy passed each other, one going in and the other coming out, of the housekeeper’s sitting room, presumably looking in on Edward.
“Is there any change?”April asked Peggy, who was coming out.
She shook her head, and Mrs.Riley turned from her mixing bowl, spoon in hand, to scowl at her.
“Cleaning in the drawing room and the dining room,” she growled.She raised her voice.“Becky!Take Janet and get on with the bedchambers!”
The maids obeyed speedily enough, while April pulled up a stool and sat a couple of feet away from Mrs.Riley, who eyed her in some displeasure.
“Who would have done this to Edward?”April asked bluntly.
She half-expected the cook to remain tight-lipped in defence of her underlings and had marshalled several arguments to persuade her.However, it seemed Mrs.Riley had already reached the right conclusions, for she answered at once with grim abruptness.
“He ain’t exactly made a lot of friends here.Scorned women and their angry menfolk don’t make for a peaceful life.I’m guessing you know all that.Those two silly minxes should know better.”She jerked her head in the direction the maids had left by.
“Both of them?”
“Just Peggy at first.Turned her head from poor Bert Godley who was devoted to her.They could have had their own cottage in time, when old Godley retires and Bert becomes head gardener.”
“I understand a lot of people have cause to be angry with Edward.But who would act on it in this way?”
“That I don’t know.”There was open worry in Mrs.Riley’s face and voice.“I just hope they regret it.”
“Did Lady Temperley know about Edward’s pursuit of her maidservants?”
“No, thank the Lord.If he’d actually caught one of them, if you see what I mean, it would have been a different story.”
“You mean he never went beyond flirtation?”
“Mrs.Ballam, the housekeeper, and me made sure it didn’t.Not that flirtation ain’t enough to ruin a maid’s reputation and get her dismissed.”
April was rather surprised by the woman’s certainty.“I saw Edward the night before last, on the maids’ side of the attic.”
Mrs.Riley dropped her mixing spoon.Her hand flew upward as though to dismiss April’s words, then her eyes fell and she grasped the spoon again.“What were you doing up there anyway?”
April blinked.“Following the strange noises in this house.Haven’t you noticed them?”
Mrs.Riley looked almost disappointed to be balked of a telling-off and a quarrel.“No.”
You’re lying.April moved on.“Did Edward use the summer house for his assignations?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised, especially when the family isn’t here, but if he did, it was behind my back and Mrs.Ballam’s.”
