‘If Sanders unpacks for him, less than a quarter hour I would say.’
‘Then perhaps we should take a walk in the garden,’ said Thea. ‘Not sure I fancy him coming upon Frankie unaccompanied.’
Martha’s eyes widened. ‘Indeed. Let’s head round by the east wing and the frame yard. We can check on the seedlings in the cold frames.’
Thea followed her and together they descended the steps through formal hedging, passed the flower border with shoots just beginning to emerge into the spring warmth and took a right through the oak door in the stone wall. Thea nearly ran right into Martha as she came to an abrupt halt.
‘Oh, I am sorry,’ said Martha.
‘What is… oh,’ said Thea.
‘Morning,’ said Miss Bellegarde awkwardly. Thea didn’t come upon George’s mistress often, but if she did it was usually at a distance where they could tactfully avoid one another. She wore an expensive silk dress that she hutched up out of the dirt with one hand. Her face was powdered almost completely white withstark red rouged cheeks and a high hairpiece, even for walking in the garden of a morning. Although they were both happy and aware that they fulfilled different functions in George’s life, somehow the social conventions were difficult to navigate when everyone thought they should be uncomfortable. Now they were standing right in front of one another and Thea could hardly just leave.
‘Lady Foxmore, please meet Miss Bellegarde,’ she said. ‘Miss Bellegarde is a guest of George in the country. Miss Bellegarde, Lady Foxmore is my friend.’
‘Pleasure,’ said Miss Bellegarde, clearly disinterested.
‘You were admiring the cold frames or the estate wagons?’ asked Martha, eyeing Miss Bellegarde. Clearly, she had more patience with rude botanists than she did with rude ladies of the night. Or afternoon. Or mid-morning, or whenever George fancied it.
‘Nah,’ said Miss Bellegarde in her east-London accent. ‘Just passing through. Have to get out the ‘ouse sometimes.’
‘Of course you do,’ said Thea. ‘And you are very welcome. Will you be staying with us all summer?’ Her voice had become even more affected, she noticed, as it did when she was trying too hard.
Miss Bellegarde shrugged. ‘Depends how long he wants me ‘ere.’
‘Of course it does.’
There was an awkward silence.
‘We must be getting on,’ said Martha, and stalked off without taking her leave. Thea inclined her head in acknowledgement and followed her. Miss Bellegarde only raised her chin a little.
‘Crikey,’ said Martha, ‘I had expected him to choose a little more refinement than that.’
‘I’m sure she is lovely. And has her own talents,’ said Thea, trying to be as little judgemental as possible.
‘I have no doubt,’ said Martha. ‘He keeps her in nice dresses at least, unless she got it elsewhere.’
‘Not everyone poor is a crook,’ said Thea, considering her lessons of the year before. ‘We don’t know her situation and this may be the only way she can make a living.’
‘Nevertheless,’ said Martha. ‘You have a prostitute living in your house. I should ensure that the valuables are well monitored.’
Thea stopped and took Martha’s arm, turning her towards her. ‘Don’t let Frankie hear you saying that will you?’ she said with her voice low. ‘You know how I found her in that house for ladies out of necessity. We all have a capacity to choose goodness or vice, but sometimes the choices are taken out of our hands.’
‘Humph,’ snorted Martha, stalking away. ‘Still don’t trust her.’
‘Which one?’ asked Thea.
‘Neither,’ said Martha simply.
Thea wondered if Martha and Frankie would ever be able to grow the respect between them. The last thing she needed was a war over the petunias between her gardener, her lover and a rude botanist. She rolled her eyes at Martha’s stubbornness and followed her towards the glasshouse.
Chapter 19
‘No, no, no,’ she heard Crumpacker saying as soon as they stepped through the glasshouse door. ‘How on earth do you plan to order your collection correctly if it is all over the place?’ He began to move some pots from one side to the other.
Oh goodness, they were too late.
‘What are you doing?’ asked Frankie, following him and grabbing the pots back. Both of them were entirely oblivious to the countess and duchess watching them.
