Emmy shook her head and was about to tell her what had happened to her aunt, but she was just too weary to so she clamped her mouth shut as tears threatened.
‘Never mind, she’s probably ’aving the time of her life wi’ Hugo,’ Maria said kindly.
‘I certainly hope she is and that nothing’s happened to her.’ Emmy snapped the last bag shut and glanced around the room to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. ‘I’m taking her stuff back to my aunt’s so if she should come back will you ask her to come there?’ she asked.
‘Course I will, queen.’ Maria’s eyes were sad as she hoisted one of the bags up. ‘Let me ’elp yer get all this stuff downstairs.’ And without another word she left the room.
When Emmy arrived back at the house, Aggie took Abi’s things up to one of the spare rooms as Emmy went to check on her aunt whose eyes found her the minute she entered the room.
‘I’ve been to the club to see if Abi has returned from France,’ Emmy told her as she removed her bonnet and held her cold hands out to the small fire. ‘But she hasn’t, and now she’s lost her job.’
When she approached the bed, Imogen clutched her arm with her good hand and gave her a lopsided smile. ‘Shee .?.?. bee .?.?. all right .?.?.’ she managed and Emmy smiled despite her fears for Abi. It was the most her aunt had managed to say since she had suffered her stroke and although the words were slurred, Emmy took it as a good sign.
Chapter Thirty-Four
‘It was the beginning of December and as Emmy was carrying her aunt’s dirty washing down the stairs, someone knocked on the door. When Aggie hurried from the drawing room, where she was polishing, to answer it, Dorcas appeared.
‘Mama!’ Emmy was so shocked and delighted to see her that she almost dropped the clothes she was holding and after slamming them down on to the hall table she hurried over to embrace her mother. ‘What are you doing here? Is Hetty better?’ she gabbled joyously. Emmy had been horribly disappointed that Dorcas had been unable to come when she’d first written to tell her what had happened with Imogen and Abi. But Hetty had fallen and broken her ankle, so her mother couldn’t leave her.
Dorcas smiled. ‘Hold on and let me get in. And shut that door, for goodness’ sake, you’re letting the cold in.’
Aggie hurriedly closed the door and helped Dorcas off with her coat.
‘Brr, it’s enough to freeze you out there,’ Dorcas commented as she undid the ribbons on her bonnet and handed it to Aggie. ‘And yes, Hetty is much better. The minute she was able to get out and about again, she insisted I come. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. I’ve been so worried! But at last, I’ve come to help look after my sister. Now, is there any tea going? I’m frozen through and I swear we’re in for some snow before long.’
As Aggie bustled away to make the tea, Emmy led her mother into the drawing room where she quickly brought her up to date with everything that had happened.
‘So, Imogen is making a good recovery then?’ she said when Emmy had finished.
‘Yes, she is, but because of her heart condition the doctor told me that she’s still in danger and if she should have another stroke, it’s unlikely she would survive it.’
‘I see,’ Dorcas said sombrely, regretting all the years she and her sister had spent apart. But there were so many regrets now. ‘And is there any news from Abigail?’
When Emmy shook her head, Dorcas sighed and gazed towards the window.
‘Until Aunt Imogen took ill, I was thinking of asking her for some time off so that I could go to France to try to find her,’ Emmy continued. ‘But of course, with her being so poorly I didn’t like to leave her. But tell me, is Hetty really all right now?’
Dorcas raised her eyebrows. ‘Poor love. Yes, she’s getting stronger. And at least she can walk and look after the cottage and Bruno for me. You’ll hardly recognise him the next time you see him, he’s really grown and he’s bright as a button. But things aren’t so good over at the farm, I’m afraid. Jasper has cleared off again and Bernard is furious and threatening to disinherit him if he doesn’t come back soon. That boy has no sense of responsibility whatsoever, I can understand them being so annoyed with him.’
Aggie arrived at that moment with a laden tea trolley and as Emmy poured the tea into fine bone china cups she wondered where Jasper might have gone. After the last conversation they’d had when he’d professed to have feelings for her, she sincerely hoped that he wasn’t back in London but she didn’t say as much to her mother. She’d had enough to deal with over the last few months, although now she seemed to be coping with everything admirably well. In fact, she seemed almost content.
‘Ah, that hit the spot, but I’d like to go and see Imogen now, if you don’t mind,’ Dorcas said after her second cup of tea and Emmy obligingly led her upstairs.
When the bedroom door opened Imogen’s eyes turned towards it and as she saw Dorcas standing there they filled with tears, showing Emmy that she wasn’t quite as hard-hearted as she tried to make out.
‘D-Dori .?.?.’ At the use of the affectionate nickname she had always used for her younger sister when she was a child, Dorcas began to cry too and not wanting to intrude on their reunion, Emmy left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
As always Jake called in on his way home from work that evening, just as he had every night since Imogen’s stroke, and when Emmy told him of her mother’s arrival he was thrilled.
‘Good, that might take a little of the strain off you.’
‘It isn’t a strain,’ Emmy assured him as he helped himself to one of Cook’s delicious scones fresh out of the oven. He’d been staying for dinner some evenings too and Emmy had been glad of his company now that she couldn’t get out and about. Sadly, she was no longer able to help him at what they had christened the ‘poor surgery’ on Sundays any more but thankfully a friend of Jake’s who had been at medical school with him and was also newly qualified was helping him out for now.
‘While your mother is here it might be a good idea if you took advantage of the fact and got out for a bit of fresh air,’ he suggested, noticing how pale Emmy was.
She gave him a guilty grin. ‘Actually, I was wondering if Mother might be prepared to stay on for a while to take care of Aunt Imogen so that I could go to France to look for Abi.’
Jake frowned. ‘I hope you’re not thinking of going on your own?’
