‘But I’d have no idea where to sell them,’ Emmy said falteringly.
Hetty chuckled. ‘You needn’t worry about that. Me brother will know where to get the best price an’ in your position you can’t afford to be too honest. Now try an’ get some sleep, you look all in.’
‘I am.’ Emmy swiped her hand across her weary eyes. ‘The trouble is, every time I try to rest, I start worrying about where my father might be and if he’s all right. He must have been in a terrible frame of mind to disappear like that. You don’t think he’ll do anything silly, do you, Hetty?’
Hetty shook her head as she lifted the untouched tray of food she had brought up to Emmy earlier. ‘No, he’ll come through all right. I feel sorry fer him in a way. He were so mild-mannered but he didn’t seem to be able to say no to your mama’s demands. That’s probably what’s brought all this about if truth be told.’ Then realising that she might have said too much she added hurriedly, ‘Not that it’s any o’ my business o’ course, miss.’
‘It’s all right, you’re probably right.’ Emmy sighed as she sank down on to the side of the bed and Hetty headed for the door. ‘Goodnight, Hetty. I’ll see you in the morning.’ And then she was alone and she allowed the tears to fall again.
‘The servants are all assembled, ma’am,’ Mrs Parrot informed Dorcas the following morning.
With a nod at her two daughters, Dorcas Winter rose from her seat, straightened her back and followed the housekeeper into the hallway with her hands clasped primly at her waist.
‘I am very sorry, but because of unforeseen circumstances I have no option but to inform you all that your services will no longer be needed as of today. All of the wages owed will be paid but I would ask that each of you vacate the premises by tomorrow morning.’
A murmur of dismay rippled through the assembled crowd but Dorcas merely turned and strode back into the drawing room.
‘Well, that’s great,’ the gardener grumbled. ‘What the ’ell is goin’ on, eh, fer her to just sack us all like that?’
‘It’s appalling,’ Mrs Parrot joined in, and as the kitchen maid began to wail she rounded on her furiously. ‘And you can just stop that row, Nell. We’re all in the same position, you know. I would have expected at least a month’s notice.’
Back in the drawing room, Emmy sighed as she heard the disgruntled comments coming from the staff in the hallway and her heart went out to each of them.
‘Poor things .?.?. I hope they find new posts,’ she said sadly.
‘Poor things!Why, it’susyou should feel sorry for,’ her mother scolded. ‘I just hope wherever he is your father gets his comeuppance for leaving us all in this mess.’
Emmy bit back the hasty retort that sprang to her lips. There was no point in causing even more unpleasantness, and anyway, her uncle would be calling shortly with the money to pay the staff’s wages and she had promised she would help him do it. She doubted Mrs Parrot would do it now that she had been dismissed.
She found the woman in her private sitting room, already in the process of packing her clothes.
‘Ah, Miss Emmy.’ Removing the chatelaine that contained the keys to the different rooms in the house she laid it on the table. ‘You’ll be needing these,’ she said stiffly. ‘And you will find the ledger containing the household accounts and staff wages owing in that cupboard over there.’
‘Thank you, and I’m so sorry this has happened,’ Emmy told her sincerely. ‘But you really don’t have to rush away. Mama said no one need leave till tomorrow morning.’
Mrs Parrot inclined her head. ‘Thank you, but if it’s all the same to you I shall leave as soon as I have been paid.’
‘Where will you go?’
The woman shrugged. ‘I have a sister who lives in Lincolnshire. I shall go and stay with her while I seek a new position. I wonder, do you think your mother would do me a reference?’
‘I certainly can,’ Emmy offered. ‘In fact, I shall do one immediately and you may take it with you. And once again, I’m so sorry.’
Seeing the girl’s genuine distress, Edith Parrot softened a little and pausing in her packing she asked, ‘Will you and the family be all right, Miss Emerald?’
‘We’ll survive no doubt.’ Emmy gave a wry smile. ‘Although we’re going to have to get used to an enormous life change. We’ll be living in a cottage on my uncle’s farm.’
‘Oh dear. I can’t see your mother liking that,’ Mrs Parrot replied. She better than anyone knew what an enormous snob Dorcas Winter was, but then she supposed that once she had left it was no business of hers what became of them, so she got on with what she was doing.
Mrs Parrot left later that afternoon after Emmy, under her uncle’s watchful eye, had paid her. The staff then trooped in one at a time to be paid their dues and by teatime most of them were packing to leave too.
‘My groom will be coming to fetch the carriage and horses later this evening,’ her uncle informed her. ‘And you and Abigail can ride your ponies over to my stables.’
‘Yes, Uncle,’ Emmy answered meekly. and it was in that moment that she truly understood that life as she had known it would never be the same again.
‘First thing in the morning some of my men will be bringing the large cart over to collect what furniture you wish to take with you so I suggest you all come to the farm tonight and I’ll show you the cottage. You’ll know then what it will accommodate. I shall send the carriage for you at seven o’clock.’
Once again Emmy merely nodded as her uncle rose to leave. As soon as he’d gone she went to tell her mother what he’d said, but Dorcas shook her head as she looked around her magnificent drawing room. ‘I have no wish to see it,’ she said sharply. ‘You and Abi can go, and take Hetty with you. She’ll have a better idea of what will fit.’
