LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

looking through the paper for likely bits to read—a formidable task, since she had no idea what the lady’s tastes were; would she want to hear the Prime Minister’s speech on the coal industry, or what the Middle East was doing at the moment? Or would she be interested in the fashion page? Jemima thought it unlikely; fashion as such didn’t appear to mean much to her employer—she fancied that she made her own. She might like the social column, though, and the weather report…

      Lady Manderly laid down the last of her letters. ‘And now you may tell me about the rest,’ she commanded.

      They were mostly bills, but there were a couple of begging letters, a leaflet about thermal underwear, an enquiry as to whether Lady Manderly would like double glazing and a catalogue from Liberty’s. Lady Manderly made short work of them while Jemima scribbled little notes on each of them so that she would remember what she had to do later on.

      ‘Now you may read to me,’ stated Lady Manderly.

      Jemima began with the weather report, touched lightly on the Middle East, read the whole of the Prime Minister’s speech in full, added an item or two about the Royal Family’s daily round, touched delicately upon the separation of a peer of the realm and his wife, and ended with a colourful account of the discovery of a rare ceramic—an Imari cat—which had been found on the kitchen overmantel in a Norfolk farmhouse.

      As she folded the newspaper Lady Manderly remarked: ‘You have a pleasant voice, Miss Mason, and your choice of reading material was most suitable. Kindly ring the bell for coffee.’

      Coffee came, on a massive silver tray. Jemima poured it from a George the Second silver coffee pot into paper-thin cups, and it was atrocious—watery and bitter and not as hot as it should have been; she waited for Lady Manderly to complain, but that lady drank two cups with apparent enjoyment before desiring Jemima to ring the bell once more.

      ‘You will take Coco for a walk and bring her back to me in one hour,’ said Lady Manderly. ‘My maid, Pooley, always takes her to St James’ Park, but of course she has to be driven there and back. You, I presume, are young enough to enjoy a good walk.’

      ‘Yes, of course I am, Lady Manderly, but what about Coco? Is she young?’

      ‘Five—no, six years old, I believe. She does not, of course, get the exercise she should, so you may have to carry her if she tires.’

      Jemima pictured herself struggling under the weight of a Great Dane. ‘What sort of dog?’ she asked.

      ‘A poodle—miniature, of course. You may go now, Miss Mason, but be back at noon precisely.’

      Belling was waiting in the hall when Jemima went downstairs, holding the lead of a very small grey poodle. ‘The little dog is very good, miss,’ he volunteered, ‘she’ll be glad of a nice walk.’

      The sun was shining although there was a cool wind with a decided autumnal nip to it; just right for a brisk walk. The hour passed too quickly for both Jemima and Coco and she hoped that a daily walk was to be part of her duties. Coco, her paws wiped by a woman in an apron, summoned to the hall by Belling, was allowed to mount the stairs with Jemima and go into the drawing-room where Lady Manderly was sitting before a vast embroidery frame. She looked at her watch before she spoke. ‘At least you are punctual,’ she observed tartly. ‘We lunch at one o’clock, until then you may start on the letters, and I have left you a list of telephone calls I wish you to make.’ She pushed the frame aside. ‘Come to Mother,’ she begged Coco in such a different, gentle voice that Jemima stared. Perhaps Lady Manderly wasn’t as harsh as she seemed. She went back to the small room and sat down at the desk. Fifty pounds had seemed an awful lot of money when she had been offered that sum; she saw now that she was going to earn every penny of it.

      She quite enjoyed the next hour, however, telephoning for flowers to be sent, a fitter to come that afternoon with a new dress Lady Manderly had ordered, a wine merchant to deliver a dozen bottles of claret, and then settling down to write answers to the bills and begging letters in her neat handwriting. She made out cheques too, and when they were done, took them back to the drawing-room for Lady Manderly to sign. And by then it was lunch time.

      Jemima was relieved to find that this was a substantial meal, which meant that she need only get herself a sandwich or beans on toast or an egg in the evening, and since Lady Manderly had a good appetite, she was able to enjoy her lunch down to the last mouthful. The coffee was frightful, though, and Jemima made up her mind to do something about that just as soon as she had got to know the members of the household.

      Lady Manderly rested after lunch, she told Jemima, and liked to be read to, so Jemima made her comfortable on the day bed, draped a series of shawls around her massive person, and took a chair close by. She was to read one of Agatha Christie’s earlier books, one she had read at least twice herself. She had got as far as the second chapter when she was brought up short by a tremendous snore from her companion. There was no point in going on, so she marked the place carefully and sat back in her chair, glad of a few minutes’ quiet. So far, she thought, she wasn’t doing too badly. Lady Manderly had watched her like a hawk during lunch, presumably to make sure that she knew which knives and forks to use, but she hadn’t actually grumbled once. The thought that the job was going to bore her to tears within a month she stifled at once; she was lucky to get work and until she could train for something else she hadn’t much choice.

      Lady Manderly woke presently and Jemima went on reading, just as though she had never left off. Coco had to be taken for a short walk before four o’clock tea, a welcome break before Jemima found herself behind the silver tea tray once more, this time flanked by plates of little sandwiches and cakes. She had handed Lady Manderly her tea and a plate and was offering her the sandwiches when the door opened and Professor Cator came in, and just ahead of him came the girl who had called at the office in Bloomsbury. She was looking more beautiful than ever, in knickerbockers again, this time plaid ones with a fetching little velvet waistcoat and a ridiculous velvet beret perched on her lovely head. She said: ‘Hullo, Lady Manderly, I made Alexander bring me here for tea—I’m dying for a cup.’ She pecked Lady Manderly’s cheek and grinned at Jemima. ‘Hullo to you too. Alexander said Lady Manderly had a new companion, though I must say you don’t look the part.’ She put her head on one side. ‘Well, perhaps you do—no glamour, poor dear, and you ought to do something with that mousy hair.’

      The Professor had gone to stand by the window after greeting his aunt briefly. He had barely glanced at Jemima, but now he stared at her thoughtfully so that she coloured and frowned. ‘I’ll ring for more cups,’ she said rather primly, and stood by the bell until Belling came into the room. She felt awkward and dreadfully plain, and although the girl hadn’t meant to be unkind, her words had poked a hole in Jemima’s pride—a hole made much worse by Lady Manderly telling her carelessly to go and have her tea in the room where she had been working that morning. ‘Find something to do,’ advised Lady Manderly, ‘and come back when I ring.’

      So Jemima tidied the desk and then sat behind it, longing for her tea and not sure if she was supposed to go in search of it or ring. Probably Belling would object to bringing it to her—after all, she wasn’t much better than a servant.

      She sat for five minutes or so, getting steadily more and more indignant. She was after all a don’s daughter who had enjoyed a social life of sorts, well educated, so that when presently Professor Cator opened the door and came into the room she gave him a look of dislike as well as surprise.

      ‘Ah, you have had no tea,’ he observed in a bland voice which made her grit her teeth.

      ‘I don’t want any, thank you, Professor Cator,’ said Jemima while she thought longingly of a whole teapot full, with sandwiches to go with it.

      He took no notice of her at all, but pulled the bell rope and when Belling came, ordered tea to be brought at once. ‘And be so good as to put a second cup on the tray,’ he finished, and to Jemima’s annoyance, sat down.

      She could think of nothing to say; she sat behind the desk still, twiddling a pen between her fingers and wishing he would go away.

      Something he didn’t mean to do,

Скачать книгу