The Lady and the Lake (21 page)

‘I
did,
Sir,’
said
the
housekeeper
calmly,
‘on
your
mother’s
instructions.’

Maggie
clapped
her
hands
to
her
mouth,
her
eyes
like
saucers
once
more,
looking
at
us
all
in
disbelief.

‘Go
back
to
the
kitchen,
Maggie
please,’
said
Antony
Kershaw
gently,
‘none
of
this
is
your
fault,
indeed
I
thank
you
for
fetching
me.’
At
his
words
Maggie
did
as
she
was
bid,
but
not
before
she’d
dropped
a
brief
curtsey
to
her
master.

‘Mrs
Grafton,
this
is
not
the
way
I
wish
my
household
to
be
run,’
he
admonished
her.
‘You
have
given
loyal
service
for
many
years,
but
I
didn’t
expect
your
loyalty
to
my
mother
to
extend
to
this.’

‘And
where
is
your
mother?’
I
said
speaking
for
the
first
time,
‘for
I
wish
to
speak
to
her,
no,
I
intend
to
speak
to
her.’

‘Miss
Sinclair,’
Antony
Kershaw
said
turning
to
me,
‘I
know
how
vexed
you
must
be,
but
not
tonight
please.’

‘Vexed!’
I
shouted
the
word,
‘I
am
seething
with
anger
and
can
no
longer
contain
it.’
So
saying
I
pushed
past
them
both
and
picking
up
my
skirts
headed
for
the
stone
staircase,
both
the
Master
and
the
housekeeper
not
far
behind
me.

‘Miss
Sinclair,’
Mr
Kershaw’s
voice
shouted
after
me,
but
to
no
avail
I
moved
faster
and
burst
without
ceremony
into
his
mother’s
sitting
room.
The
room
was
quite
dark
with
only
an
oil
lamp
burning
by
her
chair.
Thankfully
I
could
at
least
see
her.

‘What
is
this
Miss
Sinclair?’
she
shouted
at
me
quite
startled
sitting
up
straighter
in
her
chair.

‘How
dare
you
lock
me
in
my
room
like
some
naughty
child,’
I
screamed
at
her,
‘I’m
twenty-five
years
of
age
and
have
done
nothing
to
you.
Yet
since
I
arrived
here
you
seem
intent
on
disliking
me.’

‘You
went
against
my
wishes
and
spent
the
day
with
my
nephew,’
she
said
quietly.

‘Well
I
can
assure
you
I
shan’t
be
spending
time
with
him
in
the
future,
for
he
is
nothing
but
a
charming
philanderer,’
I
said
quite
truthfully.

‘I’ll
thank
you
not
to
speak
like
that
about
Thomas,’
Henrietta
said
harshly,
‘I
will
not
have
it.’

‘Well,
before
you
dismiss
me,
Miss
Henrietta
Kershaw,
I
resign,
for
to
stay
in
this
house
any
longer
would
be
torture,’
I
said
with
triumph,
pleased
that
I
had
at
last
answered
her
back.

‘And
where
were
you
today,
Miss
Sinclair
at
two
o’clock
when
I
requested
that
you
read
to
me?
For
after
all
that
is
what
I
employed
you
for.’
Mrs
Kershaw’s
words
were
true
and
she
spoke
them
in
a
much
softer
tone.

‘For
that,
I
apologise,’
I
conceded,
‘for
I
shouldn’t
have
gone
with
Thomas,
but
unfortunately
I
let
my
heart
rule
my
head.’

‘Quite
out
of
character
I
should imagine
Abigail,
but
I
accept
your
apology,
you
have
spirit
and
I
like
a
girl
with
spirit.’
I
could
not
believe
that
Henrietta
Kershaw
had
spoken
these
words.

‘Please
stay,
Miss
Sinclair,’
Antony
Kershaw’s
voice
cut
across
our
conversation.
‘Don’t
be
hasty,’
he
implored.
I
turned
to
look
at
him
and
saw
Mrs
Grafton
hovering
in
the
doorway.

‘I’m
tired
now,’
said
the
old
lady,
‘please
leave
me
for
I
need
to
go
to
my
bed.
Sleep
on
it,
girl,’
she
directed
at
me,
‘and
we
shall
continue
this
conversation
another
time.’

‘Very
well,’
I
agreed
and
bade
her
goodnight.
Mrs
Grafton
stayed
with
her
mistress
while
Antony
Kershaw
and
I
walked
together
along
the
corridor.

‘Please
accompany
me
to
the
drawing
room,
Miss
Sinclair,
for
I
wish
to
talk
to
you,’
he
requested.
So
I
followed
him
and
entered
one
of
the
hallowed
rooms
of
Kerslake
Hall.

‘Would
you
like
a
glass
of
sherry
to
calm
your
nerves,
Miss
Sinclair,
or perhaps
a
strong
cup
of
sweet
tea,’
he
asked.

‘Tea
sounds
wonderful.’
As
I
spoke
he
pulled
a
cord
by
the
fireplace
and
in
no
time
at
all
Maggie
appeared,
her
expression
agog
as
to
what
was
going
on.