Page 130 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

‘Very well,’ he said, before Afton could apologise and make him feel worse. ‘I’ll put it in hand. I assume you’ll continue as you are until a replacement can be found?’

‘Of course, my lord. And I’m very grateful.’

Moss paused at the door to the kitchen until the cook looked up, then greeted her with a large and genial smile. ‘Ah, Mrs Terry.’

‘Mr Moss. How nice to see you here again. What do we owe the pleasure to?’

‘Mrs Webster invited me to tea. Something smells delicious.’

‘A beefsteak pie for upstairs dinner. It’s only his lordship and her ladyship and Mr Richard tonight, but we shall be getting busy again on Saturday, with a whole party coming for the shooting.’

‘Yes, so I understand,’ said Moss.

Mrs Webster appeared at his elbow in the catlike way she had. ‘We’ll have tea in my room, Mr Moss. Will you come? You may send it in, Mrs Terry.’

Moss looked about him keenly as he followed her to the housekeeper’s room. ‘It’s good to see that nothing has changed,’ he remarked. ‘Except the pictures on your mantelpiece,’ he added, as he entered behind her. ‘You have them the other way around.’

‘A remarkable power of noticing you have, Mr Moss,’ Mrs Webster commented coolly.

‘Essential for a butler, I believe,’ Moss said, pleased with what had not been meant as a compliment. The round table was pulled out and laid for tea. ‘And is that a new tea set?’

‘Different, not new. It was in the very top of the cupboard.’

‘Ah, yes, I remember now. Your predecessor used it sometimes. It came from upstairs originally, when breakages rendered it unusable for the family.’

‘So I supposed. There isn’t much of it left, but enough for my purposes. It’s pretty, isn’t it, with the bluebells and primroses?’

‘More suitable for spring, perhaps,’ he said, taking the seat to which she had gestured. ‘And laid for three, I see.’

‘Mr Afton is joining us. Ah, here he is now.’

Moss rose again. Greetings were exchanged. Ivy followed Afton in with the tea tray, everything was set out, and Mrs Webster began to pour. ‘You like it strong, I believe, Mr Moss? And do have a scone while they’re hot.’

There was Mrs Terry’s latest batch of blackcurrant jam to go with them, and a cake. ‘Cherry, one of my favourites,’ Moss remarked, eyeing it.

‘Mrs Terry remembered,’ said Mrs Webster.

‘You’re looking well, Mr Moss,’ said Afton.

‘I’m feeling well, thank you,’ said Moss.

‘No recurrence of the trouble?’ Mrs Webster asked delicately. ‘No, indeed. That unhappy episode is all behind me and quite forgotten. I am as fit as I have ever been – fitter, in fact. I walked up the hill just now without stopping.’

‘I expect working in a quiet household has given you a nice rest,’ said Mrs Webster.

‘It is quiet,’ Moss said. ‘In fact, it is rather too quiet for me. Miss Eddowes is a true lady and I could not ask for a better mistress. But with only a cook and one girl under me, and very little in the way of entertaining, I must confess it is no challenge for someone of my experience. I was accustomed to commanding a large staff and running a great house. I frequently have too little to do.’ He sipped his tea. ‘Whereas you, Mr Afton, must be very busy. It is good to hear that the Castle is entertaining again. An earl’s house ought to set the example of hospitality for the whole neighbourhood.’ He looked up in time to intercept the quick glance that passed between Afton and Mrs Webster. ‘Just the family upstairs at the moment, I understand? And no young ladies?’

‘Lady Alice has gone back to London,’ said Mrs Webster. ‘Her classes have started again. Wonderfully keen not to miss any, she is.’

‘It’s an odd business,’ Moss said judiciously, ‘but I suppose there’s no real harm in it. There have been gently born female artists in the past,’ he added, ‘like, er . . .’ He couldn’t recall any names and covered the moment with a cough. ‘And Lady Rachel?’ he began again.

‘We haven’t seen her all summer,’ said Mrs Webster. ‘She went with the Prince and Princess Wittenstein-Glücksberg straight to Scotland. They’re staying with the Strathmores.’

‘Ah, then there may be an invitation to Balmoral,’ said Moss, pleased with the thought. ‘That would be a great thing for her.’

‘Lord and Lady Leake are in Scotland as well,’ Mrs Webster went on, ‘staying at Kincraig, of course, but I dare say there’ll be visits back and forth.’

‘Are they expected here?’