Page 16 of The Affairs of Ashmore Castle

‘Oh,’ said Kitty. Then, with an effort, ‘We needn’t dress tonight, if you don’t want. As there’s no company.’

Giles nodded. ‘Good. Then I shall see you at the dinner table.’

He was obviously about to leave, and she asked, almost at random, just to keep him a moment longer, ‘Did Adeane say anything about Aaron Cutmore?’

‘Cutmore? The woodsman?’ She nodded. ‘How do you come to know about him?’

‘Alice said something about him retiring. I don’t know how she heard. He had an accident, I think she said.’

‘Cut his foot badly, and it’s not healing properly, and he’s feeling his age all of a sudden. So he wants to retire. Going to live with his sister and brother-in-law in the village, I understand.’

‘Have you found someone else for the job?’

‘Adeane’s got someone lined up. Why the sudden interest?’

‘Just because Alice was talking about it, that’s all.’

‘You can tell her we’re going to offer it to the assistant blacksmith, Josh Brandom’s brother,’ Giles said. ‘She’ll know who that is – she was always hanging about the forge when she was younger.’

‘The blacksmith?’ Kitty queried. ‘Is that an odd choice?’

‘I don’t know much about him, but Adeane thinks he has all the woodcraft skills he needs. And he’s young and strong, which is an advantage. Well, I must be off. They’re waiting for me.’

And, with a nod, he was gone, the dogs pattering after him.

Kitty sighed, and picked up her needle again. At least she would have something to tell Alice at luncheon – though there was never any difficulty in getting Alice to talk.

She had hardly done a dozen stitches when she became aware that she needed the closet, and heaved herself carefully to her feet. They’d had washdown water-closets at home: here there were chamber pots at night, and the two closets – one on this floor and one on the floor below – had to be emptied at night by the close-man. She had never dared to voice distaste for the system. She could imagine the reproach it would provoke: middle-class squeamishness. What else could you expect of a jam heiress?

As she reached the door, her foot caught in a hole in the carpet. Ungainly and heavy, she was unable to recover herself, and went sprawling, face down, half through the doorway into the corridor.

She lay breathless, shocked. The baby! her mind cried. Have I hurt the baby? She couldn’t move or make a sound for sheer fright.

Someone was coming – one of the maids. It was the sewing-maid, Dory, with a basket of mending. ‘Are you all right, my lady? Did you faint?’

‘Tripped,’ Kitty was able to say. ‘Carpet.’

Dory knelt beside her. ‘Let me turn you over.’ She got Kitty on her back, propped against her knee, and said, ‘By your leave, my lady . . .’ She laid a firm but gentle hand on Kitty’s bulge. ‘Have you got a pain anywhere?’

‘I – I don’t think so,’ Kitty said. ‘But I fell. The baby! Have I hurt it?’

‘You’ve had a shock,’ said Dory, ‘but if you’ve no pain, that’s a good sign. We’ll get you to your room, and you can rest. Try not to worry. Babies are very tough, you know.’

Kitty looked up into the kindly face. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I came from a big family, my lady. And I had one of my own. So I do know a bit about babies.’

Here now was Uncle Sebastian, hurrying towards them. ‘I’ll ring for help,’ he said at once.

‘No, please, I think I can get up,’ Kitty said. Between them they got her to her feet, and helped her back to the sofa in the Peacock Room.

‘You should be carried to your room,’ Uncle Sebastian said. ‘I’ll ring for a couple of footmen. And the doctor must be sent for. I suppose Giles is out somewhere. Do you want your maid?’

‘I’m all right, I think,’ Kitty said. ‘Just a little shaken.’

‘Don’t fuss her,’ Dory said in a low voice. ‘Let her be.’

Even in her shaken state, Kitty thought it was an odd way for the maid to address him – as though they were equals, or old friends. ‘I’ll just rest here for a bit,’ she said. ‘Then I can walk back to my room.’