scarf. ‘No doubt she’ll want to be as refreshed as possible for her wedding to Prince Charming.’
Constance felt her anger rising when he looked up and continued mockingly. ‘I must say I was surprised when I saw him. Such a dapper little chap, sitting there telling you of his honourable intentions just as if he were a gentleman. I’m sure he could have the pick of the daughters of the more prosperous commercial families and yet he is content to marry a servant.’
‘She’s never been like a servant!’ Mrs Sowerby’s outburst was so vehement that both her son and Constance turned to look at her.
‘What do you mean?’ Gerald seemed genuinely surprised. ‘As far as I know she has always performed her duties satisfactorily.’
‘You are a fool, Gerald.’ His mother’s tone was scathing. ‘Always taken in by outward show. Have you never noticed her manner?’
‘I’m sure she’s always appeared to be quite properly modest and reserved.’
‘Supercilious and secretive more like! And her voice - it is not the voice of a servant!’
‘No ... you’re right ...’ Gerald’s murmur of agreement betrayed surprise. He looked at Constance speculatively and then, suddenly, he walked over to her and lifted up a strand of her hair. ‘And this hair...’ He let the silky curls fall and placed his knuckles under her chin to raise her face. ‘And these eyes ... are they blue or violet?’
Constance held her breath. She was unnerved to find herself so close to him and her eyes widened with alarm as she found she couldn’t avoid his amused gaze. She tried to turn her head away but he began to stroke the line of her jaw and the soft flesh underneath with the back of his fingers. She felt a pulse throbbing in her neck as she cringed at his touch, but pride made her raise her chin and hold his stare.
‘And this soft skin,’ he said. ‘You are quite right, Mother. I wonder why I have not bothered to notice before how very unlike a servant Constance is.’ Gerald’s face mottled with sudden heat. His breath smelled of brandy.
‘That’s enough!’ His mother’s voice was sharp but Gerald took his time to drop his hand and step back. He was laughing but, when Constance saw the look in his eyes, she felt a frisson of fear.
‘Constance, I have decided that you need not wait until tomorrow.’ Mrs Sowerby’s voice was cold. ‘Go up and collect your belongings and leave now.’
‘Now? But, until I am married in the morning, I have nowhere to go!’
‘That is not my concern. You have no more duties here, there is no reason to stay.’
She stared at the doctor’s wife, aghast. Mrs Sowerby had never been easy to work for but, as she was neither pleasant nor considerate to any of the servants, Constance had never taken it personally. Now she saw that the woman disliked her intensely and was enjoying venting her spite.
‘Take nothing from this house that you did not bring with you. If you do, I shall know where to find you. And be sure that you leave by the servants’ entrance. Dr Sowerby will go down to lock up at eleven o’clock; you must be gone by then.’
Chapter Two
‘Fancy throwing you out at this time of night - doesn’t she know that’s wicked?’
Nella stood shivering in her nightgown, clutching a shawl around her skinny shoulders with one hand and holding a candle with the other. The light gleamed on her pale, bony face and cast a cruelly exaggerated shadow of her crooked body on the sloping wall of the eaves behind her.
‘If she does, she doesn’t care.’
‘Well, she should. All them improving texts she makes us read. What about “Do unto others as you would they should do unto you”? How would she like it if you threw her out on the street?’
‘You don’t think Mrs Sowerby believes in any of that, do you, Nella? That kind of thing is only to keep us in our place. “Be obedient unto your
Constance felt her anger rising when he looked up and continued mockingly. ‘I must say I was surprised when I saw him. Such a dapper little chap, sitting there telling you of his honourable intentions just as if he were a gentleman. I’m sure he could have the pick of the daughters of the more prosperous commercial families and yet he is content to marry a servant.’
‘She’s never been like a servant!’ Mrs Sowerby’s outburst was so vehement that both her son and Constance turned to look at her.
‘What do you mean?’ Gerald seemed genuinely surprised. ‘As far as I know she has always performed her duties satisfactorily.’
‘You are a fool, Gerald.’ His mother’s tone was scathing. ‘Always taken in by outward show. Have you never noticed her manner?’
‘I’m sure she’s always appeared to be quite properly modest and reserved.’
‘Supercilious and secretive more like! And her voice - it is not the voice of a servant!’
‘No ... you’re right ...’ Gerald’s murmur of agreement betrayed surprise. He looked at Constance speculatively and then, suddenly, he walked over to her and lifted up a strand of her hair. ‘And this hair...’ He let the silky curls fall and placed his knuckles under her chin to raise her face. ‘And these eyes ... are they blue or violet?’
Constance held her breath. She was unnerved to find herself so close to him and her eyes widened with alarm as she found she couldn’t avoid his amused gaze. She tried to turn her head away but he began to stroke the line of her jaw and the soft flesh underneath with the back of his fingers. She felt a pulse throbbing in her neck as she cringed at his touch, but pride made her raise her chin and hold his stare.
‘And this soft skin,’ he said. ‘You are quite right, Mother. I wonder why I have not bothered to notice before how very unlike a servant Constance is.’ Gerald’s face mottled with sudden heat. His breath smelled of brandy.
‘That’s enough!’ His mother’s voice was sharp but Gerald took his time to drop his hand and step back. He was laughing but, when Constance saw the look in his eyes, she felt a frisson of fear.
‘Constance, I have decided that you need not wait until tomorrow.’ Mrs Sowerby’s voice was cold. ‘Go up and collect your belongings and leave now.’
‘Now? But, until I am married in the morning, I have nowhere to go!’
‘That is not my concern. You have no more duties here, there is no reason to stay.’
She stared at the doctor’s wife, aghast. Mrs Sowerby had never been easy to work for but, as she was neither pleasant nor considerate to any of the servants, Constance had never taken it personally. Now she saw that the woman disliked her intensely and was enjoying venting her spite.
‘Take nothing from this house that you did not bring with you. If you do, I shall know where to find you. And be sure that you leave by the servants’ entrance. Dr Sowerby will go down to lock up at eleven o’clock; you must be gone by then.’
Chapter Two
‘Fancy throwing you out at this time of night - doesn’t she know that’s wicked?’
Nella stood shivering in her nightgown, clutching a shawl around her skinny shoulders with one hand and holding a candle with the other. The light gleamed on her pale, bony face and cast a cruelly exaggerated shadow of her crooked body on the sloping wall of the eaves behind her.
‘If she does, she doesn’t care.’
‘Well, she should. All them improving texts she makes us read. What about “Do unto others as you would they should do unto you”? How would she like it if you threw her out on the street?’
‘You don’t think Mrs Sowerby believes in any of that, do you, Nella? That kind of thing is only to keep us in our place. “Be obedient unto your
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