Rake's Progress Read Free

at him contemptuously. ‘You take the time, fellow, do you not?’ he remarked with exquisite insolence. He stood aside as two gentlemen mounted the steps.
    â€˜Well, this isn’t too bad,’ said Lord Guy, strolling into the hall with Mr Tommy Roger. ‘Not bad at all,’ he said, one wicked blue eye rolling in Alice’s direction.
    Rainbird began introducing the servants. Smoke from the burning cheroot was beginning to send curls of smoke out from under the cook’s cap. Rainbird banged MacGregor on the head when he felt he was unobserved in the hope of extinguishing it. When he came to the women, Lord Guy smiled charmingly on Mrs Middleton, grinned at Jenny, winked at Lizzie, caught Alice around the waist, drew her to him, and planted a lazy, caressing kiss full on her mouth.
    Alice looked up at him in a dazed way.
    â€˜My lord,’ said Rainbird repressively, ‘you will wish to see your rooms.’
    Mrs Middleton took Alice, who was standing with her mouth open, firmly by the hand and led her downstairs, signalling to the other women to follow.
    â€˜Draw me a bath, will you?’ said Lord Guy. ‘Rainbird, I think you said your name was. This is my servant, Manuel. Look after him. He’s a capital chap.’
    There was a loud crash as Mr Tommy Roger fell over on the tiled floor and began to snore.
    â€˜And black coffee,’ said Lord Guy. ‘I do not plan to celebrate my first night in Town alone. Sober Mr Roger, please, after you have drawn my bath.’
    â€˜Yes, my lord,’ said Rainbird woodenly.
    â€˜And send that fair-haired beauty up to scrub my back.’
    â€˜Of course, my lord,’ said Rainbird, determined to humour him. He was sure Lord Guy was asdrunk as his friend and would probably fall asleep in his bath. He led the way upstairs.
    The ground floor of the house consisted of front and back parlours, the first floor of a dining room and bedroom. There were two bedrooms above that, and above that, the attics.
    With the exception of little Lizzie, who washed herself regularly under the pump, the servants frowned on bathing, thinking it a pernicious practice. It endangered the health, everyone knew that.
    So it took some time to prepare my lord’s bath, since said bath was in the cellar and full of firewood.
    At last Joseph and Rainbird carried its coffin-like shape upstairs. Rainbird told Angus and Dave to help carry the cans of hot water, for he did not want any of the maids to be left alone with Lord Guy who, Rainbird was fast deciding, showed all the signs of being a rake.
    In the meantime, Lord Guy had demolished a bottle of champagne. It had served only to deepen the wicked look in his blue eyes and to make him look livelier than ever.
    With the help of Manuel, his Spanish servant, he stripped off and sank down into the bath. ‘Hey, Manuel,’ he said, ‘go find me that gorgeous creature.’
    Manuel bowed, immediately identifying the ‘gorgeous creature’ as Alice.
    He walked downstairs and into the servants’ hall, where they were all busily discussing the new tenant. Their voices died and they surveyed him insilence. Manuel was small in stature and dressed in black-velvet livery ornamented with pink silk braid. His hair was smooth and black like shiny leather and his skin was olive. His liquid dark eyes were expressionless, his nose was small and thin, and his slightly protruding teeth gave his small mouth a rabbity look.
    He beckoned Alice. ‘My lord wishes you,’ he said.
    Alice blushed and made to step forward.
    â€˜No,’ said Rainbird. ‘If my lord wishes anything, I shall fetch it, or Joseph here.’
    The Spanish manservant shrugged. Then he walked towards Alice and seized the maid’s hand and started to drag her out. Rainbird leapt forward, wrenched Alice away and gave Manuel a push that sent him flying.
    Manuel fished in his pocket and produced a long stiletto knife, which he