Page 115 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

‘I’m sure I never meant—’

‘It seems to me that’s exactly what you meant. I’ll tell you plainly – and this goes for you, Olive, and Joe, as well – the master has waited all his life to meet the woman who could win his heart. And if you don’t care for him enough to welcome her, you had better find another place.’

Olive stared anxiously at Mrs May for her reaction. It was a good place. She didn’t want to give it up. She looked at Crooks. ‘I s’pose if the master really loves her . . .’

From the drawing-room, the sound of the piano started up – a halting scale going up then, even less certainly, down.

‘He’s teaching her to play the piano,’ Crooks said. He saw that the significance was beyond two-thirds of them at least. ‘The master has chosen a wife and he loves her with all his heart. You’ll treat her as you treat him, or he’ll have your hide.’

There was a brief, thoughtful silence, then Joe said, ‘I think she’s really pretty. The mistress, I mean.’

Crooks smiled at him. ‘One person, at least, who understands his own interests.’

Joe, who had meant it simply and literally, didn’t understand the implication of the words, but he accepted the smile.

‘It’s hard,’ Dory said, working her way again up the scale of C with hands that had quite other ideas.

‘Everything worthwhile is hard,’ Sebastian said. ‘Except being married to you, which is as easy as breathing.’

‘For you, perhaps,’ she said, then looked up quickly and said, ‘Oh, I didn’t mean—’

‘I know what you meant. Didn’t you have servants when you were a girl? When you lived with your papa?’

‘Only Mrs Higgins, who came in to scrub and do the heavy wash.’

‘And did Mrs Higgins ever say, “I’m not taking orders from you”?’

Dory smiled. ‘I was only a child. I didn’t give orders.’

‘Very well,’ Sebastian said patiently. ‘When you go into Poining’s to buy some thread, Mrs Poining greets you with a smile and waits on you. She doesn’t scowl and say, “It’s over there, get it yourself,” does she?’

‘That’s different,’ Dory began.

‘It isn’t, though. You are the customer and it’s her job to serve you. This house is my shop, and my servants are paid to wait on you.’

‘Easy for you to say.’ She stood up. ‘My hands are aching, I must rest a moment. Will you play for me?’ He took her place on the piano stool, and let out a ripple of scales like running water. ‘Oh, now you’re humiliating me,’ she said, with a laugh.

He looked up at her with a fondness that made her catch her breath. ‘I can’t cut out, hem, sew a seam, darn or embroider. Your skills are far more useful than mine. You are a more worthwhile human being than me, as well as being a hundred times better to look at.’

She laid a hand on his shoulder, and it still gave her a little jolt of pleasure that she was entitled to do so. ‘Just tell me how I should behave to them,’ she said, going to the meaning behind his compliment.

‘Be pleasant and firm, just as you would be to Mrs Poining, or any other shop assistant. They will soon get used to your altered status, I promise you. And you will, too – Mrs Tallant.’

‘When it comes to playing the piano, Mrs No-talent-at-all.’

‘Mrs Far-too-impatient! One lesson is all you’ve had. You must stick at it.’

‘I shall, but play something for me now. The Chopin I like.’

He obeyed, and grinned up at her as his fingers coaxed out the familiar notes. ‘I wonder if they’ll think this is you, and be in awe of you?’

‘I doubt it,’ she laughed.

‘I don’t see why not. I am,’ he said.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Linda came down at last, with the doctor scurrying behind her, feeling it should be his privilege to announce the news.