Page 27 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

And finally Giles’s mother appeared, stepping down between the prince and William, in a mauve-grey wool coat, a grey hat with iridescent cock feathers, a mink cape and a huge mink muff. She straightened, shook away the prince’s hand, and walked up to Giles, extending her neck, tortoise-like, for his dutiful kiss, and ignoring Kitty.

‘Welcome to Ashmore, Mother,’ Giles said. ‘How was your journey? You’re looking well.’

Actually, he thought, she was. She seemed to have put on a little flesh, and had some colour in her cheeks.

She gave him a cold look. ‘I suppose that is your idea of a joke, Stainton.’

Well, he thought resignedly, I didn’t expect her first words to me to be, ‘It’s wonderful to see you again, my son.’

Kitty actually preferred to be ignored, but if she was going to be told off, better to get it over with. ‘We got your letter,’ she said. ‘We’ve prepared everything just as you asked.’

Maud gave her a look even colder. ‘When I was mistress here, things were done as I ordered them to be. It was not necessary to mention it.’

Giles grew a little impatient. ‘Have you come home simply to complain about everything, Mother dear?’

She drew herself up another inch. ‘No. I have come home to die,’ she said.

Down in Piccadilly, maids’ heads were together. ‘And then she said, “I came home to die,”’ said Tilda, impressively.

Milly’s eyes were round. ‘Ooh! I never! Did she really?’

‘You could have knocked me down with a feather!’

‘She didn’t say that,’ said Doris. ‘She said, “I came home today.”’

Daisy was impatient. ‘Don’t be stupid. We know she came home today. We were there.’

‘I thought she said, “I came home tidy,”’ said Addy.

‘Well, why would she say that?’ Tilda said, annoyed at being cheated of her story.

‘On account of his lordship had just asked her if she had a good journey,’ said Addy, slowly, thinking it out. ‘And she was lettin’ him know she didn’t get all blown about on the ship.’

‘You’re all idiots,’ Daisy said. ‘Tilda’s right, she said she came home to die. I heard it clear.’

‘But what can it mean?’ Milly said.

Mrs Webster and Afton appeared at that moment and Afton said sternly, ‘It’s not for you to gossip about Upstairs. Get about your work.’

They scuttled away, and Afton said quietly to Mrs Webster, ‘In fact, it’s all they do have to gossip about, poor things. But discipline must be maintained.’

‘Quite,’ said Mrs Webster. ‘You heard her say it, though, didn’t you, Mr Afton?’

‘You know her better than me. Is it the sort of thing she says – for effect, perhaps, or to gain sympathy?’

‘Never. I couldn’t have been more surprised.’ She sighed. ‘If it’s true, it means she’ll be here for a long stay, and great unpleasantness at the end of it.’ She contemplated it glumly.

The house boy Wilfrid ran up and divided a message impartially between them. ‘Luggage comin’ in! Mountains of it. And two servants – foreign ones!’

Miss Taylor had positioned herself in the Van Dyck room, having left her stick outside. She could manage for short periods without it, and it was obviously impossible to fetch and carry and help someone undress while holding one.

A strange young woman entered bearing a valise, beamed nervously at Taylor and said, in a heavy accent, ‘I am Elke, please.’

‘I am Miss Taylor, her highness’s personal attendant. Is that her bag for immediate use?’

‘Please?’

‘Put it down over there. I shall attend to it.’