Page 29 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

Elke saw eyes on her, ‘Please?’ she said.

Rose shoved her firmly towards the last seat in the middle of the table. ‘She doesn’t understand a word of English,’ she said, going to her own chair.

Webster lowered her voice. ‘The prince’s man doesn’t either, but Mr Afton showed him to his place.’ The valet, tall and thin like his master, but younger, dark-haired and balding at the front, sat impassively in the place next to Afton.

‘How is her ladyship, Miss Taylor?’ Rose asked.

‘Her ladyship does not discuss her health.’

‘I couldn’t believe she said what she said, right out in front of everyone.’

‘Well, I think it’s terrible sad,’ Milly said, with a sentimental sigh. ‘And her only married a few months.’

‘It’s nice for her that she’ll be able to spend her last days here,’ Ellen said, ‘instead of some nasty foreign place where she doesn’t know anyone.’

‘Days, Miss Taylor?’ Mrs Webster asked, in a low voice. ‘Or months? Was any indication given?’

Miss Taylor didn’t bother to repeat her previous statement. She just gave Mrs Webster a withering look.

‘Either way,’ Rose said, ‘it looks like you’re not going to keep your job long. You celebrated too soon.’

‘Do you see me celebrating?’ Miss Taylor said, giving the withering look another outing.

‘“My mistress outranks yours,”’ Rose imitated her.

‘That’s enough, Rose,’ Mrs Webster rebuked. ‘Grace, Mr Afton?’

When amen was said, Mrs Webster started ladling soup, and Crooks picked up the bread basket and offered it to the German valet. ‘Bread, Mr Usingen?’

He looked uncomprehending for a moment, and then said, ‘Usingen. Ja.’

‘I believe that means yes,’ Crooks enlightened the table. ‘In their language.’

‘I think we got that, Mr Crooks,’ Cyril said, ‘on account of he nodded his head.’

The valet took a piece of bread, sniffed it uncertainly, and then said, ‘Danke.’

Crooks turned to translate this for everyone, and Mrs Webster said under her breath, ‘Oh, this is going to be fun,’ and then loudly, ‘I wonder if the prince is going to stay here the whole time. Is your German good enough to ask that, Mr Crooks?’

‘I fear not, Mrs Webster,’ Crooks said. ‘But no doubt we will be told of the arrangements when it is appropriate.’

Rose, passing soup plates down, said, ‘Lady Linda speaks German. She’ll get it out of one of them all right.’

‘And you’ll get it out of her,’ Miss Hatto said, but so quietly no-one heard her.

At dinner, Kitty said to her mother-in-law, ‘If there’s anything we can do to make you more comfortable, you must tell us.’

Maud raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Was my letter of instruction not clear?’

Kitty flinched at the rebuke, and looked down at her plate.

The prince said something in German.

The princess snapped, ‘Auf Englisch!’

Effortfully, he said to Kitty, ‘You have here a very pretty house, Lady Stainton. Do you make much stay in the country?’

Kitty gathered herself. ‘We live here most of the time,’ she said.