Page 43 of The Fortunes of Ashmore Castle

‘I expect so,’ Rose said. ‘What does that mean?’

‘“Dirty”,’ said Linda. ‘Why?’

‘Oh, the German servants below stairs. Something that was said, that’s all,’ Rose said vaguely. ‘It’s a bit awkward them not speaking English.’

‘Taylor speaks German well enough now,’ Linda said dismissively. ‘She can translate.’

‘Yes, my lady. The tortoiseshell combs? Or the jet?’

Rose cornered Adolf in the visiting valet’s room, where he was polishing the prince’s boots.

‘What have you been up to, Mr Usingen?’ she demanded. ‘Have you been bothering the housemaids?’

He turned and examined her slowly up and down with an undressing look. Rose, however, had dealt with that sort of thing too many times before and looked straight back. He said something in German that sounded like a denial.

She narrowed her eyes. ‘You understood what I said, otherwise you couldn’t have answered me. Speak English!’

‘Oh, Miss Rose, you are very sharp,’ he said. ‘A rose has many thorns, is it not?’

‘You’re not the first man to say that, so don’t think you’re clever. And don’t think you can smarm me, either.’

‘I don’t know what is smarm, but I have no interest in you, Miss Rose. You are . . .’ He held his palms six inches apart and moved them up and down. ‘I like girls who are . . .’ Now he used the hands to describe a roundness that was almost a full circle. And he grinned.

Rose bristled. ‘Oh, yes, I know your sort, Mr Usingen. Interfering with girls too silly to know better, getting your pleasure at their expense.’

He moved a step closer, looking insistently into her face. ‘But I am not Mr Usingen. My name is Adolf. You must call me Adolf.’

‘I’ll call you with the back of my hand if you fiddle with my girls. I’ll tell his lordship. I’ll tell your master.’

He laughed. ‘Oh, but you will not. There must not be a fuss. And housemaids do not speak to masters. It is not done.’ He stepped closer again, and she held her ground, refusing to flinch from him, though they were almost nose to nose. ‘You have much spirit, Rose of the thorns, I like that. Even though you are too mager for my taste, I like you.’

Like a snake striking, he seized her round the waist, pulled her close and fastened his lips to hers. She was wiry and strong from housework, but he was taller and more powerful, and she struggled in vain. When he released her she rubbed at her mouth furiously, bristling like a cat.

He only laughed. ‘Ach so!’ he said. ‘Now you have kissed me too, so you cannot complain about the others. You are as bad as them.’

She stared for a moment, then walked away. There was nothing she could do or say that would enhance her dignity.

‘Mr Usingen, can I have a word with you?’

Adolf turned and looked down at Afton as he stood in the doorway. ‘Bitte?’ he said.

‘Ah,’ said Afton. ‘Now we have a little problem to overcome. I don’t speak German, but I know you speak English. However, if you refuse to, I can always ask Lady Linda to translate for us. Or her highness. Would you really like one of them to hear what I have to say?’

Adolf thought for a moment, then smiled. ‘You are a clever man. And a handsome one! No doubt you are having pleasure with the maids yourself. If you tell me which ones you favour, I will leave them alone. There are plenty, enough for both.’

Afton gave him a look of distaste. ‘We don’t do things that way in this house.’

‘That is hard to believe.’

‘I don’t really care what you believe, Mr Usingen. You will cease to interfere with the maids from this moment.’

Adolf looked almost merry. ‘But, Mr Afton, what can you do?’ He jumped into a mock pugilist pose. ‘Handgreiflichkeiten? But you, handsome man, clever man, you are also small man, smaller than me. It would not go well with you.’

Afton did not smile. ‘I have no intention of fighting you, though if I did, you’d learn a thing or two. Where I grew up, we had to take care of ourselves. But if you do not leave the maids alone, I will go to my master, and he will speak to yours. You are abusing our hospitality, and that is an insult to my master, and thus to his mother, who is your master’s wife. I think the prince will not care to have her insulted.’

Adolf sighed theatrically. ‘I understand. You wish to keep all the maids for yourself. You are – how is it said? – dog in the manger. I will leave them alone, as you ask.’ He twinkled at Afton. ‘My friend, you should have the fat ones first. They are more bequem.’

Mrs Webster and Rose called all the maids together before servants’ supper, crowding them into Mrs Webster’s room and closing the doors. And under two sets of eagle eyes they listened in silence to the warning to steer clear of the German valet. Some of the maids had cast-down eyes, some were blushing – though that may simply have been because of the subject – and some simply looked bewildered.