16
Mary, accompanied by Preuella, arrived at Mrs. Deering
house just as dark was falling the next day. Mary Had not been able to get away
from London as early in the day as she had hoped and had missed the first
train. Her Uncle had been most unsure of the plan, but the General had calmed
him down somewhat. As their carriage stopped in front of the pleasant but
somewhat modest home Mary was still fuming at the reluctance of her Uncle and
the General to let her go alone. They worried that a girl alone would be in
some sort of danger. As if, she thought, in the middle of England, the most
civilized country in the world, as far as she knew, that there would be a
thought…
It was only upon the assurance that Pruella would go
with her that she was “allowed” to go.
A footman and a butler greeted them at the door of the
house. While Pruella disappeared with the bags Mary was led into a small but
cozy sitting room where a rather fat and dumpy older woman sat underneath a
large blanket, despite the mildness of the evening.
The Butler coughed.
“Mrs. Mary XXXXX, my lady.” The Butler said.
“Mary!” the woman sprang to life as if she had been
sleeping, which Mary suspected she had been.
“Mrs. Deering, so good to see you again. Mother sends
her fondest regards too. I hope I am not too much of a burden this evening.”
“Nonsense, sit, sit.” Mary also suspected that far from
being a burden, her presence was a welcome change for the household. She
doubted that Mrs. Deering had too many visitors.
“Why Mary you have grown into quiet a woman. You have
some of your mother’s splendor.” Mary had to hide a quick smile. She had
forgotten Mrs. Deering’s peculiar habit of choosing words.
“You are so kind. I do hope we can have time to catch
up, but the train ride has been rather long. I do wonder if I may be able to
freshen up before tea?”
“Oh yes, yes, by all means, such an onerous trip for
such a young girl. You go and change; we’ll have tea in half an hour dearie!”
Mrs. Deering gave a cheerful wave from underneath her blanket.
Mary hurried up stairs as fast as she could behind the
slow as molasses butler. Once he had shown her to her room, and finding Pruella
there unpacking, Mary closed the door.
“Honestly
Pruella, this is some sort of hardship post. Not a minute with that
woman and I am already bored to tears practically. Have you found your maid
friend yet?”
“Yes Ma’am, she can come up after dinner for a moment. I
didn’t tell her much, just that you wanted to know about a person at the
Ingessldin house.”
“Wonderful, well done. Alright then, let’s get me
changed and then onwards to tea and then dinner!”
Tea was just Mary and Mrs. Deering, again in the study.
Mary was not sure that Mrs. Deering had moved an inch since she left her as she
was still buried underneath large blanket.
The long tea was fairly boring. Mary pictured that Mrs.
Deering was really just a small head and that the pile of clothes and blankets
that spread out underneath were just to hid some sort of puppeteer. Mary
imagined what would happen if she pulled the blanket away. Would a small man
jump out, surprised?
“Mary, Mary dearie, did you hear me?”
“Sorry Mrs. Deering, I must have wandered for a moment.”
“Oh, I do that from time to time too” Mrs. Said with a
chuckle.
I bet you do! Mary thought.
“I was saying that tonight we shall be joined by some
dinner guests.”
Oh thank God! Mary said to herself.
“That is lovely, who will it be?”
“Oh, Mr Smithee and his son, young Ambrose. A fine young
man, most fetching and of your age I should think.” Mrs. Deering all but
winked. Mary inwardly groaned. Some young suitor? Just what she did not need at
this point. She would be trapped, perhaps for hours, by some idiot farmer’s
son. What if she stayed up too late, how would she make her excuse, and only to
find the maid was no longer available for questioning. Ugh!
“Oh?” Was all she could think to reply.
“Well yes dearie. An young lady such as yourself should
be married off by now. I do wonder what your mother is doing that you have not
found a seemly fresh man yet.”
“Oh she is doing her utmost, I can assure you.”
Mary did her utmost to be charming that evening, but her
worst fears were revealed in multiple. The “young man” was more likely in his
thirties and a fat, slovenly type. He and his father drank too much and by the
end of dinner Mary felt as if she were a choice piece of ham hanging in the
butcher window. As much as she hated to do it, she pulled an oldie but a
goodie.
“Mrs. Deering, I do hate to be a bother, but I fear the
train ride out has left me with more trouble than I thought. I have a rather
bad headache and must beg your pardon so as I might retire.”
“Oh goodness yes dearie. I understand, those trains can
be so persistent. I’ll send the maid up with some milk.”
Mary wasn’t sure what that was supposed to accomplish,
but she nodded and smiled. The two fat farmer’s grunted something in a language
Mary was pretty sure was not English as she made her way out of the dining
room.
Once upstairs she found Pruella and sent for the maid.
Moments later an older pinched woman came into the room. Her face and body
seemed to have been pulled as if by a taffy machine. She was tall and rail thin
with slender hands and feet. She wore a dour expression on her face. At first
Mary was sure this must the wrong maid, but Pruella smiled and pushed the woman
gently forward.
“My Lady, this is Margery. She can help you.”
Margery stared down at the floor.
“Have a seat, please.” Mary said, gesturing to a chair
she had set opposite hers. Margery looked a little taken aback but then sat
down.
“Am I in trouble miss?” She said plaintively.
“Oh no, no heaven’s no. I just wanted to ask you about
some of the help around these parts, some of the servants working in the other
houses…”
“Yes Ma’am?” Margery sat up and seemed to visibly relax.
“Tell me, Margery, is there anyone by the name of
Weather around here?”
“Weather? Like, like the outside?”
“Well, yes, or spelled like weather or not kind of whether
too I suppose.”
“Not that I have ever heard of Ma’am.”
“Not perhaps at the Iggelsdin’s?”
“Ohhhh, no ma’am. No one by that name, unless they
picked up someone in London. It’s the season now you know.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Oh, yes, ‘course you do. No, no, they only have a few
there now. No one by the name of Weather.”
“Anyone there with a name like weather, like a Rain or Wind
or Snow. A Snow perhaps?”
“No” Margery shook her head. “There’s the Butler,
Mr.Thompson, he’s in London now, but his first footman is here, Mr. Dawson. And
then there’s the other footmen’s been left behind, Mr. Lang, Mr.Walton, Mr.
Burke…”
“Yes, yes, but something to do with weather?”
“And there’s the three downstairs maids left, them’s to
clean up the place some. Let’s see Ms. Long, Ms. Martin and Ms. Crample…
ohhhhhh.”
“What? Do you recall someone?”
“Well, no. No, it would’t be. I mean you’re asking about
Mr. or Miss, that’s what you’d know, right?”
“Well yes… and no. Tell me, even if it sounds wrong.”
Mary said, thinking of the fact that the name came from another maid, not
Mary’s people.
“Well, Ms Crumple, her Christian name is Sunny. You
know, like-“
‘The weather!” Mary said clapping her hands together.
“Oh Margery you have been such a help. Here, this is for you.” Mary reached
into a small bag and drew out several coins.
“Oh no miss, I couldn’t. Anyone could have told you
about Ms. Crumple.”
“Oh no, it’s not for that. It’s to keep your mouth shut,
are we clear?”
Margery’s expression was one of shock, but she slowly
nodded.
“Sorry, I hate to be crude, but really, if we could keep
this between ourselves, at least for a few days?”
“Yes ma’am. Safe as houses with me.”
Margery stood up and, bowing slightly to Mary, left the
room.
“Thank you Preuella, your instincts on that one were
right on.”
“It was nothing my lady. But, if you don’t mind me
saying so, I am not entirely sure we can trust her not to tell anyone.”
Mary put her hand up. “I know, I know, I just hope she
can keep her mouth shut for a few days.”
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