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‘That’s splendid—is she paying you enough?’
‘Quite enough, love. I shall manage splendidly. I’m to start on Monday, which is just right, isn’t it? I’ll be able to see you off on Sunday morning.’ She smiled a little ruefully as she spoke; Dick had already turned back to his book, obviously relieved that her future had been settled so easily.
Perhaps it was a good thing that he was going to America on his own, she reflected, watching the plane getting smaller and smaller as it left Heathrow. He had always been looked after—not spoilt, she told herself, he was too nice for that, but since an early age he had buried his head in books; food and clothes, even people, had meant very little to him. She hoped that they would be kind to him in Boston, he was a nice boy and everyone liked him. She was going to miss him.
She spent the rest of the day cleaning the flat, handing over the keys and packing the rest of her things and in the evening she called a taxi and had herself driven to catch the train to her new home.
Mrs Adams answered the door, took one of her cases from her and ushered her upstairs. The flat smelled of Sunday dinner, but her room was spotlessly clean and the bed looked inviting. Left to herself Jemima lighted the gas fire, made tea on the gas ring and started to unpack. She quite enjoyed arranging her possessions round the room, and the bed looked even better with her eiderdown on it and the reading lamp on the small table beside it. She had almost finished when Shirley knocked and came in. ‘Got all you want?’ she asked kindly. ‘Mum says breakfast at eight o’clock—we open the shop at half past. The water’s hot if you want a bath.’
She sat down on the bed and smoothed the eiderdown with a careful hand. ‘Silk, ain’t it? I bet you ’as a posh ’ome.’
Jemima closed the wardrobe door. ‘Well, I suppose it was, but home’s what you make it, isn’t it? I’ve been in some very grand houses and they’re just like museums, not home at all—now this is cosy…’
Shirley stared at her. ‘Cor—you mean it too, don’t you? Well, I never! Mind you, I’d hate to live anywhere else but London—deadly dull it must be.’ She got up. ‘You can call me Shirl,’ she invited.
‘Thank you, Shirl—call me Jemima if you like.’
‘Sounds a funny name to me, but if it’s all you’ve got I’ll ’ave to, won’t I? So long.’
Jemima slept soundly. She was a sensible girl; Dick was safely embarked on a career, she had a job and a roof over her head and she didn’t owe anyone any money, so there was no reason why she should stay awake.
She was up and ready for breakfast in good time, very neat in the navy blue suit she had worn to the interview. It was by no means new, but her shoes were good and her blouse, a white silk one she had had for years, dateless. Looking at her reflection in the mirror behind the wardrobe door, she hoped that her appearance was right for the job and was encouraged to think so by Mrs Adams, who put a plate of bacon and egg in front of her remarking: ‘There’s nothing like navy blue to make a girl look ladylike.’ She poured strong tea and handed it to Jemima. ‘Nervous?’
Jemima thought for a moment. ‘Yes, I think I am, a little. I’ve never had a job before.’
‘You’ll do,’ observed Shirley through a mouthful of toast and marmalade. ‘Just remember not to let ’er sit on you—you stand up for yourself, see?’ She pushed her chair back. ‘Well, I’ll go and get started, I suppose. You coming down later, Mum?’
Mrs Adams nodded. ‘Yes, and just you see that that Ned does the till proper.’ And as her daughter clattered down the stairs. ‘’E’s the assistant part-time, but ’e’s not much use.’
It was barely five minutes’ walk to Lady Manderly’s house. Jemima went back to her room, made the bed neatly, tidied it, picked up her bag and gloves and wished Mrs Adams goodbye. And in the shop Shirley sorting magazines with lightning efficiency, cried: ‘Good luck, girl!’ and waved airily from behind the counter. Jemima, outside on the pavement, found herself reluctant to cross the road; the little shop already seemed a safe shelter. She would be coming back that evening, she reminded herself, and nipped on to the opposite pavement, heading for Lady Manderly’s house.
The door was opened by the same stout man and after wishing him a good morning, Jemima said: ‘Will you tell me your name? I wasn’t told the other day when I was here, but if we are going to see each other every day it would be nicer.’ She smiled at him and he smiled back at her in a rather surprised way. ‘Belling, miss. And I’m sure I hope you’ll be happy here.’
‘Why, thank you, Belling, I hope so too. What do I do next?’
‘I’ll show you the cloak room, miss, where you can put your things and then ascertain if Lady Manderly is ready for you.’
He started off across the hall and then paused as someone came running down the staircase. Jemima paused too, having no choice as a man came round the curve of the staircase. She recognised him at once—who could forget that pepper-and-salt hair and the size of him? He stopped as he reached them, nodded at Belling and stared hard at her. ‘So you landed the job,’ he observed. ‘Well, I hope you’ll be a better companion than you were a typist.’ He smiled mockingly, but his eyes were as cold as the first time they had met.
Belling had gone to open the street door and he went through it without saying anything more. A very unpleasant man, but there was no harm in finding out who he was.
As Belling rejoined her she asked diffidently: ‘That gentleman—we met the other day at his office…’ She allowed her voice to sound questioning and the butler answered readily enough.
‘That is Professor Cator, miss—Professor Alexander Cator, Lady Manderly’s nephew and a very famous man in his field of learning.’
‘Oh, what sort of learning?’
‘Endocrinology, miss. He’s considered to be a very clever gentleman.’
And a nasty bad-tempered one too, thought Jemima as she was ushered into the small room she had waited in on her first visit. It was a good ten minutes before Belling came back and asked her to follow him.
Jemima got up with alacrity. It was, after all, an important moment in her life; she was about to start her first job.
CHAPTER TWO
BELLING LED THE WAY upstairs and on to the landing, but this time he ignored the drawing-room door and knocked on a smaller door opposite, opened it and stood aside for Jemima to go past him. Compared to the drawing-room, the apartment she entered was small; it was also austerely furnished with a fine knee-hole writing desk, an upright chair behind it, a couple of small tables and an upholstered armchair drawn up to the small fire burning in the polished steel grate.
Lady Manderly was in the chair, wearing a dress exactly the same as the grey one, but this time it was blue and the jet and gold necklace had been replaced by a turquoise choker. There was a pile of letters on the small table by her chair and she was tapping impatiently with a beringed hand upon the newspaper on her lap.
Jemima wished her good morning politely and waited.
‘I said nine o’clock,’ began Lady Manderly icily.
‘Yes, you did,’ agreed Jemima pleasantly, ‘and I was here at five minutes to the hour, Lady Manderly. I waited downstairs until Belling came to fetch me.’ She glanced at the clock. ‘For ten minutes,’ she added.
Lady Manderly looked affronted. ‘I am not always ready, Miss Mason. You will go through these letters and give me those which are personal so that I may read them. Bills, requests for money and so on you will put on the desk and consult me about them when it is convenient.’ She added: ‘To me.’
And when Jemima had done that: ‘While I am reading my letters and when you have sorted the remainder, you will scan The Times and mark anything of significance so that you may read it to me during the course of the day.’
They settled down the pair of them, Lady Manderly occasionally making indignant noises over her correspondence, Jemima working silently, making a neat pile on the desk and then looking through the paper for likely bits to read—a formidable task, since she had no idea what the lady’s tastes were; would she want to hear the Prime Minister’s speech on the coal industry, or what the Middle East was doing at the moment? Or would she be interested in the fashion page? Jemima thought it unlikely; fashion as such didn’t appear to mean much to her employer—she fancied that she made her own. She might like the social column, though, and the weather report…
Lady Manderly laid down the last of her letters. ‘And now you may tell me about the rest,’ she commanded.
They were mostly bills, but there were a couple of begging letters, a leaflet about thermal underwear, an enquiry as to whether Lady Manderly would like double glazing and a catalogue from Liberty’s. Lady Manderly made short work of them while Jemima scribbled little notes on each of them so that she would remember what she had to do later on.
‘Now you may read to me,’ stated Lady Manderly.
Jemima began with the weather report, touched lightly on the Middle East, read the whole of the Prime Minister’s speech in full, added an item or two about the Royal Family’s daily round, touched delicately upon the separation of a peer of the realm and his wife, and ended with a colourful account of the discovery of a rare ceramic—an Imari cat—which had been found on the kitchen overmantel in a Norfolk farmhouse.
As she folded the newspaper Lady Manderly remarked: ‘You have a pleasant voice, Miss Mason, and your choice of reading material was most suitable. Kindly ring the bell for coffee.’
Coffee came, on a massive silver tray. Jemima poured it from a George the Second silver coffee pot into paper-thin cups, and it was atrocious—watery and bitter and not as hot as it should have been; she waited for Lady Manderly to complain, but that lady drank two cups with apparent enjoyment before desiring Jemima to ring the bell once more.
‘You will take Coco for a walk and bring her back to me in one hour,’ said Lady Manderly. ‘My maid, Pooley, always takes her to St James’ Park, but of course she has to be driven there and back. You, I presume, are young enough to enjoy a good walk.’
‘Yes, of course I am, Lady Manderly, but what about Coco? Is she young?’
‘Five—no, six years old, I believe. She does not, of course, get the exercise she should, so you may have to carry her if she tires.’
Jemima pictured herself struggling under the weight of a Great Dane. ‘What sort of dog?’ she asked.
‘A poodle—miniature, of course. You may go now, Miss Mason, but be back at noon precisely.’
Belling was waiting in the hall when Jemima went downstairs, holding the lead of a very small grey poodle. ‘The little dog is very good, miss,’ he volunteered, ‘she’ll be glad of a nice walk.’
The sun was shining although there was a cool wind with a decided autumnal nip to it; just right for a brisk walk. The hour passed too quickly for both Jemima and Coco and she hoped that a daily walk was to be part of her duties. Coco, her paws wiped by a woman in an apron, summoned to the hall by Belling, was allowed to mount the stairs with Jemima and go into the drawing-room where Lady Manderly was sitting before a vast embroidery frame. She looked at her watch before she spoke. ‘At least you are punctual,’ she observed tartly. ‘We lunch at one o’clock, until then you may start on the letters, and I have left you a list of telephone calls I wish you to make.’ She pushed the frame aside. ‘Come to Mother,’ she begged Coco in such a different, gentle voice that Jemima stared. Perhaps Lady Manderly wasn’t as harsh as she seemed. She went back to the small room and sat down at the desk. Fifty pounds had seemed an awful lot of money when she had been offered that sum; she saw now that she was going to earn every penny of it.
She quite enjoyed the next hour, however, telephoning for flowers to be sent, a fitter to come that afternoon with a new dress Lady Manderly had ordered, a wine merchant to deliver a dozen bottles of claret, and then settling down to write answers to the bills and begging letters in her neat handwriting. She made out cheques too, and when they were done, took them back to the drawing-room for Lady Manderly to sign. And by then it was lunch time.
Jemima was relieved to find that this was a substantial meal, which meant that she need only get herself a sandwich or beans on toast or an egg in the evening, and since Lady Manderly had a good appetite, she was able to enjoy her lunch down to the last mouthful. The coffee was frightful, though, and Jemima made up her mind to do something about that just as soon as she had got to know the members of the household.
Lady Manderly rested after lunch, she told Jemima, and liked to be read to, so Jemima made her comfortable on the day bed, draped a series of shawls around her massive person, and took a chair close by. She was to read one of Agatha Christie’s earlier books, one she had read at least twice herself. She had got as far as the second chapter when she was brought up short by a tremendous snore from her companion. There was no point in going on, so she marked the place carefully and sat back in her chair, glad of a few minutes’ quiet. So far, she thought, she wasn’t doing too badly. Lady Manderly had watched her like a hawk during lunch, presumably to make sure that she knew which knives and forks to use, but she hadn’t actually grumbled once. The thought that the job was going to bore her to tears within a month she stifled at once; she was lucky to get work and until she could train for something else she hadn’t much choice.
Lady Manderly woke presently and Jemima went on reading, just as though she had never left off. Coco had to be taken for a short walk before four o’clock tea, a welcome break before Jemima found herself behind the silver tea tray once more, this time flanked by plates of little sandwiches and cakes. She had handed Lady Manderly her tea and a plate and was offering her the sandwiches when the door opened and Professor Cator came in, and just ahead of him came the girl who had called at the office in Bloomsbury. She was looking more beautiful than ever, in knickerbockers again, this time plaid ones with a fetching little velvet waistcoat and a ridiculous velvet beret perched on her lovely head. She said: ‘Hullo, Lady Manderly, I made Alexander bring me here for tea—I’m dying for a cup.’ She pecked Lady Manderly’s cheek and grinned at Jemima. ‘Hullo to you too. Alexander said Lady Manderly had a new companion, though I must say you don’t look the part.’ She put her head on one side. ‘Well, perhaps you do—no glamour, poor dear, and you ought to do something with that mousy hair.’
The Professor had gone to stand by the window after greeting his aunt briefly. He had barely glanced at Jemima, but now he stared at her thoughtfully so that she coloured and frowned. ‘I’ll ring for more cups,’ she said rather primly, and stood by the bell until Belling came into the room. She felt awkward and dreadfully plain, and although the girl hadn’t meant to be unkind, her words had poked a hole in Jemima’s pride—a hole made much worse by Lady Manderly telling her carelessly to go and have her tea in the room where she had been working that morning. ‘Find something to do,’ advised Lady Manderly, ‘and come back when I ring.’
So Jemima tidied the desk and then sat behind it, longing for her tea and not sure if she was supposed to go in search of it or ring. Probably Belling would object to bringing it to her—after all, she wasn’t much better than a servant.
She sat for five minutes or so, getting steadily more and more indignant. She was after all a don’s daughter who had enjoyed a social life of sorts, well educated, so that when presently Professor Cator opened the door and came into the room she gave him a look of dislike as well as surprise.
‘Ah, you have had no tea,’ he observed in a bland voice which made her grit her teeth.
‘I don’t want any, thank you, Professor Cator,’ said Jemima while she thought longingly of a whole teapot full, with sandwiches to go with it.
He took no notice of her at all, but pulled the bell rope and when Belling came, ordered tea to be brought at once. ‘And be so good as to put a second cup on the tray,’ he finished, and to Jemima’s annoyance, sat down.
She could think of nothing to say; she sat behind the desk still, twiddling a pen between her fingers and wishing he would go away.
Something he didn’t mean to do, for as the tea tray was borne in and set down on a small table he observed: ‘I take milk and two lumps of sugar.’
Jemima raised her eyes to his impassive face. ‘Shouldn’t you be having tea with Lady Manderly and—and the young lady?’
He shrugged massive shoulders. ‘They’re discussing some party or other which I found boring.’ And at the speaking look she gave him: ‘You won’t bore me, Miss Mason, because there is no need for us to talk.’
Jemima poured tea carefully from a small silver teapot. ‘That’s an abominable thing to say,’ she pointed out severely, and handed him his cup and saucer. He put it down by his chair and in turn handed her the plate of sandwiches.
It was a little unnerving, but by the time she had given both of them a second cup of tea, and eaten her share of the sandwiches and started upon the really delicious walnut cake, her sensible nature had reasserted itself. And as for her companion, he appeared to be the picture of ease and contentment, sitting there eating his tea for all the world as if he were alone. It was a chastening thought that she made not the slightest impression upon him, a remark borne out by his: ‘You may not set the Thames on fire, Miss Mason, but at least you don’t chatter,’ as he got to his feet and went out of the room.
She sat very still after he had gone. He had been extremely rude, for two pins she would get her things and leave the house and leave him and his arrogant old aunt to fend for themselves. But of course she couldn’t do that; she hadn’t two pins, let alone a week’s salary, and the beautiful Gloria would undoubtedly fend very nicely for the Professor.
She heard their voices presently as they prepared to leave, and shortly afterwards Lady Manderly swept into the room, told her to get the tray taken away, and when that was done, began on a list of names of those who were to be invited to a party she intended giving. ‘In two weeks’ time,’ she observed. ‘Just a small affair—my birthday, you know.’ She shot a glance at Jemima. ‘There will be a good deal of organising to do.’
From which Jemima concluded that she was to be organiser in chief.
Lady Manderly was still murmuring on about smoked salmon and should she have oyster patties when the carriage clock above the fireplace tinkled the hour. Jemima finished the note she was making and closed the book.
‘I’ll start on the invitations tomorrow morning, shall I, Lady Manderly?’ She stood up, aware that Lady Manderly was looking surprised. ‘It’s six o’clock,’ she went on.
Lady Manderly snapped: ‘A clockwatcher, are you? Another half hour or so…’
‘I’m sorry, but it’s quite a long day, you know, and I have things to do in the evenings—besides, you wouldn’t want to pay me overtime, Lady Manderly.’
Her employer gobbled. ‘Overtime? I have no intention of paying you overtime!’
‘No, I didn’t think you would want to, that’s why I’m going now. Good evening, Lady Manderly.’
Jemima smiled kindly at her companion, who was obviously struggling for words, but by the time she had decided what to say, Jemima had gone.
The flat, when she reached it, looked small and poky and her room dark and shabby, but she told herself that that was because she had just come from such luxurious surroundings. She tidied herself and in response to Shirley’s cheerful shout, went along to the sitting room and sat down to the supper they had invited her to share. Mrs Adams and Shirley greeted her with a casual friendliness which was heartwarming after the arrogance of her employer and Professor Cator’s indifference and rudeness. They piled her plate high with food, poured strong tea and plied her with questions.
‘What’s the old lady like?’ asked Shirley eagerly, and before Jemima could answer: ‘What’s the house like inside?’ asked her mother.
‘Very large,’ said Jemima, and thought that answered both questions very adequately, but it wouldn’t do to make fun of her employer. ‘Lots of lovely furniture and thick velvet curtains. I haven’t seen any bedrooms, indeed I’ve only been in three rooms; the drawing-room is magnificent, a bit like a museum, you know. I work in a smaller room with just a desk and a table and chair or two, and we had lunch in a dining room at the back of the house…’
‘And the old lady?’
‘Very—very dignified. Tall and stout and beautifully dressed. There’s a butler and I suppose there are maids as well, though I haven’t seen any yet.’
‘What did you eat?’ asked Mrs Adams, and cast an involuntary glance at the remains of the steak and kidney pudding on the plastic tablecloth.
‘Well, it sounds a lot, but it wasn’t nearly as good as this pudding, Mrs Adams. It was awfully kind of you to ask me to share it…’
‘It’s your first day,’ explained Mrs Adams. ‘Well, what did you eat?’
‘Soup—just a little bowl full—a clear soup.’
Shirley sniffed. ‘Bovril watered down!’
‘And then a fish soufflé with spinach and afterwards a crème caramel.’
‘Not enough to put into a hollow tooth, I’ll be bound. Tell you what, love, you can eat with us in the evenings for another two pounds a week. Shan’t make anything out of it, but it’s just as easy to cook for three as two and it’ll give you a bit more time to enjoy yourself.’ Mrs Adams added sharply: ‘There ain’t no butler, mind, nor no pudding for afters. Just a cup of tea.’
‘You’re very kind, Mrs Adams, and I’d love to do that if you’re sure it doesn’t put you out. Only if you have visitors will you say so and I’ll have supper in my room? It’ll be lovely to come back to a meal in the evenings, it seemed a long day, but I daresay once I know more about the work, the days will go faster.’
Shirley gave her a look of sympathy tinged with pity. ‘Sounds like a dull old job to me,’ she observed. ‘Any men around?’
‘There’s Belling the butler, but he’s elderly and a bit severe…’ She hesitated and Shirley said quickly: ‘And someone else?’
‘He doesn’t really count,’ said Jemima slowly. ‘He’s Lady Manderly’s nephew—a Professor of Endocrinology, but he doesn’t live there. He came this afternoon with a girl, an absolutely gorgeous creature. You know, golden hair and blue eyes and most wonderful clothes—those knickerbockers, and a waistcoat and the most heavenly boots.’
‘Got ’im ’ooked, ’as she?’ Mrs Adams wanted to know. ‘I don’t ’old with them knickers, nor don’t Shirley’s young man.’
Shirley pouted. ‘Old-fashioned, that’s what ’e is,’ she complained, ‘always talking about moons and roses and Ginger Rogers dresses!’
‘Well, they were rather fetching,’ said Jemima, and far safer for Shirley, she thought privately; such a nice friendly girl, but her legs didn’t bear too much limelight on them. Nor do mine, for that matter, thought Jemima, erroneously, as a matter of fact; she had nice legs, but since no one had ever told her so, she took it for granted that they were better concealed by a skirt.
She helped with the washing up presently and then went to her room to write to Dick before making herself a mug of cocoa on the gas ring. She lit the gas fire, and sitting up in bed, reading, belatedly, the morning paper, she decided that the little room wasn’t too bad at all. Tomorrow she would buy some flowers, she promised herself, and in a week or two, when she had a little money to spare, she would buy one of those cheerful coloured rugs and a cushion or two. She didn’t allow herself to think about her old home; it had gone for good, and she had been lucky to find someone as kind as Mrs Adams. She turned out the fire and the light and closed her eyes. She had a job too, although she wondered sleepily just how long she would keep it. Lady Manderly was an old tyrant and Jemima, although tolerant to a fault, had no intention of being anyone’s doormat. She would see how the cat jumped, but meanwhile, she told herself resolutely, she was both happy and content. Not quite, perhaps; no girl, however happy and content, liked to be told that she wouldn’t set the Thames on fire. ‘Beastly man,’ said Jemima aloud, and went to sleep.
It was all go the next day. Lady Manderly, disappointed that Jemima should present herself exactly at nine o’clock, was inclined to be tetchy and had to content herself with the remark that she hoped that Jemima would continue to be punctual each morning. ‘As punctual as you were leaving yesterday evening,’ she added sourly.
Jemima agreed with her cheerfully and began sorting the post. She followed yesterday’s pattern exactly so that beyond a frustrated snort from her employer, nothing had to be said. It was fortunate that the paper reported at great length the wedding of a peer of the realm’s daughter. Jemima prudently earmarked it for reading, discarded the more gloomy titbits, studied the weather forecast, found an amusing story about a dog purported to play the piano, and held herself ready to receive Lady Manderly’s instructions.
There were a great many of them, and they kept Jemima occupied for the rest of the morning, so that, by the time they had had lunch and she had taken Coco for a long-delayed walk, it was time for the tea tray to be brought in, and since there was no Professor and no Gloria today, she was able to drink her tea in comparative peace, if she discounted Lady Manderly’s frequent demands for this that and the other to be done at once.
She left the house promptly, shared a supper of toad-in-the-hole with Shirley and her mother and then, unable to bear her little room after the spaciousness of Lady Manderly’s house, went for a walk. It was a cool evening and she walked fast, not noticing where she went and when she got back to her little room she was tired enough to go straight to bed and sleep, which was a good thing, for she was feeling utterly miserable.
But with the morning she felt better. Here she was half way through the week, and pay day within sight too. She presented a calm face towards Lady Manderly, carried out her manifold duties and went back to the flat that evening feeling that at least she was holding her own. And for the next couple of days she was busy enough not to have the time to mope, indeed she was surprised to find that she was actually beginning to enjoy herself. True, Lady Manderly never ceased to remind her that she had no qualifications of any sort and that a girl in her position should be able to type at the very least, but on the other hand, she was forced to concede that Jemima had a pleasant voice, good manners and didn’t answer back. On the whole, they were beginning to like each other, in a guarded way.
