The Campbell Road Girls

So far she’d had little contact with the mistress or her two young daughters. Mrs Boyd kept her in the background as much as possible and took all the praise for jobs well done. But Lucy knew there was time enough to make her mark; she was being trained to be the Mortimer girls’ personal maid when they were older.

On the whole she’d found Mrs Boyd a fair boss and wasn’t resentful about being disciplined. But Lucy felt dejected that camaraderie, so much in evidence at the Grange when the mistress had been alive, seemed to be lacking here. Rory Jackson seemed friendly but his harmless attention to her had got her into trouble. Reflecting on him seemed to have conjured him up. Her sideways glance through the open door of the servants’ hall landed on his lean figure. He saw her too and strolled up to her.

‘You didn’t hang about in getting yourself into trouble, did you?’

Lucy kept on walking without replying to his amused statement. He followed her as she carried on towards the kitchens.

‘What started it off?’

‘As if you didn’t know,’ Lucy muttered.

‘What you on about? Why would I know anything?’

Lucy halted and planted her hands on her hips. ‘Don’t tell me it ain’t gone round like wildfire. No doubt Audrey’s got her side in first. As I’m the new girl I’m the culprit, right?’

‘Touchy, ain’t you? Carry on like that and everybody will think you’re at fault.’

‘They can think what they bloody well like!’ Lucy gritted out through set teeth. ‘I know what went on, and that’s enough for me.’

‘It’s enough for me too. You say it’s her fault, I believe you.’

‘Why’s that, then?’ Lucy started off again at a slower pace, slanting him a look.

‘Ain’t the first time Audrey’s got caught out. Don’t suppose it’ll be the last. Only next time she’ll get the boot. Everybody’s allowed a few warnings here at Mortimer House, and she’s had hers.’

Lucy recalled that Mrs Boyd had snapped at Audrey because she’d recently been in trouble.

‘What started it off?’ he again asked.

As it concerned him, and was a bit embarrassing, Lucy considered telling Rory to mind his own business, but instead she blurted out the truth. ‘Audrey thinks I’ve got me eye on you and she don’t like it. If you and her have a thing, you’ve got my sympathy, ’cos she’s a right nasty cow, as far as I can see.’ She eyed him frostily. ‘On the other hand, if you’ve been winding her up on purpose, saying I’m after you, when I ain’t, then the two of you deserve each other, ’cos you’re no better than she is.’ Lucy made to walk quickly on but Rory grabbed her elbow and tugged her back.

‘I don’t know her much better’n I know you. As I said, she’s only been here a short while. Neither of you takes my fancy ... no offence.’

‘None taken ... and likewise,’ Lucy rattled off. But she felt miffed by his clipped words and amused air, and ripped her elbow free of his grip.

Rory followed a few paces behind her marching figure. ‘Is that all you were fighting about? Audrey thinking we’d been flirting?’ he asked lightly.

‘We didn’t fight over you so don’t go getting conceited ideas. If anything, I reckon she’s more narked she didn’t get my job.’

‘She did want it. Everybody knew that. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised that a lot of people aren’t jumping to any conclusions over what happened today.’

Lucy turned and gazed up at his lean profile.

‘Where was you when she started on you?’

‘In the mistress’s bedroom.’ Lucy took the last few steps to the kitchen and stopped outside the door. She was going to ask for a sandwich and eat it in her room rather than sit with her colleagues glaring at her at teatime.

‘Ain’t the first time she’s been caught dawdling in a place she shouldn’t be. She’s workshy, that one.’ Rory plunged his hands into his pockets.

‘She had a set-to with anybody else?’

He nodded. ‘Couple of times since she’s been here. Millie ...’ He saw Lucy’s frown and explained, ‘Housemaid who comes in twice a week, you’ve probably not yet met her ... she gave Audrey a smack when she found out she’d been canoodling with her sweetheart. Jack helps out in the garden and, officially, him and Audrey were just sharing a crafty smoke, nothing more to it.’

‘And unofficially?’ Lucy suggested drily.

‘Jack couldn’t help boasting to a few of us men that he’d been on the verge of getting a roll in the hay.’ He chuckled softly. ‘Right puffed up, he were, the little tyke, ’cos he reckoned Audrey wouldn’t take no for an answer.’

Lucy blushed, feeling indignant that the brazen trollop had had the cheek to accuse her of being the sort to drop her drawers out in the open! ‘Who else has she been in trouble with?’ Lucy’s question tumbled out.

‘Susan Reeves; your predecessor came across Audrey in her ladyship’s room just after she’d laid out some of her clothes for a fancy evening do. By all accounts she gave Audrey a right piece of her mind.’ Rory propped an elbow against the wall, casually supporting a cheek on an open palm. ‘Audrey had only been here a few days and got away with saying she was confused and didn’t know it was the personal maids’ job to bring up the mistress’s clean linen.’

Lucy gave a little nod to let him know she’d appreciate knowing more.

‘Susan reckoned that Audrey was overawed seeing all her ladyship’s finery,’ Rory resumed. ‘When she disturbed Audrey she’d got one of Lady Mortimer’s frocks held up against her and was staring at herself in the glass.’ He shrugged. ‘Susan just packed her off with a flea in her ear. She never told Mrs Venner or Mrs Boyd about it. No harm had been done and as Susan had already put in her notice and was leaving at the end of the week to get wed it wasn’t worth making a fuss.’

‘Susan confided all this in you, did she?’ Lucy asked waspishly.

Rory grinned. ‘Nah ... her fiancé, Gus Miller, did. He’s a friend of mine. Don’t suppose I’ll see much of old Dusty now he’s leg-shackled and gone off to Essex.’

‘That’s where I’ve just come from,’ Lucy offered up automatically. ‘Big manor house with a farm and acres and acres of land, close to the coast.’

‘Yeah? Whereabouts?’

‘Southend way.’

‘Know Southend.’ Rory nodded in emphasis. ‘No good for you there?’

Lucy shrugged. ‘It were a lot better a while back before Mr Lockley’s first wife died and he got remarried to a right dragon.’ Lucy snapped her lips together. She barely knew Rory and regretted being indiscreet. You never could tell who might know who. ‘Found it a bit dull there so I’ve come back to London to be closer to me mum,’ she added briskly. ‘She’s not been at all well.’ Lucy changed the subject as she sensed Rory to be on the point of questioning her about her family. ‘So, Audrey Stubbs is gonna be one for me to watch, by all accounts.’

Rory twisted about to lean back against the corridor wall so they were face to face and he could study her properly.

‘She’ll hold a grudge against me.’ Lucy grimaced. ‘Not bothered, though. If I find her fiddling about with her ladyship’s belongings I’ll wring her neck.’

‘I reckon you would too.’

He was smiling and Lucy noticed he had nice even white teeth and grey eyes with long lashes. ‘Perhaps you should tell her and put her out of her misery,’ Lucy said abruptly.

‘Tell her?’ he echoed, mystified.

‘You said you don’t fancy her ... perhaps you should tell her and no doubt she’ll turn her attention back to Jack in the garden.’

‘Pity him if she does,’ Rory said, his eyes warm and humorous.

‘Pity her if she does, ’cos from what you’ve said, Millie won’t take kindly to it and might lay her out next time.’

Rory chuckled appreciatively, his gaze becoming intimate, making Lucy’s cheeks sting with heat. ‘Just getting something for me tea,’ she blurted. ‘Ain’t sitting in there with ’em all staring at me, thinking I’ve done wrong when I’ve not. I’ll end up telling somebody their fortune then I’ll lose another of me afternoons off ... or it might even be me job next time.’

‘Lost yer afternoon off?’