Arian by Iris Gower Read Free Book Online Page A

for now. In any case, it would be done afresh tomorrow and hopefully then it would be Bella’s turn.
    She swished the dirty water in the yard and held her hands, one by one under the old, creaking pump, working the handle with difficulty. She looked at her fingers; they were wrinkled like prunes, reddened and rough now, the nails chipped and ragged. She sighed, at least she had a roof over her head, a bed to sleep in and a belly full of good food.
    It was cold and dank in the cellar and Arian fetched the wine quickly, hurrying back up the stone steps to the warmth of the kitchen.
    Mrs Bob didn’t turn from her table where she was clarifying honey for the pudding. ‘Mix two glasses of the wine with one glass of vinegar and a few spoonfuls of cullis.’
    ‘Cullis?’ Arian asked, ‘What’s that?’
    ‘ Duw girl, don’t you know anything? Cullis is a bit of old broth, that’s all. Adds a tang that the master likes to the sauce. Now get on with it.’
    Arian mixed the ingredients into a jug and stood for a moment watching, as Mrs Bob melted the honey and scooped off the scum. She glanced up and saw Arian watching her.
    ‘The secret is to use only the best honey, the poorer quality needs a lot of fussing, you have to add the white of an egg and keep boiling the stuff down, it’s not worth the bother but in some homes it has to be done.’
    She worked for some moments in silence. ‘Right now, add the mint and some cinnamon and boil the lot for quarter of an hour and it’s ready. See, it’s easy isn’t it girl?’
    Mrs Richards entered the kitchen, her face unusually flushed. ‘Arian, you’ll have to serve the dinner,’ she said in her peremptory manner. ‘Bella’s gone and developed a headache.’ Her face took on a pinched, disapproving look, ‘Comes with her courses every month, convenient if you ask me. Now, change your clothes at once and for heaven’s sake do something with that hair.’
    Arian looked at Mrs Bob who jerked her head, ‘Go on with you, girl, I can manage here.’
    Arian mounted the two flights of stairs to the bedroom she shared with Bella. The girl had her face to the wall, she was pale and sweating and obviously unwell.
    ‘Can I get you something?’ As Arian talked, she was opening the drawer that had been assigned to her and taking out some fresh clothes.
    ‘No, I’ll be all right by tomorrow,’ Bella sighed. ‘It’s always like this, first day on, after that it’s not so bad, like.’
    ‘If you’re sure then.’ It took only moments for Arian to change into a neat clean skirt and crisp apron. She coiled her hair quickly into an untidy bun, cursing at her clumsy fingers, and placed the starched cap on top of her head. ‘I’ll come up later, see if I can bring you some hot tea.’ She spoke to Bella’s back, the girl was heavily asleep.
    Mrs Bob had the food ready for her to serve; the meal was set out on a tray and covered with a silver lid. ‘His lordship don’t want no soup tonight so tell him there’s extra veg. Mind you give him time to eat his fill before you take him the pudding, he doesn’t like to be rushed.’
    Arian felt a flutter of nerves that was alien to her. She wasn’t used to waiting at table, that was Bella’s job. The tray was heavy and Bella, who was a hefty girl, carried it with ease. Arian on the other hand found negotiation of the stairs and the passageway to the dining room quite an ordeal.
    It was with difficulty that she knocked on the door, balancing the tray on one hand, her throat dry, fearing the huge silver salver might at any moment crash to the floor.
    ‘Come in.’ Calvin Temple’s voice was impatient, he wasn’t used to being kept waiting. ‘About time,’ he said as Arian set the tray on the sideboard and lifted the lid. ‘What is it?’
    ‘Breast of lamb in wine and mint sauce,’ Arian said quickly, her hackles rising at Calvin’s tone.
    He tasted the sauce and looked up at Arian quickly. ‘Who chose the wine?’
    ‘Well,