i 3d091ef367b6a8bf by Unknown Read Free Book Online

'Oh, Peg, you must be stewed in here.''Just about, miss; but it doesn't seem to take me fat down, does it?' The cook laughed, then added, 'And you look stewed an' all, miss. A cup of tea, eh?''No, no, Peg; something cool from the cellar.''A beer?'
    63'Yes. Yes, a beer; anything wet and cold.'The cook now turned to a young girl, saying, 'Away with you! Mary, and bring up two bottles.'As she went up the kitchen she said, Til have it upstairs, Peg. I'm going to change.''Very well, miss, very well. It'll be there in a minute.'Bridget left the kitchen and by way of a short corridor entered the hall. The sun was shining through two long windows flanking a heavy oak door and their light illuminated the whole long room and the staircase rising from the middle of it. jShe was about to go up the stairs when jJessie Croft, emerging from the dining-room, said, 'You're back then, miss. You must be roasted alive. What a day!'Tt is pretty hot, Jessie. I've sent Mary down for a beer.' She did not say that cook had suggested the beer and sent Mary down to the cellar.Jessie, like her husband Danny in the yard, was very conscious of their position in the household, and neither of them was behind in making it felt with the rest of the small staff: they would point out to anybody 64who was interested that not only did they see to the smooth workings of this house, but also to the other one in Shields. And they would also point out that if they had any choice they knew which one they would prefer to live in; for you couldn't smell the sea so far out in the country, now could you?'Is Miss Victoria in?''Yes; she's up in her room, miss.' And Jessie bent her flesh-endowed body forward and said quietly, 'And she's had a visitor again.'Bridget's answer was brief: 'Oh,' accompanied by a nod of her head, before she hurried up the stairs, across a narrow balcony and to a broad corridor. And she was about to enter her room when the door opposite opened and Victoria Mordunt said, "Oh, you do look hot, Bridget. Why must you ride out on a day like this? Look; I'll get you a drink.''There's one coming. I hear you've had a visitor.'Victoria followed Bridget into her cousin's room, laughing as she remarked,
    'Old Mother Shipton's been quick.''Yes. Yes, there's nobody as quick as Old 65Mother Shipton. Do I have to have two guesses as to who your visitor was?''No, Bridget, dear, just one . . . Oh!' Victoria now dropped on to Bridget's bed with a plop and pulled up the wide skirt of her dress and petticoats to almost knee height, then spread the ends out across the bed before exclaiming, I'm so happy, Bridget. I ... I could take off, you know, like a bird . . . He's wonderful. And you know what? We are invited to a ball.''What ball?''Just a ball at Grove House.''You are going to the ball, not me.''Oh, don't be stuffy, darling, please. Here! let me pull your boots off.'Victoria now jumped up from the bed and went quickly "to where Bridget was sitting and slid down onto her knees and began to pull at one of the riding boots. And as she did so Bridget laughed and said, 'I've told you countless times that's the wrong way. I can manage better myself.''Well, I'm not going to turn round and let you stick your foot in my bottom.''Oh, well; if you won't, get off your knees and I'll do it myself.'
    66They were both laughing now as Victoria tugged at the boot and then fell backwards as it finally loosed itself from Bridget's leg.When there was a tap on the door and the housemaid Florrie McClean entered with a tray bearing two bottles of ale and two tall glasses, Bridget called to her, Put them down there, Florrie, and come and pull this other boot off for me else Miss Victoria will have my leg off.'There was more laughter as the maid, with one good tug, released the other boot and Bridget cried as she nodded at Victoria, 'There! that's how it's done. I told you.''Will I pour out for you, miss?''No, no, Florrie. I'll see to it. Thank you.'The room to themselves again, it was