Polly's Story by Jennie Walters Read Free Book Online Page B

up in London,’ William said. ‘Shall I ask her if she knows of a decent family in need of a housemaid? I’m sure she could soon fix you up with something.’
    ‘Oh, don’t you go bothering her on my account. I shall probably find a place around here sooner or later.’
    It was kind of him to put himself out for me and I didn’t want to sound ungrateful, but somehow I didn’t fancy the idea of working in the city. Ada from our village had gone to London as a general servant for a grocer and his family. ‘She’s to slave away from five in the morning till gone midnight,’ her mother reported after a week, ‘with only a drunken cook and one lazy footman for company - and nothing but leftovers to eat!’ No, I wanted to work in a big house with plenty of other girls to be friends with, and pleasant places to walk on my afternoons off, and good food on the table. Still, beggars can’t be choosers. I had precious little chance of finding work in a place like Swallowcliffe again.
    William would not be put off. ‘Let me have your address just in case, and I’ll write to you if I hear anything,’ he said. ‘It’s a small world, and who knows? We may well run into each other again. Here’s hoping, Polly. I shall miss our early-morning talks.’ And he looked at me quite seriously for a change.
    ‘Cheer up! There’ll be another girl for you to talk to soon enough,’ I said, trying to make light of it. The truth was, I would miss him too - though I wasn’t going to give him any ideas by saying as much - and didn’t want to think that this might be the last time we would be speaking to each other. I could still hardly believe that my time at the Hall was coming to an end so soon. The ball was to be held that evening; most of our guests were going home the next day and I would be leaving with them.
      That afternoon, we were given a couple of hours off before our work began in earnest, so Iris suggested we go for a walk around the lake. I would gladly have jumped into it by that time to get away from Jemima’s gloating face - although the water was presently frozen over, what with the bitter cold weather we’d been having. Spiky trees stood out dark against a sky already streaked with pink, and little matchstick figures were gliding about over the clean white ice. Miss Harriet was out skating with her brothers - I could hear her calling to one of them, and Master John laughing excitedly about something, which made me smile, and then Rory and Edward’s deeper voices underneath.
    I looked back at the house and pictured what was going on, the other side of those quiet walls. The ladies would be upstairs, changing into fancy tea gowns, while William and the other footmen would be hurrying between the kitchen and the drawing room below with plates of crumpets and tea cakes, sponges and scones. Lamps glowed in the windows; soon Mrs Henderson would be doing her rounds, drawing curtains and closing shutters against the darkening winter afternoon. I had been part of this world for just a little while, and it would go on its merry way perfectly well without me.
    ‘Shall we go and watch them skating?’ Iris said, her face lighting up, and so we strolled towards the lake. I had still not had the chance to tell Harriet what had befallen me - nor the heart, either, because I knew how sorry she would be to see me go. I would explain the next day, just before I left; there was no point in spoiling her fun now.
    ‘Come and join us!’ she called as we came nearer, and then skated over to where we stood. ‘Margaret has gone in and left her skates behind. Look, by that tree trunk. You can take turns with them.’
    ‘Not me,’ Iris said, laughing and shaking her head. ‘I cannot skate to save my life.’
    ‘Come on then, Polly!’ Harriet coaxed. ‘Don’t disappoint me too. It is such fun!’ And she twirled a graceful loop, her red tartan skirt flying out in a wide circle.
    Why not? I thought to myself. Might as well be