Rake's Progress by MC Beaton Read Free Book Online

step on the stairs, and Rainbird looked up.
    He thought he had never seen a more magnificent creature. She was very tall and deep-bosomed. Her hair was scraped up under an unflattering cap, but it could not take away from the perfection of her figure, the creaminess of her skin, or the strange beauty of her large eyes.
    He thought she must be Miss Jones’ niece, but she advanced on him with a smile and said, ‘I am Miss Jones. You, I presume, are Rainbird. Follow me.’
    She led the way into a saloon on the ground floor. It was very dark, and tall dark pieces of furniture stood about like so many disapproving members of the clergy.
    â€˜Sit down,’ said Esther.
    Rainbird sat down on a hard, overstuffed chair, and Esther sat down opposite him and regarded him gravely.
    â€˜I must begin by saying I was in two minds as to whether to give you an audience or not,’ she said. ‘As you have heard, I was much impressed by the education and cleanliness of your scullery maid. But,’ she went on, a slight blush rising to her cheeks, ‘I had occasion to pass Sixty-seven Clarges Streetearly yesterday morning. There was a Bacchanalia in progress.’
    â€˜That was a supper party given by our new tenant, Lord Guy Carlton,’ said Rainbird. ‘The morals of the masters are not necessarily those of the servants, particularly in a house which is only rented out for the Season.’
    â€˜I am glad to hear it,’ said Esther severely. ‘This Lord Guy must be a disgusting and licentious rake.’
    â€˜He has been at the wars a long time, I gather,’ said Rainbird cautiously. ‘I do not think it my place to discuss my master, but I should like to point out that I do not think there will be a recurrence of the scenes you witnessed. His lordship was good enough to say he would in future take his pleasures elsewhere.’
    â€˜At least that shows some conscience,’ said Esther. ‘Now, I am interested in the fact that you hold a school for the staff. I give my servants lessons every day, but they are slow at their books, and surly, and unwilling to learn. Have you come across the same problem?’
    â€˜No, ma’am. It came about spontaneously. One of the previous tenants took it upon herself to educate Lizzie. The education fever spread to the rest of us. We decided to pass the winter months in study. Our cook, Angus MacGregor, is Scotch, and it was he, in fact, who led the classes. You see, ma’am, if any of them did not want to be bothered with studies, they only had to say so. Angus turned out to be a good teacher. He said if people wereencouraged to read exciting stories, then enjoyment of reading led to higher things. To that end, he bought romances for the ladies, and sporting magazines for the men.’
    â€˜But romances!’ said Esther, shocked.
    â€˜They are quite moral,’ said Rainbird seriously, ‘and very amusing. The villain always pays for his crimes, and the heroine is always pure and innocent. It’s a sort of way of instilling morals enjoyably – like giving children pleasant-tasting medicine.’
    â€˜This is fascinating,’ said Esther, her fine eyes glowing. ‘May I offer you tea, Rainbird?’
    Rainbird accepted. As Esther talked about the difficulties of education, he studied her covertly. Here, surely, was Mrs Middleton’s good woman. She appeared very strict in her ways, and yet she had a charming easiness of manner, not at all high in the instep. There were few members of the ton in Berkeley Square, reflected Rainbird, who would dream of entertaining a butler to tea.
    As the conversation moved to more general topics, Rainbird became aware that Miss Jones did not appear to go about socially. She must be encouraged. Mrs Middleton’s idea, which had seemed so foolish, now seemed quite reasonable. It was important to get Lord Guy and Miss Jones together, and the way to do that would be to encourage