The Pool of St. Branok by Philippa Carr Read Free Book Online

one day to repay us for all the kindness we had shown her.
    That was how Grace Gilmore came to Cador.
    There was a certain resentment below stairs where what was called “Interference from the Top” was not approved of; but my mother told them that Miss Gilmore was a genteel young lady who had fallen on hard times and she wanted them all to be as helpful towards her as possible.
    Watson and Mrs. Penlock both agreed that they would do all they could to help “the young body” settle in and they implied that although it was Watson’s prerogative to engage staff, they did see that sewing was something outside his domain; so perhaps on this occasion it was not such a breach of household protocol as it had at first seemed.
    Later that day, Grace Gilmore arrived with her personal belongings and was settled into the rooms at the top of the house.
    She was very eager to begin work and we soon discovered that she was an excellent seamstress.
    “We’ve been lucky,” said my mother. “And she is a lady, which is a help too. We must be very kind to her, poor girl. She has had such a bad time and she is really quite young. I have no doubt that she could help Miss Prentiss in some ways.”
    I was pleased that we had been able to help her. Grace Gilmore interested me. There was something mysterious about her.
    Benedict arrived at Cador. He was even more handsome than I remembered.
    “Why,” he cried, “you’ve grown. You’re almost a young lady now.”
    He laughed. I noticed that he had beautiful white teeth and his eyes were bluer than I remembered.
    “I’m settling in now,” he said. “I’ll soon be as English as you.”
    My parents greeted him with pleasure and in a few days he seemed to become part of Cador. He spent a good deal of time with my father. Jack was very taken with him and he was soon popular with the servants.
    Whenever I could be with him I would. He seemed to enjoy my company. But of course he had come with a purpose and he was kept busy. He was full of enthusiasm for the estate; and when he was not with my father he seemed to be with John Polstark, our manager. He was very popular with all. I knew that in the kitchen they discussed him constantly, especially the younger and more frivolous maids.
    “He’s what you might call one of them charmers,” was Mrs. Penlock’s verdict. “You girls want to watch out with them sort. They can be all nice words and smiles till they get what they want from you girls … and then it’s ‘Goodbye, I’m off now to the next.’ But she herself was not immune. She would simper a little when he was near. He was full of good will and if he did cast a sparkling eye on the younger and prettier of the girls, he did not forget the older ones either. He would give the same sort of attention to Mrs. Penlock herself—who admitted to being in her sixties, but I was sure she had forgotten to add a few years for she had been at Cador when my mother was a girl and had not been exactly young then. He made everyone feel that there was something special about them which he found lovable. I supposed that was called charm.
    I tried to discover what it was about him which had that effect on people. It was more than just his attitude towards them; he was the sort of man who wanted power and I came to the conclusion that that was the very essence of masculine attraction.
    My mother talked to me about him.
    “He seems to have a way of making himself known,” she said. “He has only been here a short time and he is making an impression.”
    “There is something different about him,” I answered. “He’s unlike anyone else I know.”
    My mother smiled. “He’s getting along with John Polstark and your father. They seem to think he will make a good estate manager.”
    “What do you think Uncle Peter intends to do? Buy him an estate somewhere?”
    “Probably … but for himself I should imagine. He’ll keep a firm hand on it and perhaps let Benedict manage it.”
    “I