Cursed by a Fortune Part 45

"Then I have been thoroughly asleep?"

"Yes, miss; about ten hours I should say; but you'd have been a deal better if you'd gone to bed. It do rest the spine of your back so."

Kate rose to her feet, staggered slightly, and caught at the chair back, but the giddy sensation pa.s.sed off, and she walked to the window.

"Can't see nothing out at the back, miss," said the woman, shaking her head, sadly. "Old master hated the tiles and chimney-pots, and had double windows made inside--all of painted gla.s.s, but you couldn't see nothing if they weren't there. It's black as night, and the fog comes creeping in at every crack. What would you like me to do for you, miss?"

"Nothing, thank you."

"Then I'll go and see about the breakfast, miss. I s'pose you won't be long?"

Kate drew a deep breath of relief once more, and trying to fight off the terrible sensation of depression and strangeness which troubled her, she hurried to the toilet table, which was well furnished, and in about half-an-hour went out on to the broad staircase, which was lit with gas, and glanced round at the pictures, cabinets, and statues with which it was furnished. Then, turning to descend, she was conscious of the fact that she was not alone, for, dimly seen, there was a strange, ghastly-looking head, tied up with a broad white handkerchief, peering round the doorway of another room, but as soon as its owner found that she had attracted attention she drew back out of sight, and Kate shuddered slightly, for the face was wild and strange in the half-light.

The staircase looked broader and better as she descended to the room into which she had been taken on her arrival, and found that it was well lit, and a cheerful fire blazing; but she had hardly had time to glance round when the woman appeared at the door.

"Breakfast's quite ready, miss," she said. "Will you please to come this way?"

She led the way across the hall, but paused and turned back to a door, and pushed it a little way open.

"Big lib'ry, miss. Little lib'ry's upstairs at the back-two rooms.

There's a good fire here. Like to see it now?"

"No, not now."

"This way then, miss," and the woman threw open a door on the other side.

"Dining-room, miss. There ain't no drawing-room; but master said this morning that if you wished he'd have the big front room turned into one.

I put your breakfast close to the fire, for it's a bit chilly to-day."

Kate thought she might as well have said "to-night," as she glanced round the formal but richly furnished room, with its bright bra.s.s fireplace, and breakfast spread on a small table, and looking attractive and good.

"I made you tea, miss, because I thought you'd like it better; but I'll soon have some coffee ready if you prefer it. Best tea, master's wonderfully particular about having things good."

"I prefer tea," said Kate, quietly, as she took her place, feeling more and more how strange and unreal everything appeared.

And now the magnitude of the step she had taken began to obtrude itself, mingled with a wearying iteration of thoughts of Northwood, and what must have been going on since the morning when her flight was first discovered. Her uncle's anger would, she knew, be terrible! Then her cousin! She could not help picturing his rage when he found that she had escaped him. What would her aunt and the servants think of her conduct? And then it was that there was a burning sensation in her cheeks, as her thoughts turned to Leigh and his sister, the only people that during her stay at Northwood she had learned to esteem.

And somehow the burning in her cheeks increased till the tears rose to her eyes, when, as if the heat was quenched, she turned pale with misery and despair, for she felt how strongly that she had left behind in Jenny Leigh one for whom she had almost unknowingly conceived a genuine sisterly affection.

From that moment the struggle she had been having to seem calm, and at home, intensified, and she pushed away cup and saucer and rose from the table, just as the housekeeper, who had been in and out several times, reentered.

"But you haven't done, miss?" she said, plaintively.

"Yes, thank you; I am not very well this morning," said Kate, hastily.

"As anyone could see, miss, with half an eye; but there's something wrong, of course."

"Something--wrong?" faltered Kate.

"Yes, miss," said the woman in an ill-used tone. "The tea wasn't strong enough, or the sole wasn't done to your liking."

"Don't think that, Mrs--Mrs--"

"Plant's my name, miss--Sarah Plant, and Becky's Becky. Don't call me Mrs., please; I'm only the servant."

"Well, do not think that, Sarah Plant. Everything has been particularly nice, only I have no appet.i.te this morning--I mean, to-day."

"You do mean that, miss?"

"Of course I do."

"Thank you kindly, miss. I did try very hard, for master was so very particular about it. He always is particular, almost as Mr Jenour was; but this morning he was extra, and poor, dear, old master was never anything like it. Then if you please, miss, I'll send Becky to clear away, and perhaps you'd like to go round and see your new house. I hope you will find everything to your satisfaction."

"My new house?"

"Yes, miss; master said it was yours, and that we were to look upon you as mistress and do everything you wished, just as if you were his daughter come to keep house for him. This way please, miss."

Kate was ready to say that she wished to sit down and write, for her heart was full of self-reproach, and she longed to pour out her feelings to her old confidential maid; but the thought that it would be better perhaps to fall in with Garstang's wishes and a.s.sume the position he had arranged for her to occupy, made her acquiesce and follow the housekeeper out of the room.

The woman touched a bell-handle in the hall, and then drew back a little, with a show of respect, as her eyes, still eagerly, and full of compa.s.sion, scanned the new mistress she had been told to obey.

"Will you go first, ma'am?"

"No: be good enough to show me what it is necessary for me to see."

"Oh, master said I was to show you everything you liked, miss--I mean, ma'am. It's a dreadfully dark day to show you, but I've got the gas lit everywhere, and it does warm the house nicely and keep out the damp."

Kate longed to ask the woman a few questions, but she shrank from speaking, and followed her pretty well all over the place until she stopped on the first floor landing before a heavy curtain which apparently veiled a window.

"I hope you find everything to your satisfaction, ma'am--that the house has been properly kept."

"Everything I have seen shows the greatest care," said Kate.

"Thank you, ma'am," said the woman, and her next words aroused her companion's attention at once, for the desire within her was strong to know more of her new guardian's private life, though it would have been, she felt, impossible to question. "You see, master is here so very seldom that there is no encouragement for one to spend much time in cleaning and dusting, and oh, the times it has come to me like a wicked temptation to leave things till to-morrow; but I resisted, for I knew that if I did once, Becky would be sure to twice. You see, master is mostly at his other house when he isn't at his offices, where he just has snacks and lunches brought in on trays; but it's all going to be different now, he tells me, and the house is to be kept up properly, and very glad I am, for it has been like wilful waste for such a beautiful place never hardly to be used, and never a lady in it in my time."

"Then Mrs Garstang did not reside here?"

"Oh, no, ma'am! nor old master's lady neither--not in my time."

"Mr Garstang's father?"

"Oh, no, ma'am: Mr Jenour, who had it before master, and--and died here--I mean there," said the woman, in a whisper, and she jerked her head toward the heavy curtain. "It was Mr Jenour's place, and he collected all the books and china and foreign curiosities. I'll tell you all about it some day, ma'am."

"Thank you," said Kate, quietly. "I will go down to the library now; I wish to write."

"There's pen, ink and paper in there, ma'am," said the woman, jerking her head sideways; "and you can see the little lib'ry at the same time."

"I would rather leave that till another time."