at the sound of a knock, and glanced towards the door. It opened to admit a plump young maid, who rushed forward rather too quickly, pushing a laden tea trolley in front of her with great gusto.
‘Ah Cora, there you are at last!’ Mrs Bell exclaimed. ‘Do, please, be careful. Bring the trolley over here by the fire. This is Miss Kenton, Cora. Whom I sincerely hope will be joining us at Calpher House. As the new nanny.’
Cora and the tea trolley came to an abrupt stop with a rattling jolt. She stared at Audra, narrowing her eyes, squinting at her. Then, as if she had decided she liked the look of her, she smiled broadly, bobbed a half-curtsy. ‘Please ter meet yer, Miss,’ she said, and proceeded down the long stretch of Turkey carpet, handling the trolley with a kind of dangerous abandon.
Audra inclined her head graciously, and returned the maid’s smile. ‘Good afternoon, Cora,’ she replied, and cringed as she watched Cora’s perilous progress towards them. She hoped that nothing would go crashing to the floor, for the maid’s sake.
After coming to a shuddering halt, Cora positioned the trolley next to Mrs Bell, gave it a final little jiggle to straighten it, asked, ‘Do yer want me ter pour the ‘ot chocolate then, ma’am?’
‘No, no, Cora, that’s all right, I can manage,’ Irène Bell replied swiftly, wincing at the thought. She dismissed Cora with a smile and a nod, lifted the silver jug and carefully filled two large breakfast cups, remarking, ‘We have a wonderful cook, Mrs Jackson, and the butler is Mr Agiter. I believe you saw Dodie, the other housemaid, when you arrived? Did she not open the door to you?’
‘Yes, she did, Mrs Bell.’ Audra rose and went over to the tea trolley, took the cup of hot chocolate which was being offered to her.
Irène Bell exclaimed, ‘Do, but do, try one of Cook’s hot Cornish pasties, Miss Kenton. They’re delicious. And quite renowned hereabouts.’
Thank you.’ Audra placed the cup of steamy, frothing chocolate on the antique mahogany table next to the sofa, put one of the meat turnovers on a plate and returned to her place.
Taking a sip of chocolate, Mrs Bell continued, ‘As I was about to say when Cora came in, your wages would be sixty pounds a year. This is an increase of ten pounds above what I paid the last nanny. Matron Lennox said it would not be fair of me to offer you anything less than sixty pounds. In view of your superior training at the hospital.’ Irene Bell now leaned forward intently. ‘Well, Miss Kenton, are you interested in taking the position, do you think?’ A perfect, pencilled brow lifted eloquently.
Audra was both startled and delighted at the amount of money she would be paid. She said, ‘I am interested, Mrs Bell, very much so. However, I would like to meet your little boy before I finally say yes.’ Audra gave her a forthright look, and her sudden smile was one of sweetness and sincerity. ‘I’m quite positive I will like him, but I do want to be sure he likes me.’
‘What a lovely sentiment, Miss Kenton. And I’m over-joyed, simply overjoyed, that you’re going to join our little family.’ Irène Bell’s face, always mobile and expressive, now filled with a mixture of relief and pleasure. Her merry laugh echoed around the room. ‘I know the baby will take to you. How could he not? He’s having his afternoon nap at the moment, but you shall meet him later. And before you leave I shall show you around Calpher House. And introduce you to the staff.’
The motor car slid to a standstill in front of the General Post Office in City Square.
A moment later the uniformed chauffeur was opening the rear door and helping Audra to alight. ‘Thank you so much, Robertson,’ she said, giving him an appreciative little smile.
‘It’s a pleasure, Miss. Good afternoon, Miss.’ He touched the neb of his peaked cap and hurried back to the driver’s seat.
Audra swung around and took a step towards Gwen, who was standing near the steps of the Post Office where they had arranged to meet.
Gwen’s eyes were out on stalks. Instantly recovering herself, she rushed forward to meet Audra. Grasping hold of her hands, she cried in a shrill, excited voice, ‘Well, aren’t we posh then! Rolling up in a fancy motor car. Imagine that!’
Audra could not help laughing at Gwen’s incredulity. Then she explained, ‘Mrs Bell kept me at Calpher House rather longer than I expected. I started to get a little nervous in the end. I didn’t want to be late, to have you standing waiting outside in the cold. So she sent me in the car.’
‘That was nice of her!’ Gwen exclaimed, obviously impressed not only by the car but by Mrs Bell as well. She peered into Audra’s face, and demanded, ‘Well, did you take the job then?’
‘Yes, Gwen, I did.’
‘Oh, lovey, I am glad!’ Gwen threw her arms around Audra, hugged her tightly. Audra hugged her back and the two of them clung to each other, did a happy little jig, and then began to laugh uproariously.
Their frivolity was interrupted by a masculine voice, which said, ‘They’ll be sending the wagon for you two next, the way you’re carrying on like a couple of lunatics, and in the middle of City Square, no less.’
‘Oh hello, Charlie,’ Gwen said, pulling away from Audra, looking up at her brother, who stood with his hands in his pockets, towering over them both, surveying them through amused eyes. ‘You’re right on time, I see.’
‘Aren’t I always?’ Charles Thornton grinned at his sister, then gave Audra a shy smile. ‘Hello, Audra,’ he said, unable to keep the look of adoration off his face. He thrust his hand at her.
Audra’s heart sank at the sight of Charlie, whom she had not expected to join them for the evening, as he no doubt had. She had wanted to be alone with Gwen. They hadn’t seen each other for several weeks and they had a number of things to talk about, especially now that she had taken the job with the Bells.
‘Hello,’ Audra responded in her quiet way, taking his hand, glad she was wearing her gloves. Charlie always had such clammy hands, even in the cold weather. Audra found this unfortunate physical trait dismaying and distasteful. She liked Charlie well enough as a person but she had no wish to have him as her boyfriend. This was Gwen’s hope though, and she was forever pushing Charlie at her. Audra fervently wished she would stop doing it. Charlie Thornton was not her type at all. It was not that he was unattractive, because he wasn’t. He was tall, well built, with broad shoulders, very masculine really, although Audra suspected he would become flabby as he grew older. He had blond hair, a fair complexion and friendly grey eyes. His face, like his personality, was bland. Audra could not help thinking that he was soppy in certain ways, and most of the time she found him dreadfully dull. She supposed he was a good person, very worthy, and yet instinctively she knew he was a weak man.
Gwen volunteered, ‘Charlie’s taking us to the pictures later, Audra. He’s treating us. We’re going to the Rialto in Briggate to see the new Mary Pickford picture. Isn’t that nice of him?’
‘Oh yes it is,’ Audra was quick to agree and forced a smile.
Taking charge as usual, Gwen rushed on, ‘Well, don’t let’s stand here like three sucking ducks gawping at each other. We’ve an hour to waste before we go to the pictures, so let’s toddle along to Betty’s and have a nice cup of tea.’
Audra and Charlie readily agreed.
It had turned even chillier and the snow that had threatened throughout
