opened the door in time to see the chaise disappearing into the darkness.
‘It will probably be pelting with rain tomorrow,’ Eleanora said grimly. ‘Give it back to him when the weather improves. Anyway, your uncle has gone to bed and I’m about to follow him. I was just waiting up for you, Daisy.’
‘But it can’t be much later than nine o’clock, Aunt.’
‘It feels much later.’ She put the lantern on the hall table and lit a candle. She headed for the stairs, holding the chamber candlestick in one hand and clutching the banister rail with the other. ‘Good night, Daisy.’
‘Good night, Aunt.’ Daisy watched her aunt as she marched up the stairs, accompanied by the shadow cast by her candle. She had made her feelings about living in the country quite clear, and Daisy decided that this was not the right time to ask if Jack could stay with them while his broken bone mended.
She shivered and flexed her fingers, which were tingling painfully. A cup of hot cocoa would be just the thing to settle her for the night and she made her way to the kitchen, but as she entered the room she was aware of soft, even breathing. She held the lantern higher and she could just make out Linnet’s sleeping form, curled up like a kitten in front of the range.
‘Linnet, are you all right?’
Linnet stretched and opened her eyes. She scrambled to her feet. ‘I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t know you wanted anything.’
‘I didn’t mean to disturb you,’ Daisy said hastily, ‘but you shouldn’t sleep on the floor. You’ll be stiff and aching in the morning.’
‘It won’t be the first time, miss. At home I used to sleep on a mattress top to toe with my sister, with Jack snoring away in the truckle bed.’
‘I thought you went home every night.’
‘The missis said I could stay because of the snow.’
‘Then at least she should have made sure you had a proper bed to sleep on.’
Linnet scrambled to her feet. ‘No, miss. Please, it’s all right. I don’t want to make a fuss or I’ll lose my job.’
Daisy placed the lantern on the table. ‘I understand, but we can’t have you lying on the floor like an animal. I’ll fetch some bedding and I think we both could do with a cup of cocoa. Do you know how to make it?’
‘It’s our Christmas morning treat, miss. I made it this year, so I know what to do.’
‘Lots of sugar,’ Daisy said, smiling. ‘You do that and I’ll see what I can find to make you more comfortable.’ She hesitated in the doorway. ‘You heard about Jack’s injury, I suppose?’
‘Hattie told me, miss. She said that you and the doctor had looked after him. He’s a young limb if ever there was one, always in trouble, but he’s a good boy at heart.’
‘I believe that, Linnet. He was very brave when Dr Neville set his arm.’
Daisy left Linnet to make the cocoa while she went upstairs to take the coverlet and a pillow from Toby’s room. It was unlikely that he would come to stay in the foreseeable future, but she did not want to offend her aunt by allowing a servant to sleep in his bed. There were a couple of small attic rooms beneath the eaves on the top floor. Hattie had one and with a little effort the second could be made habitable for Linnet. It would be up for discussion tomorrow, when, she hoped, Aunt Eleanora would be in a happier mood, and Daisy would bring up the subject of taking care of young Jack. It would make life a lot easier if his sister were to live in – Daisy smiled to herself. With luck all the pieces would fall into place, and just maybe her aunt would feel more settled in the country. It would be a shame to return to London too soon. There were people who needed her help, Dr Neville being one of them.
Daisy was up early next morning, but she was not the first down to breakfast. She entered the small dining room to find her uncle had finished his meal of eggs and bacon and was about to leave the table.
‘I didn’t expect to see you up so early, Uncle.’
Sidney wiped his lips on a clean white napkin. ‘Ah, but I have a purpose for getting up from my bed this morning.’
Daisy sat down opposite him. ‘That sounds interesting.’
‘The landlord of the village pub has fishing tackle he wants to sell. I’m going to take a look at it and make him an offer.’
‘Do you know anything about fishing, Uncle?’
‘Not a thing, but I’m eager to learn. It would give me something to do and put food on the table. We have to be careful with the pennies now that I’ve retired from the business.’ He stood up and stretched. ‘That was an excellent breakfast. Everyone should have a good start to the day.’ He headed for the door. ‘If your aunt says anything, tell her I had to leave early or I might not get what I want.’
Daisy smiled and nodded as he left the room. She had never seen her uncle so enthusiastic about anything.
The door had hardly closed when it opened again to admit her aunt.
‘Really, he’s like an excited child,’ Eleanora said crossly. ‘He’ll spend money on a fishing rod and it will be thrilling for five minutes. He’ll change his mind when he spends hours on the river-bank and catches nothing other than a cold.’
‘He might enjoy it, Aunt. And Hattie can cook the fish he brings home.’
Eleanora went to the sideboard and filled a bowl with porridge. ‘I have so little appetite these days,’ she said as she took her seat and reached for the sugar bowl. ‘Pass the cream, please, Daisy.’
Daisy did as she asked and sat back, nibbling a slice of buttered toast as she watched her aunt spoon porridge laced with cream and sugar into her mouth.
‘Thank goodness Hattie came with us,’ Eleanora said, scraping the last morsels from the bowl. She licked the spoon with obvious enjoyment. ‘She is such a good cook.’
‘It was kind of you to take Linnet on. She’s a bright girl and eager to learn.’ Daisy eyed her aunt warily. So far so good. ‘Do you intend to make her position permanent?’
‘We have certain standards to keep up, and I can hardly expect Hattie to do all the work. She’d pack up and return to London in a blink of an eye.’
Encouraged, Daisy leaned forward, giving her aunt a persuasive smile. ‘Then perhaps Linnet ought to be given a room of her own. There’s a small one in the attic, next to Hattie’s.’
Eleanora reached for a small brass bell and rang it. ‘If you say so, dear. I haven’t been up there myself, but it does make sense to have the girl living in, and it will take some of the burden from Hattie.’
‘That’s a yes, then?’
‘I said so, didn’t I?’ Eleanora was about to ring the bell again when Linnet burst into the room.
‘You
