Page 13 of Linenfold (The Alice Chronicles #4)

I t is some time later that Alice sees Philip come out of the hall. ‘Ah, Master Sewell, I would speak with His Lordship. Is he in there?’

‘In the winter parlour with Master Secretary,’ Philip says.

His sanguine humour has briefly deserted him.

‘And if you will take counsel, I would avoid him for the time being. The words “bear” and “sore head” come to mind. I have just had my ear chewed and now it is Master Cranley’s turn. ’ He follows her back into the kitchen.

‘I was going to let him know I must go out for an hour,’ she tells Philip. ‘If he needs anything, he may speak with anyone here in the kitchen and they will oblige as best they can.’

‘I can tell him that. It will save you having your head bitten off. But if it’s a commission that takes you out, please send me instead,’ Philip offers. ‘We are drawing heavily on your goodwill.’

‘I thank you, but I am going to see my neighbour at Freemans to beg her to keep my son another night. He has been there since before you arrived.’

‘To Freemans?’ Philip brightens instantly. ‘You will be riding?’

‘I shall.’

‘Then I shall accompany you.’

‘You’re most kind but really there is no need. I frequently ride over there.’

‘And yet you allowed me to accompany Juli—Mistress Egerton.’

‘That was in the fog, and she is not familiar with—’

‘And so I should be no gentleman to evade accompanying yourself,’ Philip says blithely. ‘I shall inform His Lordship and then let us go and get our mounts saddled, Mistress Jerrard.’

So that’s the way of it, she thinks, watching him head for the winter parlour.

She hears his uncle’s, ‘Very well, very well!’ and then Philip with a spring in his step rejoins her.

Well, it will give Juliana diversion while she is in banishment, and Philip will not be around long enough to have his heart broken if she relishes his attentions more than she cherishes them.

Maureen cautiously pulls open the barn door and peers into the dimness.

The mistress and Master Sewell left a while ago, the kitchen court is quiet, and John Pearce has signalled her to join him here.

She has always secretly yearned to meet a man who falls in love with her at first sight.

And now her dream has come true. This morning he came through the kitchen on his way out to hire a coach and their eyes met …

As she pulls the barn door closed, John Pearce comes up behind and circles her waist. Maureen quivers. ‘Ohh, John!’

‘Come here,’ he murmurs, pressing his fingers into the ample flesh. ‘You fulsome woman.’

‘I’m not fulsome!’ she protests, pulling away. ‘What does that mean?’

‘It means, er, full of promise,’ he says, and reaches for her again.

She melts into his embrace, but then, taking thought for her position, ‘I’m a respectable woman, I’ll have you know.’

‘Of course you are,’ he assures her. ‘Which is why we must be careful. I wouldn’t harm the reputation of such a well-thought-of woman.’ He indicates the ladder to the hay loft. ‘We’ll be out of sight up there, you’ll be quite safe.’

‘Ohh, John!’

‘There’s something I need to ask you first.’

‘Oh?’ She looks sideways at him. ‘What?’

He tells her.

Maureen thinks about it. ‘That’s a lot to ask.’

‘I’m tired of Yes, master this and No, master that. Just like you are with your mistress, aren’t you?’

‘She never stops getting at me, the cow,’ Maureen says with feeling. ‘I don’t want to get in trouble, though.’

‘Just keep your eyes and ears open. I want to know what they’re up to, that’s all.’ He reaches towards her, strokes her neck, points up the ladder. ‘There’s a lot of pleasure to be had between a lusty man and a fulsome woman.’

She laughs girlishly. ‘Ohh, John!’

‘Jack left for London, once his horse was returned,’ Olivia explains. Alice is relieved to see her bloom is back, her eyes bright and she is once again herself, the burden of a migraine gone. ‘I am glad to meet you, Master Sewell,’ Olivia goes on, ‘after your discreet withdrawal earlier.’

‘I would have seen Mistress Juliana into the house, but she wished me to turn back once we reached the outbuildings.’

‘Hardly surprising,’ Olivia comments. ‘She knew the whirlwind she had reaped. Jack was, shall we say, less than happy. If nothing else, I commend her courage in facing him squarely.’

‘I hope she was not too downcast,’ Philip says.

‘Juliana?’ Olivia laughs. ‘You need have no fears! She admired the bay so warmly that Jack didn’t think to ask how she had ridden it without the lady’s saddle her parents provided.

She went on to commend the bay’s various points in such a knowledgeable way that Jack was softened into a grudging warning and an offer to advise her when she chooses a replacement for her current mare. ’

‘I came to ask after her wellbeing, to find out how she does,’ Philip says lamely.

Olivia says, ‘I expect she will be down directly.’

‘And I came about Sam,’ Alice says. ‘I feel shamefaced to ask, Olivia, but would you be very kind and keep him another night?’ She indicates a small basket Philip has been carrying for her.

‘I have brought some sweet pastries, enough for everyone, as a peace offering.’ She explains the unexpected arrival of guests, the delay to their plans, but Olivia waves away her apologies.

‘Sam’s been having the time of his life with Cicely’s three. We shall love to keep him here as long as you need.’

A step on the stairs and Juliana glides into the parlour.

This Juliana has none of this morning’s hoyden about her.

The demure creature bobbing a curtsey to Olivia and Alice is immaculate.

Not a mark of mud, not a wisp of the windblown.

She gives no more than a nod in Philip’s direction, and greets Alice warmly.

‘I am so pleased to see you again so soon,’ she beams.

‘I am relieved you arrived back in one piece,’ Alice says.

‘Mistress Juliana,’ Philip starts, ‘I hope you are well after your hurried visit to High Stoke.’

‘Very well, I thank you.’ She turns back to Alice. ‘I didn’t bring my usual mount with me, but Cousin Olivia will help while I am here.’

‘If you are short of a mount, I should be happy to lend you my own,’ Philip offers.

‘I thought you were leaving today, sir,’ Juliana says coldly.

‘We were, but there is no coach to be had. We take a hired coach for London tomorrow. I shall ride inside with my uncle, so I can leave my mount here for a few days.’

‘Thank you, sir, but I shall do very well from my cousin’s stable.’

‘She is a most well-mannered mare.’

‘She would be,’ Juliana says, turning away. The last thing to offer her, thinks Alice, is a well-mannered horse. Her bent is more to a disdainful, mettlesome creature she can fight.

Juliana turns to Olivia. ‘Cousin, do tell me, what is that tree out in the garden I can see from my window. It has strewn a mass of dark red leaves on the ground. Do they call it a red birch, perhaps?’

‘You mean the copper beech? A handsome specimen at any time of year.’

‘When I was a child I used to climb a tree like that. It had the same sort of branch growing straight out not far from the ground. I used to pretend it was my horse.’

‘I’ve lifted Sam onto it many times,’ Alice says. ‘Perhaps I shall take him round there now.’

‘Alice, you cannot lift him at present,’ Olivia warns.

‘I shall lift him,’ Juliana declares. ‘Let us go and find him.’

‘Let’s go and find all the children,’ Alice says.

The four of them, duly muffled, find Sam in the barn with Robert and Cicely’s three and they all want a ride on the “horse”. While Philip and Juliana do the lifting, Olivia stands back for a murmured word with Alice.

‘He seems a nice enough young man.’

‘I liked him straight away. He’s respectful towards his uncle who can be very testy when his humours are disordered.

And towards Secretary Cranley, who has very outdated notions of respectability.

Through it all, Philip has kept his temper and remained cheerful.

He was clearly drawn to Juliana, and I think she to him.

But it’s of no matter. Philip leaves for London tomorrow. ‘

‘I was thinking of when Juliana returns to London,’ Olivia says.

‘Yes, I see. Well, that’s down to Juliana and her parents, isn’t it?’

Sam has just been lifted down off the branch and rushes to Alice. ‘I’m going to be a pirate and they’re going to chase me!’ he cries. ‘I’ve got to hide!’

While the other children cover their eyes and Juliana counts slowly to ten, Alice whispers to Sam. By the time they open their eyes, he is nowhere to be seen. The search starts and Olivia invites Philip to join her keeping an eye on them as they range round the house.

Juliana comes to Alice’s side and gives her a quizzical look. ‘Your skirts seem fuller than they were a few moments ago, Alice.’

‘It seemed an easy solution,’ Alice tells her. ‘Keep still, Sam, or they’ll see you. And stop tickling my leg, or I shall sit on you, bump and all!’

‘I shall so enjoy my stay here,’ Juliana tells her. ‘I feel freer, somehow. Sometimes in London, I can’t breathe!’

‘You managed to explain away your kidnap of the bay, I hear?’

‘Jack was fine, and Olivia just laughed, like you did. If that had been my parents, I’d never have heard the end of it. You know why I was sent down here?’

‘I’ve heard something of an enamoured young man.’

‘Oh, him! I didn’t encourage him. He went and wrote me an ode ! Left it on the table for me to find. Honestly Alice, it was such bad poetry I laughed. How was I to know he was lurking behind the door?’

‘Poor fellow.’ But she can’t help smiling.