Hide in Time (12 page)

She opened the clasp on her bag and
gently pulled and manoeuvred the VacPack. It contained items of many
different colours. Remembering how a VacPack worked had deserted her
and it took a while before she was able to congratulate herself on
opening it. The first thing that came to hand was a long petticoat.
Crumpled. Dreadfully crumpled. As she withdrew the compressed
contents, she was pleased to find pretty clothes – things she
could wear for dinner that evening. She pulled the cord for the maid
she’d been assigned and gave her the two silk dresses, the
petticoat, the shawls and the little burgundy velvet thing that
looked as though it would never be fit to wear.

“If you would attend to the dusky
pink shawl and pale pink silk dress first and return them to me
immediately, Millie, I shall have something respectable to change
into. Then I’d like you to show me the bathroom.”

Millie, no more than fifteen years old,
bobbed nervously and, with surprisingly small, perhaps nervous steps,
ran out of the room. Alexandra thought Millie was rather young and
inexperienced to be a ladies’ maid but she dismissed the
thought and continued, with increasing curiosity, to unpack the rest
of her bag. She tried on the delicate, pink leather shoes and, yes,
they were definitely hers, for they fitted well. There was sufficient
underwear for a few days, cotton and comfortable and quite unlike the
lacy little knickers she was currently wearing. There was a timid
knock on the door. “Come in.”

Millie took just a step into the room
and, in a high-pitched voice, squeaked, “Beg your pardon, Miss
Mulberry, the water will be ready very soon and Miss Leigh-Fox has
sent you this gown to wear to the bath.”

“Thank you, Millie. I will
undress as soon as I have finished unpacking.”

In a leather pouch were several
diamonds of different sizes. Thank heavens that highwayman had not
investigated further in her bag. In another larger leather pouch were
coins. Twenty gold sovereigns – no wonder the bag was so heavy,
she thought. And guineas too. And some smaller coins. What relief.
She was not destitute. There was also a note. What did it say?

“Please give the guineas to Adam
Leigh-Fox, in recompense for the expenses he may incur.”

And if that was insufficient, perhaps
she could earn her keep? She was, the letter had said, a maker of
fine jewellery and she’d brought some tools with her –
they were lying in the bottom of the bag. Quickly she replaced the
contents of her bag and, wrapped in the robe, she went to look for
the bathroom. Millie was standing in the corridor, holding open a
door. Alexandra entered eagerly. It would be wonderful to have a
bath. The bath, a large, green cast iron tub had been filled with
steaming water and smelled of lavender. A free-standing rail carried
white cotton towels and a jug and bowl stood alongside. Millie seemed
to be waiting.

“Thank you, Millie. That will be
all.”

Millie closed the door and walked
towards Alexandra. “I’ll take your gown, Miss Mulberry,
if you step in. And you must tell me how you like your hair washed
and dressed.”

~

“Welcome to our home. Welcome to
our happiness.” Benjamin Leigh-Fox seemed to look through
Alexandra as, with otherwise impeccable manners, he bowed low to
greet her.

Alexandra realized, with some
embarrassment, that she was last to enter the dining room. The
bathing exercise had taken much longer than she’d thought
possible. She fervently hoped she had not kept them waiting. She
curtseyed low to compensate for her tardiness.

Gesturing vaguely towards his right, Mr
Leigh-Fox said, “My eldest son, Jack, is accustomed to sitting
at my right hand.” He sniffed and appeared to want to say more
but thought better of it. Jack bowed courteously yet his smile was
marred by his look of inspection rather than welcome.

“Adam sits at my left. You have
already been introduced.”

Adam smiled warmly.

“My daughter, Catherine, sits
next to Jack and you may sit next to Adam. Since my beloved is no
longer with us, the other end of the table is,” he paused,
“empty.”

Alexandra had been reflecting their
greetings by what she considered to be a mini curtsey and she did so
for Catherine too. Hers must have been the face at the window.

A liveried footman assisted Alexandra
to sit. It felt as if the curtain was about to rise, the stage set,
the director commanding, and she was one of the players. Benjamin
Leigh-Fox, who had been seated first, brushed an imaginary stain on
his velvet collar with his fingers, then, not satisfied with the
result, began to search for a handkerchief. The play inclined to
farce when, finding one, he dipped it into the glass of water that
had been poured for him and began dabbing. With a flourish of the
handkerchief, he appeared to think he had achieved his aim, and put
it back in his pocket. Jack groaned, Catherine blushed, twirled her
napkin around her finger and mentioned that the water came from the
local spring. Adam said, “The grace father; will you say it or
shall I?”

As there was no response, Adam began,
“Lord, we give thanks…” but he was interrupted by
an almost inaudible cough from Father Fox (as Alexandra had decided
to call him). Adam stopped and his father, who had clearly perfected
the art of sotto voce, began.

“Trust and be steadfast, whatever
betide thee; only one thing should ye ask of the Lord, grace to go
forward wherever He guide thee, simply believing the truth of His
word.” He continued for some three minutes more.

It was the longest grace Alexandra had
ever known, and she heard very little after the first few sentences
which she dwelt on – had he directed them at her? There was no
mention of food. Long past blessings and petitions for the future
formed the basis of his monologue. She wondered if he trod that fine
line between genius and insanity. Jack fidgeted. The reward for the
word “Amen” finally being said was for each of them to
receive a whole boiled potato on their plate. All except Jack began
to eat. “For God’s sake, Father, cannot you let Catherine
take charge of the table?”

“Blasphemy, Jack, blasphemy,”
said his father serenely. “You mean, of course, for your sake,”

“Of course, I mean for my sake,”
hissed Jack. “Catherine is soon to be seventeen. She would have
been capable to meet with the housekeeper – if Adam had not
felt obliged to relinquish her services.” Jack paused, then
grinned mischievously as he said, “It hadn’t hurt to
flatter her a little,” then angrily added, “he’s no
right to interfere.”

Catherine shifted uncomfortably. “I
should be pleased to meet with cook for you, papa. May I meet with
Mrs Lamb on Monday mornings?”

“You are too young, Catherine. It
is not becoming for a young lady not yet out.”

Adam intervened. “Perhaps
Alexandra might accompany Catherine and assist with the conduct of
the household?” Adam glanced towards Alexandra with a smile,
“Mrs Lamb, a fitting name for a cook, don’t you think?
She would probably welcome more guidance and recognition of her once
redoubtable skills.”

As if Adam had not spoken, Father Fox
enquired of Alexandra, “Are you out?” All eyes settled on
her.

Again, Adam interposed. “I would
not doubt that she is out,” he said with a wink to Alexandra
and a broadening smile.

“Oh for God’s sake, take
this plate away,” Jack said gripping his knife handle with his
fist and banging it on the table and glaring at the nearest servant.

“Jack, please remember we have
ladies present,” said Adam calmly but with an unmistakable note
of command. “We can discuss this later. For the moment, try to
remember your obligations.” Finishing the sole potato on his
plate, he turned to Alexandra. “I hope you will forgive us. So
tell me, your room, I trust it is comfortable?”

“Eminently so, thank you,”
she responded with warmth. How engrossing this all is, she thought.
Not only a player, she was also the audience.

The next course arrived and was placed
in front of each diner. A small sardine, complete with head and tail,
sat alone on the large white, unadorned plate.

Jack, still gripping his knife, slammed
it down, stood up, excused himself curtly, and walked out.

“Since Laura departed…”
began Catherine faintly, but she lost heart and blushed, and
Alexandra did not quite catch what she’d said nor discern what
she had intended.

Adam swiftly called one of the
servants, quietly directed him and within a few silent, awkward
minutes, an apology for a salad arrived on a platter and was placed
in the centre of the table. Other dishes followed, though none was
properly displayed. Even a bowl of fruit arrived.

“Father is rather ahead of his
time,” said Adam to Alexandra. “He prefers to have one
dish served at a time, whereas the rest of society prefers a
selection of dishes.” Adam turned to his father and said,
“Forgive me, father. I think your fashion needs a little more
thought before we oblige our guests to take a leap into the future,
for you are certainly right in knowing how things should and may be
done.”

Alexandra wondered if Adam could
possibly mean what he said. She looked at him and there was a hint of
a smile and a definite wink to Catherine. Thank goodness. Father Fox
said not another word throughout the meal, though periodically dabbed
at his collar with the handkerchief, now wine-soaked as he mistook
one glass for another. In between bouts of dabbing, he drank his wine
and smiled paternally at all, though he ate only from one dish at a
time. Without Jack, and with Father Fox absorbed by his thoughts,
Adam, Catherine and Alexandra were able to enjoy something
approaching a normal conversation until Catherine whispered across
the table to Alexandra that it might be time to leave the gentlemen
to their Port. Alexandra thought she heard Adam murmur, “While
we still have some.”

Father Fox and Adam stood and Alexandra
followed Catherine into the sitting room. Catherine was a pretty girl
with shining dark hair dressed in loose curls. Quite small in every
way, but then everyone she’d met seemed small apart from Adam
and the parson. Her affectionate nature showed when she took
Alexandra’s hand and pulled her towards the sofa as she said,
“Sit here next to me and tell me of your adventure with the
highwayman.”

Alexandra thought for a moment. It was
all rather odd, like a dream you have when you wake up and doze off
again. She could remember the emotions but what else was there to
say? “It seems a little hazy now.” She hoped that would
be sufficient.

“Oh do tell,” said
Catherine eagerly, “Parson Raffles had so little time when he
came this morning.”

Alexandra looked at the eager Catherine
and yielded. “Ah yes, I remember. At dusk, the road passed
through some woods and it became quite dark so the coachman stopped
to light the lamps.”

“What was he like?”

“The highwayman?”

“Yes, yes. I’ve heard about
him before. It used to be said that the highwaymen had all succumbed
to the force of law and travelling by coach is safe now. Then this
rogue appeared – though it is said he never harms a lady.”

Alexandra looked at Catherine. Her face
was flushed with excitement. Perhaps she didn’t get out much
and had to live vicariously. Alexandra thought for a little longer
then plunged headlong into the exciting tale of “The Handsome
Highwayman.” It was all true but a good tale can be made better
in the telling.

“So did you see his face?”
Catherine’s animated features begged Alexandra to say ‘yes’.

“I could see his dark eyes –
he’d taken good care to conceal the rest of him, but his
confident bearing told me he was handsome.”

“Life in ‘Foxhills’
is never exciting,” Catherine said pulling a despondent face.

“Not exciting? I found the dinner
tonight rather interesting.”

“Oh you wouldn’t if you had
to put up with such behaviour every night. ‘Wild’ and
‘Mild’ papa calls them.”

Alexandra laughed. “I shall be so
tempted to call them that. I expect it annoys Adam.”

“No, he used to be amused by it,”
Catherine said. “After grandpapa died, and a year or two of
scolding Jack, papa seemed to give up, only passing comment from time
to time that Jack is so like mother. I think he favours Jack in
memory of mama. But I don’t remember mama being like Jack at
all; she made you feel better for having been with her. Quite an
exciting lady. She rode well and enjoyed society. Jack looks like
mama, I grant, but I think Adam is more like her whereas Jack is
always flouncing out and sometimes isn’t seen for days.”

“Perhaps he goes to see a lady
friend?”

“Can you imagine a lady
befriending him? He has terrible debts. We might have retired to the
drawing room, except…” Catherine looked as though she’d
lost heart once again. Her face grew even more sorrowful when she
said, “And Adam misses Laura now she too has gone.”

That name. She’d heard it
somewhere before. Was her memory returning? “Laura?” she
enquired.

“I miss her too.”

“Was she your sister?”

“Oh no. She was betrothed to Adam
and just a few months ago, she packed a trunk herself and said she
was sailing to America.”

“Just like that? How strange. No
explanation?”

“Oh it is a tragic tale, pitiable
and Laura is irretrievably lost.”

“Lost?”

“At sea. The ship was wrecked on
treacherous sands. The fifteenth of July it was. Tomorrow is the
first day of October, winter is coming, and I miss Laura.”
Catherine’s head had been drooping but she raised it high
before adding, “In my prayers tonight I shall thank God for
sending you.”

“July fifteenth. This year?”

“Yes, not even three months has
yet passed. Poor Adam.”

“Something significant happened
to me on that day. I feel it. And the name ‘Laura’ is
connected with it.”