England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; Love stories; Social classes -- England -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
The two red spots appeared in Katherine Bush's cheeks. So she had been
expected to change her dress--and she had not thought of doing so! She
had not even imagined that she would go again downstairs or have any
dinner after that wonderful tea! A little supper probably on a tray
later on, or something like that.
But here was dinner! perhaps the same kind of meal as she had had with
Lord Algy. Of course, she ought to have known that she must change her
dress. She felt very angry with herself, and after the exaltation over
her own instincts this was a fall! But she would never err again, and
fortunately the housemaid would not know that she had been ignorant.
"My things fasten in the front, thank you, so that I need not trouble
you," she answered, graciously; "but will you tell me, please, where I
shall find the secretary's room?"
The housemaid gave directions--but one of the footmen would be certain
to be in the hall and would show her. Thomas, the one who had brought
her up, would wait on her.
"When you are ready, miss, will you please ring, and I will whistle down
to say you are coming. We always did for Miss Arnott, and then they
serve the dinner at once. This bell rings up and this one down; it is
the upstairs one for me. I am Martha, the second housemaid, miss, and
will be pleased to do anything I can for you."
Katherine Bush thanked the girl again and quickly began to dress, and at
a minute or two to eight was on her way. This upper staircase she found
descended to the ground floor independently of the stately, shallow
marble one she had walked up on to the sitting-room on her former visit
and which went no farther than the first floor.
Thomas was waiting for her and conducted her to a room down the
corridor, whose windows she discovered later looked out on a dull, blank
wall. It had comfortable, solid, leather-covered furniture, the relic
possibly of some country smoking-room, and faded crimson silk brocade
curtains, the discarded splendour of a salon, perhaps. These were cosily
drawn, and there was plenty of electric light, and she saw that there
would be space to do her typing on the solid, large table, and to keep
all records in those capacious cupboards which lined the walls. The
feeling that she was in space again gave her satisfaction; she had so
often longed to break down the partition of her attic, or stretch out
and push away the glass screen at Liv and Dev's. The room was very high,
too--another advantage.
"I shall always have large, high rooms when I have won my game," she
said to herself.
A small table by the fire was laid for one. She made herself notice the
silver and the glass and the cloth, and almost immediately Thomas
brought in a large tray with her dinner. There was soup in a quaint
covered cup with two handles, and some hot silver dishes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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