A Christmas Legacy by Anne Perry

Author:Anne Perry [Perry, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2021-11-09T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Finally, they finished, and the pails were taken away, the extra towels removed, and the old lady was sitting up in bed in a spotless, fresh nightgown. There was a new, thick rug on the floor, and a third blanket on the bed. Bessie left, saying she would come back with a fresh pot of tea in ten or fifteen minutes.

“There now,” Gracie said, smiling at the old lady. “Just one thing more. Let’s brush your hair, very gently. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” When the old lady looked a little anxious, Gracie repeated, “I promise. It will feel nice. May I?”

The old lady hesitated, then smiled. “Yes, you may,” she said.

Gracie took the brush and, sitting next to the woman, she began to move it gently through her hair, trying to undo as many of the knots as she could before the brush caught on them and pulled them out.

Moments after Bessie returned, everything changed.

There was no knock. The door flew open so hard it banged against the wall and swung back. Mr. Harcourt stood in the entrance, his face purple-red with fury.

“What in God’s name are you doing? Who told you that you could come in here?” he demanded. He stared at his mother, then back to Gracie. “How dare you? What have you done to her? I demand to know!” Before she could respond, he announced, “You! Consider yourself fortunate I have not asked you to leave—yet!”

Gracie was far more furious than she was afraid. “We washed her. Bessie did nothing except what I instructed her to do—”

“You instructed?” he cut across her, shouting her down. “Who the hell do you think you are? You do not give instructions to anyone in this house. You are a temporary servant, for God’s sake, and tomorrow you will be nothing. Whatever it is you do, someone else will fill in.”

“Gilbert…” the old lady started to speak.

“Be quiet!” he snapped.

She shrank back as if he had slapped her.

Bessie was so pale, Gracie thought she might faint.

Gracie’s mind raced. Her every instinct was to fight back. But if she did, would that make it worse for the rest of them? Above all, would it make it even worse for the old lady? That had to be her main thought. The others might escape, do better or worse, but they could survive it. There was no escape for the old lady. And without the servants, who would care for her? What would happen to her? Old Mrs. Harcourt surely knew this too well. New servants might not even know she was there. Certainly, they would not risk their jobs to take her apple pie and cream! If they took anything at all, with a new cook, it could be half their own meals.

She looked across at the old lady, shrinking back into the pillows behind her. There were tears on her cheeks, but she would not cry out against him, perhaps for the sake of those very servants.

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