The Lost Sisters: A gritty saga about friendships, family and finding a place to call home by Lindsey Hutchinson

Author:Lindsey Hutchinson [Hutchinson, Lindsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786692535
Publisher: Head Of Zeus
Published: 2017-08-31T22:00:00+00:00

*

A little while later, Abel stomped into the kitchen at Buchanan House. ‘Alice go upstairs and pack the mistress’s things.’ He then instructed Simmons to find Jago Morton and bring him to the kitchen table. Alice fled up the stairs as Simmons called Jago’s name loudly.

Stepping from the butler’s pantry, the stable boy walked towards Abel, his head down.

‘Sit down, lad. Mrs Jukes, tea if you’d be so kind,’ Abel said. ‘Now, I want you to tell me everything you know.’ Raising a hand slowly, he went on, ‘You are not in trouble, Jago, so don’t worry about that; just tell me the all of it.’

Jago related his experience of the day he followed Hortense to Birmingham, interspersed with Simmons’ confirmation here and there. Then they went over it all again; Mrs Jukes providing sustenance with tea and cake.

Hortense had quietly crept to the kitchen door behind Abel and listened in to the beginning of the conversation. The little weasel was telling Abel everything – something he would come to regret if she had her way. Silently making her way back to the parlour, Hortense eyed the study door. Slipping into the room, it was a matter of minutes before she came out again – eleven emeralds in their velvet bag tucked safely in her bodice.

Hearing a noise upstairs, Hortense ran to her bedroom where she saw Alice folding clothes and packing them in a large trunk.

‘What the hell do you think you are doing?’ Hortense yelled at the girl.

Alice quivered as she replied, ‘The master told me to pack your things, ma’am.’

‘Well you can just bloody well unpack them!’ Hortense shouted as she left the room.

With a heavy sigh, Alice began to unpack the trunk and hang the clothes back in the wardrobe.

Hortense stamped into the kitchen and, spotting Jago sitting at the table, she yelled, ‘What are you doing there? I thought I said you were sacked!’

Abel stood to face his wife. ‘Jago is in my employ, not yours!’

‘Are you keeping him on? Even after the lies he told about me?’ Hortense was astonished.

‘They were not lies!’ Jago also stood which gave him confidence to continue, ‘I saw you! I saw what you did!’

‘You lying little…!’ Hortense took a step forward with her hand raised to strike the boy.

Abel caught her arm, saying, ‘I thought I told you to get out of my house! Alice is packing your things!’

‘Well I told her to put them back!’ his wife spat.

Dragging her upstairs by the arm he still held, they entered her bedroom. ‘Alice, pack her things, she’s leaving today! And you…’ he poked a finger at his wife, ‘…leave Alice to do my bidding or else you will leave in what you stand up in!’ Nodding to a muttering Alice, Abel let go of Hortense’s arm which flew to her bodice, giving the impression of shock. Feeling the little bag of emeralds, she watched Abel stalk from the room and an evil grin curled the corners of her mouth.

‘I

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.