Chapter 5

Another bright day greeted me as I arose from my bed the following morning. Feeling happy with my lot, I went to take breakfast, and as I was doing so, Thomas’ nurse approached me.

“Begging your pardon, Miss Catherine, but Mr Uttridge is taking Thomas for a drive today, and asks if you would kindly leave his education to this afternoon.”

“Of course,” I said. I knew the importance of regular routine to young minds, but on the other hand the assurance of his father’s love was of even more consequence, especially given the circumstances that prevailed.

I decided to spend the time profitably by visiting Mrs Rawson, the housekeeper. If I could make her my friend it would be of inestimable help to me in the future. But first there was something I must do to put my mind at rest. I steeled myself to ascend to the top storey and enter the chapel. Instinctively I kept my eyes cast down at first, fearful of what I might see, but then I cautiously raised them to the ceiling. There was nothing there - simply the white-distempered ridge. Had I imagined the mass of flies? It seemed incredible that I had done so and I was not subject to wild flights of fancy. I shook my head doubtfully. Perhaps the strain of my first long journey from home had told on my mind or perhaps the flickering of the candle had cast treacherous shadows? There was no point in dwelling on the matter: they were gone and that was a great relief to me.

With a lighter heart, I descended the stairs and knocked on Mrs Rawson’s door.

“Come in!” she called.

I entered with a smile and said, “I hope it is not an inconvenient time to call, Mrs Rawson, but we have not had much time to speak and I thought it would be useful to talk about matters in general so that we can both perform our duties in concert with each other.”

“Of course, Miss Catherine! Please take a seat and I will send one of the maids for tea.”

We talked amiably for a good while. I telling her of my life in the Lakes and she relating some of the incidents of local life.

“You’ve come just in time for the Michaelmas fair, Miss Catherine,” she mentioned at one point. “There be great doings.”

“Indeed?” I said, pleased as I loved the fairs, when any market town is overflowing with life and incident. “I would very much like to go. Would it be safe to take the child do you think?”

“Oh yes, indeed. It will be busy but there’s no danger provided you keep him away from the animals.”

“And will you be going?”

“I may be able to for a short while, but there’s a great deal for me and the master to do. It is twice a year, Michaelmas and Lady Day, when his tenants come to pay their rent and talk about any problems they have. And just as the master gets his money twice a year, so he has to pay the bills. There’s a lot of them over six months for a house of this size and it is my job to get them all together and tell him what he owes each man.”

“So Mr Uttridge will not be able to attend the fair himself? That is a great pity.”

Mrs Rawson leaned forward confidingly. “I doubt he would want to Miss, after what happened last year.”

“And what was that?”

“Why, his wife running away with the gypsies.”

I put my hand to my mouth. “Of course! Mr Uttridge told me of her desertion, but I had not known that it happened at the fair.”

The housekeeper nodded her head impressively. “Indeed. As Mr Uttridge was so busy with his duties, his wife went to the town alone and as we suppose met a young gypsy man who persuaded her to go away with him, leaving her husband and child. A most dreadful going-on.”

“Dreadful indeed. Did you then suspect nothing before the event?”

“Oh I wasn’t here at that time, Miss Catherine. It was a Miss Jarvis as had my place. She still visits from time to time and has often told us how Mrs Uttridge called her a fool and said in her frenchy accent that she was going off with a man that would give her some attention.”

“I met Miss Jarvis in town yesterday. She seemed well and prosperous.”

“Oh yes. She has a comfortable house and dresses as well as she always did. Sometimes I wish I had nothing to do but please myself all day!”

I smiled. “Well, her leaving was the cause of you getting this important position, so you have benefited in that way!”

“Quite right, Miss!” smiled Mrs Rawson in return. “There’s many that are worse off than we!”

“I believe that we are all very fortunate to have Mr Uttridge as master,” I ventured. “He is a most amiable man in every way.”

“Yes, indeed, Miss: and very generous as well. Board and uniforms are all found, and if anyone is sick, he fees the doctor.”

“Thomas showed me a picture of him when he was young,” I mentioned. “It seems that he was quite the dandy!”

Mrs Rawson was quite clearly the sort of person who could not resist a good gossip. “I do hear from the older servants, Miss, that he was rather a rake and went about with loose companions from as far away as Norwich. Always whipping up his phaeton they say and off to the city. Drinking, gambling and merrymaking the whole time. Not that the rest of Society was setting an example. The old King was as mad as a hatter and Prince George - as he was then - was as bad as any of them. In fact they do say that that was why the young master was sent off to India - he went for his country’s good rather than his own good as the saying is. His father was none too pleased about it, him being a steady gentleman that minded his acres. Still, Mr Uttridge came back from India a good few years ago seeming as steady as one could wish and got married. It is very like the young ones to sow a few oats but perhaps in the end they’re no worse off than if they’d been less trouble.”

“India?” I remarked. “So that is why his study has that statue of the Hindoo goddess Kali.”

Mrs Rawson pursed her lips. “I don’t hold with heathen idols in a Christian home,” she said, “but it is not my place to make a remark. And to be sure the vicar calls on him regularly so if there was anything amiss I am sure he would have had a word.”

“I have had the pleasure of a brief talk with the vicar,” I said. “A most learned man.”

“That’s so Miss. I declare that sometimes his Sunday sermons are that wise I can’t understand a word of them.”

I thought this a good opportunity to bring up the matter that had been troubling me. “If I may change the subject, Mrs Rawson, the cleanliness of this house is a credit to you. But one thing I have noticed is that there are many flies in all the rooms.”

Mrs Rawson sighed and shook her head. “You’re right there, Miss Catherine. But the problem is that there’s so much standing water hereabouts and that is what they love to breed on. We do our best: the maids are all as hard-working as any I’ve met but it is very difficult to keep flies out or to kill them once they’re in.”

“I understand.”

“But still, the weather will get much colder from Michaelmas, so you’ll find they’ll all be dead in a month or two, and no more trouble until next spring.”

“That is true, and there are after all far worse things in life that a few flies. Still, I believe I have taken more than enough of your time Mrs Rawson. I will leave you now in peace.”

“Not at all, Miss Catherine! I do love a chat with a friendly person and I hope you’ll drop in as often as you want, mornings being the most convenient for me.”

“That is very kind of you, madam. I shall certainly come again soon.” With that I took my leave. I walked along the passageway to my room deep in thought about Mr Uttridge. To think that he had once been a Corinthian! And then he had spent years with - I presumed - the East India Company.

I came to myself with a start. I had foolishly turned left instead of right as I left Mrs Rawson’s chambers and was now by the door to Mrs Uttridge’s dressing room. I began to move away, clicking my tongue in self-reproach for such a silly mistake, but then without warning I was overwhelmed by the desire to enter. I turned back and stretched out my hand to the lock and stood there paralysed for a long few seconds as I wrestled with the ridiculous impulse that had gripped me. Finally, sense prevailed and I was able to draw back and hurry, shaking somewhat, to the sanctuary of my own quarters.

I heard Mr Uttridge and Thomas arrive a few hours later. I did not present myself, as I was sure the child would need the attentions of his nurse after such a long drive. That evening at dinner, I raised the matter as a topic of conversation.

“Did Thomas enjoy his ride with you today, sir?”

“He did indeed. We went to visit my friend Captain Holman who breeds horses at his property a few miles away. Although my son is very young, the ability to ride well is a necessity for one of his status, and we went to look at Captain Holman’s stable and - with some guidance from us of course - let him choose a pony that he feels comfortable with. We led him a few turns around the paddock and my young man seems very pleased with the experience. We have arranged that Thomas will take weekly lessons and if you wish you may accompany him. It is after all in the nature of tuition and no doubt you will be able to give him much information on the nature of domestic animals.”

“That would be a great pleasure, sir. I look forward to it.”

“Do you ride yourself?”

“No, unfortunately my family keeps no riding horses so I have never had the opportunity to learn.”

“A pity. Still, you are young yet and have many years in which to acquire the skill.”

We talked of this and that until the meal ended, when I asked if Thomas would be joining us in the parlour. “Not this evening,” replied my employer. “As he has had a long and tiring day I judged it best that he went to bed earlier than his usual time, and I have so instructed his nurse.”

“I am sure that was wise, sir,” I replied. “He will be the fresher for his more academic lessons tomorrow.”

With that, we took our leave of each other for the night.