‘Ah, yes. I love that one. Any darker and it would be black by candlelight. Any paler and it would look brash and tawdry. It’s from that dressmaker in Clifton. We should go back there. She does wonderful work.’
‘It’s very fetching,’ I said. ‘But I doubt the sincerity of your protestations of love.’
‘You do?’
‘Yes, my lady. If you loved it, I’m certain you wouldn’t have ripped it.’
‘Ah, yes. I thought you might scold me for that.’
‘How on earth . . . ?’
‘You remember I was wearing it the other evening when Uncle Algy insisted we join him in his game?’
‘Jean-Pierre’s Magical Vineyard,’ I said.
‘Just so. There was that moment when Harry and Jake had finished “grafting the rootstock” – quite illegally, I might add; it was Jake’s turn, and Harry had no business helping her with her débuttage like that – well, I got it caught on something. The chair, I think.’
I sighed.
‘Oh, don’t be like that, dear. You’d get so very bored if you didn’t have things to mend.’
With the packing done, I went below stairs to say goodbye to the household staff. Mr Spinney was nowhere to be seen, but I found Mrs Ruddle in the housekeeper’s room.
‘Look at me, dear,’ she said with a cheery smile. ‘A housekeeper. I shouldn’t be doing this sort of work. They need me in the kitchen. Poor Patty, she’ll be all at sixes and sevens.’
‘It suits you, Mrs R,’ I said. ‘Gives you an air of authority.’
‘I have plenty of authority in my kitchen,’ she said. ‘Skilled work it is, too. You wouldn’t put an engineer to work in an office, would you?’
‘Well . . .’ I began. But I thought better of it. ‘No, Mrs R, you’re right. But it’s just a temporary measure, I’m sure. You’ll have a new housekeeper in no time, and then you’ll all be back to normal.’
‘I dare say,’ she dared to say. ‘But enough of my belly-aching, my dear. What can I do for you?’
‘I just came to say my farewells and offer my thanks to you all for your warm hospitality.’
‘It’s been a pleasure having you, my dear. And it’s we who should be thanking you. Without you and your mistress, we might have lost poor Mrs Beddows as well as Dawkins and Mr Kovacs.’
There was a tentative knock at the door.
‘You wanted to see me, Mrs R?’ It was Evan Gudger.
‘Ah, Evan, yes. Mr Spinney has had to go into town. He asked me to tell you to see to the wine for tonight’s dinner.’
‘But that’s the head footman’s duties,’ he said.
‘That it is,’ said Mrs Ruddle. ‘And what do you suppose that means?’
‘Blimey.’
‘Blimey, indeed, young man. You’d best make sure your livery’s brushed and pressed, and your shoes and buttons polished, hadn’t you.’
‘Congratulations, Evan,’ I said. ‘A well-deserved promotion.’
‘Thank you, miss,’ he said. ‘Thank you, Mrs R.’
‘Off you go, lad. You’ve a lot to do.’
He hurried out of the room, wearing quite the most enormous smile.
‘He’ll be all right, that boy,’ said Mrs Ruddle. ‘He’s been a different lad since you’ve been here. I don’t know what you said to him, but he’s quite the new man.’
‘I just trusted him and gave him something interesting to do,’ I said.
‘Well, it’s done the trick. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay?’ She winked at me.
‘No, Mrs R, I must go where my lady leads.’
‘You stick with her, my dear,’ she said. ‘She’s a good ’un.’
‘Quite the very best.’
Unknown hands brought our cases, bags, and trunks down to the hall. All I had to do was mention our imminent departure to the new head footman, and they appeared, as if by magic.
I waited by the luggage while Lady Hardcastle said her goodbyes. As Morgan and one of the other footmen loaded everything into the Rolls-Royce, a succession of new friends came to wish us well.
While Lady Hardcastle was forcing Miss Titmus to promise to come to Gloucestershire as soon as she was able, Betty sidled over to me and gave me an unexpected hug.
‘I’m so glad to have met you,’ she said. ‘It looks like we’ll be seeing more of each other, too.’
‘I do hope so,’ I said.
‘I don’t know the first thing about photography,’ she said. ‘I don’t know how much use I’m going to be to her.’
‘You’ll soon pick it up. Or not. It doesn’t matter. Lady Hardcastle has been dabbling for a few years now, and I just smile and nod. As long as you hold whatever it is they want you to hold when they want you to hold it, I find it all goes smoothly enough.’
‘Oh, but I want to learn,’ she said earnestly. ‘It’s tremendously exciting.’
‘Good for you, Betty Buffrey. I hope you have a wonderful time.’
‘Thank you for saving the old trout,’ she said. ‘I still think she’s quite the vilest woman ever to wear bloomers, but I’d not wish her dead.’
I laughed. ‘It’s entirely my pleasure,’ I said. ‘I’ve not stuck anyone with a blade for simply ages. I was beginning to miss it.’
It was her turn to laugh.
‘Come along, Buffrey,’ said Miss Titmus. ‘I think we should leave Lady Hardcastle to her goodbyes. And I want to show you the darkroom.’
Mrs Beddows and Mr Waterford appeared next. Mr Waterford offered Lady Hardcastle his hand, which she shook warmly.
‘Thank you, Emily,’ he said. ‘And thank you, too, Miss Armstrong. You got us out of gaol, and you saved my Roz. I’ll never be able to repay you, but if you ever need anything at all . . .’
‘We still haven’t had a go in your wonderful racing cars,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘But I think we’ll leave that for another time. I’ll not forget, mind you.’
‘Any time you like,’ he said.
Mrs Beddows said nothing. Instead, she took a step towards Lady Hardcastle and hugged her. This was not at all the same woman we had met a week before. But if that was surprising, it was as nothing compared with what followed. Having released Lady Hardcastle, she came over to me and offered me her hand. As we shook hands, she leaned in close so that no one else might hear as she murmured, ‘I owe you my life, Armstrong. Thank you.’
I had no idea how to respond, so I simply smiled and said nothing.
She and Mr Montague left hand in hand.
‘What did she say?’ asked Lady Hardcastle.
‘Discretion forbids me from revealing details of a private remark, my lady,’ I said. ‘Something nice, though.’
‘Well I never,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘All it took was a madwoman with a noose to turn her into a decent human being. If only we’d known, I could have fashioned a noose at the beginning of our visit.’
Lord Riddlethorpe came out of the drawing room with his sister and Harry.
‘Ah, Emily,’ he said. ‘We thought we could hear you out here. You’re off?’
‘We are, Fishy,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘Thank you so much for your hospitality.’
‘I’m not sure having half one’s guests murdered by one’s housekeeper features in any etiquette guide I’ve ever read,’ he said, ‘but it’s gracious of you to pretend you had a good time.’