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The bedroom at the far end was shuttered and gloomy, but there was still enough light to see that the washstand was empty.
“Bother. I was sure it would be here.”
“The clock? This would be a good hiding place, for no one ever comes up here,” Rosie said. “Certainly not the housemaids, for look at all this dust. Perhaps it is in one of these cupboards. Not that one. Nor that. Here it is! Julia, we have found it, but… you knew it would be here. It was you! You took it!”
“Don’t be silly, of course I didn’t, although I admit I suspected it would be here. No, leave it where it is, Rosie, and shut the cupboard door. Now we hide behind these curtains… yes, you that side, and I’ll take this side. Now we keep quiet and wait.”
And finally Rosie understood. Eyes wide, she slipped behind one curtain, her face pale even in the gloom, and Julia hid behind another. Then they waited. For a long time they waited, as occasional sounds drifted up from below. Someone shouting — Mrs Graham, possibly. Doors opening and closing with louder thumps than usual. Furniture being moved. The servants were searching with great thoroughness.
But eventually they were rewarded. Julia heard nothing, no footsteps, no swish of stiff clothing or creak of leather boots, not even heavy breathing. But there was a hint of perfume in the air. Someone dainty and light-footed, who washed in lavender scented soap.
It was Rosie who pushed her way out from her hiding place first.
“Angie!”
And so it was. She was kneeling in front of the cupboard, with the clock in her hand.
“Rosie? Julia?” She laughed. “Well, you have caught me out, but not to worry, for I shall have this back downstairs in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. You will not tell, will you?”
“Oh no, of course not,” Rosie cried. “But why ever did you do such a thing, Angie dear? It seems… a little peculiar.”
“It was just a little joke,” Angie said. “Life here is so boring — no parties, one ball, hardly any dinners. I had to dosomethingto liven things up.”
“By stealing a clock?” Rosie squeaked.
“Notstealing, only moving from one place to another. I hide things up here for a day or two, then put them back but in a different room. Aunt Madge gets so cross, it is such fun to see.”
“And cruel to tease her so… to tease all of us,” Julia said sharply. “Rosie spent hours looking for that thimble, and presumably it was here all the time.”
“My, how censorious you are getting now that you are to marry the vicar,” Angie said. “But you will not tell, Julia? I should be mortified if Mama were to find out. You know what she is like.”
“I shall not tell, no, but only because you are going to own up to it yourself.”
“Never! Mama would be so cross! Why, she might even stop me going to London, and I shall absolutelydieif I cannot go.”
“And it would be no more than you deserve,” Julia said crisply. “But think about it, Angie. If you say nothing but simply put the clock back, Mama will still suspect the servants and that just isn’t fair. They’ve done nothing wrong at all. You have to speak up if only to make sure that they are completely exonerated. Apologise handsomely, that always answers, in my rather extensive experience. Mama will be glad to have the affair settled without further disruption, you may be sure.”
“Must I?”
“I believe Julia is right,” Rosie said softly. “One should always own up to one’s mistakes, and one should never, ever allow the servants to take the blame. Do you remember —? Oh, but you were probably still a baby, but Pa gave Will such a thrashing once when he broke a window and got Murgatroyd to take responsibility. He said that if Will had owned up to it like a man, he would not have minded, but it was the deceit and hiding behind a servant that irked him most. So Pa will be on your side, if you admit it honestly.”
Angie drooped. “I suppose you are right.”
They took the main stairs down to the parlour, where Angie sat glumly on the sofa, the clock on her knee, while Mama, Pa, Keeble and Mrs Graham were summoned.
“Ah, you’ve found it,” Pa said at once. “Well done, Angie.”
“Do not praise me, Pa, for it was I who took it in the first place. I have taken lots of little things these last few weeks, hiding them away and then putting them back in a different place. It was my misplaced idea of a joke, and I am very sorry for it. Mama, I never meant to cause such alarm. I realise now that it was a very foolish thing to do. Pray forgive me. Keeble, Mrs Graham, I hope that you will accept my sincere apology, and convey my regrets to all the other servants. It was never my intent to shed suspicion on any of you, and I deeply regret it.”
“We’re just glad to have the matter cleared up,” Mrs Graham said.
“You young people will have your little jokes,” Keeble said, with a smile. “Very amusing, and no harm done.”
“Thank you, Keeble, Mrs Graham,” Mama said. “You may go.” There was no smile on her face, and even Pa looked serious.
“Well, flower, this is a to-do, isn’t it?” Pa said to Angie. “Mrs Fletcher, what is to be done here? Is she to have bread and water for a month? Forty lashes of the cat o’ nine tails? Hanged, drawn and quartered? It was a fine apology, I’ll say that much.”
“A fine apology! As if that makes it right. She must be punished, Harry, she must.”
