Re: Knowl Park
Chapter 3 Part 2
When she didn’t reply he became concerned. “Oh ’Manda, is there something wrong? Are you ill? I have to say you don’t look well.” It was true. She hadn’t slept properly and really didn’t feel like being in this house today. She wanted to burn his letters, hand in her notice, and then go home. She had been such a fool and couldn’t bear to spend another day under the same roof as him.
“I’m alright; there’s nothing wrong, I just need to get on with my work.”
After a brief pause Philip said, “No, there is definitely something wrong. You’re clenching your fists, you have your eyes screwed up and you are biting your lip just like you do when you are upset or in pain.”
“I know it’s not your time of the month because that was last week, so unless you are injured or ill, I must assume you are upset.”
“How can he know such intimate things about me yet not care for my feelings?” she thought.
“You’re my best friend,” he said. “I care about you, so please, what is wrong?”
Suddenly she blurted out, “I saw you with Millie last night!”
“Ah yes,” he said, far too casually for her liking. Then he stunned her with his next comment
“She was in a fair old state when I found her, and it took me ages to calm her down.”
Suddenly doubt shot through her mind. Philip would help anyone without thinking, especially a friend. “Help? Why, what was wrong with Millie”
“She’s terrified of thunderstorms. I was awakened around midnight by the noise so I decided to take a look around the house to make sure the windows and shutters were all secure when I heard sobbing coming from under the stairs.”
“Millie was there, crying and hugging her knees, rocking to and fro. I asked her what was wrong, then there was a sudden clap of thunder and she burst into tears, so I sat with her and put my arm round her, trying to comfort her but it didn’t work. I wish you would have come down to help. Why didn’t you?”
Then he noticed his letters in Amanda’s hand. Um, why do you have them, and a box of Lucifers? It’s June and surely we don’t need any fires lit today?”
Then Philip realised she was red from the neck up, shaking, and looked like she was about to burst into tears herself.
“When I saw you last night under the stairs with your arm around her I, I thought you and Millie were … were, oh I was so wrong, you, you must hate me for thinking such a terrible thing.”
Philip took the letters and placed them carefully on one of the small tables alongside the balustrade that overlooked the main entrance hall, then took the matches and put them in his pocket before saying, “Hopefully, you won’t be needing these now.”
“Oh no,” she thought. “He knows what I was going to do.”
Feeling foolish and ashamed she squeezed her eyes shut waiting for ridicule and rebuke, but it never came. Instead, she found that he was hugging her and saying quietly,
“Oh Miss ’Manda; what am I to do with you?”
Leading her gently to one of the upright chairs by the table, he told her, “I think you should sit here before you collapse,” both of them remembering the first time he had advised her to do the same after she had been attacked when she was eleven.
Meanwhile Travis, Albert Marsden’s newly hired footman, slithered out of his hiding position across the landing. Last night he had seen the young master having a secret assignation with the very attractive blond maid, and now here he was with his arms around the short, dumpy, brown-haired one.
It wasn’t fair, but he was intent on having his sport with one or other of the two girls, and decided he could probably persuade his employer’s son to part with money if he wished to avoid a scandal, and avoid each of the girls from finding out about his affairs with the other.
© December 2020